WONDERLAB’s Second Greater Bay Area Health and Nutrition Festival Concludes Successfully, Advancing Microbiome Research and a Healthier Bay Area

On April 9, the Second Greater Bay Area Health and Nutrition Festival, jointly hosted by the Guangdong Nutrition Society and the Shenzhen Health Industry Development Promotion Association and organized by the Shenzhen WonderLab Commonweal Foundation, concluded successfully in Shenzhen. Under the theme “Better Health Every Step of the Way—Together for a Healthier Greater Bay Area,” the event brought together leading Chinese experts in the gut microbiome, nutrition and health, including Prof. Huilian Zhu, Chair of the Guangdong Nutrition Society; Prof. Hongwei Guo, standing council member of the Chinese Nutrition Society; and Prof. Shuangjiang Liu, Chair of the Gut Microbiota Branch of the Biophysical Society of China. Discussions focused on key topics such as microbiota-targeted weight management, gut health, children’s nutrition and evidence-based weight interventions. The event also featured an in-depth interpretation of the Targeted Microbiota Weight Management White Paper and showcased WONDERLAB’s substantive achievements in strain research, product innovation and industry leadership, harnessing biotechnology to inject fresh momentum into the high-quality development of the health industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Building a Health Hub and Setting a New Industry Benchmark

In her address, Prof. Huilian Zhu, Chair of the Guangdong Nutrition Society, noted that the respective 15th Five-Year Plans (2026–2030) of Guangdong Province and Shenzhen both designate the biopharmaceutical and health industries as strategic pillar industries, closely aligning with the national strategies of “Healthy China 2030” and “Shaping a Healthy Bay Area.” In response to pressing public-health challenges such as dietary imbalance, insufficient physical activity and the earlier onset of chronic conditions, she called for coordinated efforts across government, industry, academia, research institutions and end users, grounded in academic research, supported by industry and connected through public science education. Prof. Zhu spoke highly of the value of this year’s festival, which focused on gut health, weight management, and children’s growth and development to promote the translation of research findings into practical applications. She also recognized WONDERLAB, a local biotechnology company, for its exemplary and leading role in academic collaboration, research and innovation, and public-interest science education.

Figure 1 — Prof. Huilian Zhu, Chair, Guangdong Nutrition Society

Huang He, Executive President of the Shenzhen Health Industry Development Promotion Association, said in his address that the provincial and municipal blueprints for the 15th Five-Year Plan period provide a clear direction for the health and nutrition industry in the Greater Bay Area, and that the Greater Bay Area Health and Nutrition Festival is an important public-interest initiative that responds to national strategies and serves public health. He called on the entire industry to uphold scientific rigor, strengthen research and innovation, accelerate the translation of research findings, and proactively fulfill its social responsibilities. He particularly encouraged leading enterprises to serve as benchmarks by empowering the industry through technological innovation and supporting people’s well-being through public science education, jointly fostering a well-regulated, orderly and high-quality health-industry ecosystem and contributing continuously to a healthier Shenzhen and a healthier Greater Bay Area.

Figure 2 — Huang He, Executive President, Shenzhen Health Industry Development Promotion Association

Targeted Microbiota Weight Management Sets New Science-Based Industry Standards

Amid the serious challenges of obesity prevention and control, conventional approaches to weight management have revealed a number of limitations: the same weight-loss program can produce widely varying outcomes among individuals, and the traditional “calories in, calories out” model can no longer fully address the need for precise and sustainable weight management. The search for new approaches to weight intervention has therefore become increasingly urgent. Building on an in-depth analysis of four core mechanisms through which the gut microbiota influences body weight, WONDERLAB previously worked with China Quality Report, under the guidance of multidisciplinary experts, to release the Targeted Microbiota Weight Management White Paper.

At the event, Prof. Hongwei Guo, a standing council member of the Chinese Nutrition Society and one of the lead contributors to the white paper, provided an in-depth interpretation of Targeted Microbiota Weight Management: A White Paper on Science-Based Intervention Strategies Centered on the Gut Microbiota. She explained that the white paper centers on strain-specific interventions and sets out a new, systematic framework for weight management. Designed to move beyond the limitations of conventional approaches that focus only on calorie control without addressing underlying factors, the framework outlines a scientifically grounded pathway intended to be verifiable, standardizable and scalable, helping weight management evolve from experience-based practice toward a more scientific and precise model. The white paper also proposes dedicated targeted strategies for four obesity phenotypes. For each phenotype, it recommends an initial 1–2-week foundational intervention centered on supporting the gut barrier, using a tailored combination of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GOLDGUT-M520, Limosilactobacillus reuteri GOLDGUT-LR99, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and other specific strains to help establish a sound gut-microbiota foundation. This is followed by targeted interventions based on the metabolic characteristics of each phenotype, with distinct priorities and corresponding strain combinations, ultimately providing differentiated weight-management support tailored to each phenotype.

