HealthFerm Experts Showcase Citizen Science and AI Innovations at CS4Health 2025, Zurich

At the Citizen Science for Health 2025 conference, held from 6–7 November in Zurich, Annina Meyer from ETH Zurich presented HealthFerm’s groundbreaking work on co-creating scientific knowledge with citizens in the session “Interpreting Microbiomes Together: AI-Assisted Feedback in a Co-Designed Pan-European Citizen Science Project.” The presentation, co-authored by Jan Tan, Thomas Gettemans, Nicholas A. Bokulich, and the HealthFerm consortium, highlighted how participatory research and AI tools can transform public engagement in microbiome science.

The HealthFerm team shared how the project’s large-scale citizen science initiative has successfully brought together researchers and citizens to explore the microbial and health dimensions of fermented foods. More than one thousand participants from thirty-three countries contributed an impressive six hundred seventy-one sourdough samples alongside detailed information about their fermentation practices, motivations, and perceived health benefits. This rich, co-created dataset forms one of the largest participatory collections of its kind, linking traditional food cultures with cutting-edge microbiome science.

A particularly innovative element of the study was the use of an AI-assisted feedback tool that provided personalized microbiome reports to participants. Through an interactive chatbot, contributors could explore and interpret their individual results in an accessible and engaging way, enhancing transparency and deepening understanding. This participatory approach ensured citizens remained actively involved throughout the project — from the co-design of the study and data collection to the interpretation and discussion of results. Communication was sustained through multiple channels, including direct contact, newsletters, blog updates, and tailored feedback, fostering a genuine sense of community and shared discovery.

In her presentation, Annina Meyer emphasized how this experience provided valuable insights into expectation management, trust-building, and the development of tools that balance scientific accuracy with playful engagement. By integrating artificial intelligence into citizen science, HealthFerm has created a model for inclusive, interactive research that both empowers participants and enriches scientific outcomes.

The project’s presentation at CS4Health 2025 reflects HealthFerm’s broader mission to bridge microbiome research with everyday food cultures and to promote participatory approaches in health science. This work directly supports Objective 4 of the HealthFerm project — to co-create knowledge with citizens about fermented foods and their health impacts — and demonstrates how large-scale citizen engagement can drive more democratic, transparent, and impactful research.