Figure 3 — Prof. Hongwei Guo, standing council member, Chinese Nutrition Society

Proprietary Core Strains Strengthen Product Competitiveness

A science-based weight-management framework requires strong support from core strain technologies. Focusing on the underlying relationship between the microbiome and weight metabolism, Prof. Shuangjiang Liu, Chair of the Gut Microbiota Branch of the Biophysical Society of China, delivered a presentation titled “The Gut Microbiome and Weight Metabolism: Mechanisms, Evidence, and New Perspectives on Probiotic Strains.” He examined the foundational mechanisms linking the microbiome and gut health and discussed the research value and potential applications of WONDERLAB’s proprietary GOLDGUT-LR99 strain. He said that GOLDGUT-LR99 had undergone rigorous screening and clinical evaluation and had shown promise in studies examining gut-microbiota composition and metabolic-health support. The strain has been incorporated into key WONDERLAB products, including WONDERLAB All-in-One Probiotics (Blue Bottle 4.0) and SHAPE100 PLUS™, creating an integrated pathway from basic research and clinical evaluation to commercial application and offering an example of close industry-academia-research collaboration.

Figure 4 — Prof. Shuangjiang Liu, Chair, Gut Microbiota Branch of the Biophysical Society of China

Drawing on its in-depth microbiome research and the white paper’s core theoretical framework, WONDERLAB developed an industry-first morning-and-evening pairing for science-based weight management, featuring BODY100 PLUS™ in the morning and SHAPE100 PLUS™ in the evening. The product pairing translates advanced research into practical health products designed to provide the public with a scientific and sustainable approach to weight management. At the event, WONDERLAB research scientists explained the technology behind the upgraded products, highlighting the company’s research-driven approach to product enhancement through factors such as strain ratios, protection of strain viability and absorption efficiency.

Precision Nutrition to Support Every Stage of Growth

Alongside adult health management, nutrition for children and adolescents—the next generation—is also an important part of the broader public-health agenda. This year’s Greater Bay Area Health and Nutrition Festival featured a dedicated session on nutrition for children and adolescents. Huili Lai, a Chinese Registered Dietitian (RD) and pediatric nutrition consultant, noted in her presentation that childhood development has distinct stage-specific characteristics: gut health provides a foundation for nutrient absorption, while bone development is an essential component of growth. She added that many children currently face challenges such as gut-microbiota imbalance, limited nutrient absorption and unbalanced diets, underscoring the need for precise, safe and science-based systematic nutrition solutions.

Figure 5 — Huili Lai, Chinese Registered Dietitian (RD) and pediatric nutrition consultant

grow by WONDERLAB also made a prominent appearance at the event. As a science-based brand focused on precision nutrition for children and adolescents aged 0–18, it has established a precision-nutrition framework built around age-specific design, scenario-targeted support and nutritional synergy, providing systematic solutions for different growth needs. Its Probiotics for Kids are designed around the developmental characteristics of different age groups across Stages 1–3. Based on differences in development and nutritional needs at each stage of childhood, the products offer age-specific nutritional supplementation plans to make nutritional support more science-based and better aligned with each child’s pace of growth. Liquid Calcium for Growth combines calcium, L-lysine, vitamin D and bone-supporting peptides. Formulated around nutrient synergy, the product uses optimized ingredient ratios and combinations designed to support the absorption and utilization of key nutrients. The brand has appeared at the CMA National Congress of Pediatrics and the China Conference on Chronic Diseases and Health in Children, and has conducted clinical research in partnership with The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. It continues to translate advanced research into professional nutrition products tailored to children in China, using science to support the healthy growth of children and adolescents.

From academic theory to strain research, and from childhood development to adult health, WONDERLAB is helping advance the industry’s high-quality development through an integrated research and product system. With the Targeted Microbiota Weight Management White Paper as its theoretical foundation and the proprietary GOLDGUT-LR99 strain as its technological core, the event highlighted a product portfolio including WONDERLAB All-in-One Probiotics (Blue Bottle 4.0) and an industry-first morning-and-evening pairing featuring BODY100 PLUS™ in the morning and SHAPE100 PLUS™ in the evening, connecting academic outcomes, technological innovation and consumer health products to provide an important reference point and contribute leadership to innovation and development across the industry. Looking ahead, WONDERLAB will continue to deepen its work in microbiome nutrition science and support the development of a healthy Greater Bay Area and Healthy China through research and innovation, high-quality products and public science education, bringing the benefits of science-based nutrition to everyone.