Boost for Microbiome Research in Kiel: DFG Funds New Analysis Platform

The community of microorganisms that inhabit humans, animals, and plants - known as the microbiome - plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of its host. Understanding the complex interactions between host cells and microorganisms at the molecular level is therefore a key goal of current biomedical and life sciences research. At Kiel University, particularly within the Kiel Microbiome Center (KMC), part of the Kiel Life Science (KLS) research focus and the Cluster of Excellence PMI, microbiome research has been a strong and well-established priority for many years. Now, two existing facilities are merging to form a more comprehensive, interdisciplinary Microbiome Platform – a central service unit that provides cutting-edge analysis technologies and expert support to research groups and external partners. The Microbiome Platform’s development will be supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) over the next five years with a total funding amount of 800,000 Euros.
 

One platform, two core questions: "Who is there?" and “What do they do?”

The new Microbiome Platform combines the strengths of two established units at Kiel University: the Microbiome Lab at the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (IKMB), led by PD Dr Corinna Bang, which specializes in processing biological samples, especially stool samples, and conducting genome sequencing to identify all microbial species present; and the research group led by Professor Mathilde Poyet at the Institute of Experimental Medicine (IEM) which focuses on experimental approaches to identify microbial component that play key roles in metaorganisms and ecosystems. The lab also focuses on isolating and biobanking specifically targeted microbial species and analyzing their functional roles, for instance, which metabolic products they produce, how they interact, and whether they influence specific host functions. The biobanks built by Poyet are accessible to advance microbiome science, including the Global Microbiome Conservancy biobank, which contains thousands of bacterial strains isolated from feces samples of individuals living various lifestyles worldwide.

By integrating these two approaches, the platform enables a more complete understanding of the microbiome. For example, researchers can identify which bacterial strains are involved in disease processes or how specific microbes behave differently in healthy versus diseased individuals.

“At the Microbiome Lab, we primarily use sequencing to determine which microbial species are present. Professor Poyet’s team investigates what these microbes actually do - which functions they perform. Bringing both aspects together in a single platform is unique,” explains Dr Corinna Bang, who co-directs the Microbiome Platform together with Poyet.
 

Microbiome Platform also serves as a scientific service provider

The new platform is not limited to human samples, it collaborates with various departments and faculties across the university to analyze diverse biological samples, including those of plant and animal origin. This makes the platform a valuable cross-disciplinary resource, allowing researchers from a wide range of fields to access a shared service structure and benefit from synergies.

Importantly, the Microbiome Platform is not limited to internal university users, it also operates as a scientific service provider, offering its capabilities to researchers around the world. The team has already received multiple international inquiries and contracts.

Poyet and Bang also plan to offer training programs, especially for PhD students and lab technicians, to build capacity in microbiome-related data collection. They are also preparing to host research stays for early-career scientists and staff from international partner institutions, including from institutions from Low- and Middle-Income Countries involved in the Global Microbiome Conservancy. 
 

Strengthening Kiel's research landscape

“The DFG’s structural funding for the Microbiome Platform benefits numerous research groups and disciplines at the Medical Faculty and the whole University. This new resource will support their work and increase the competitiveness and international visibility of Kiel’s microbiome research,” emphasizes Professor Joachim Thiery, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University, who played a key role in securing the funding. 

The platform fosters closer cooperation not only between IKMB and IEM, but also with other key facilities, such as the sequencing platform CCGA and the bioinformatics platform, which handles data processing. 

The Microbiome Platform also strengthens collaborative research projects at Kiel, including the Cluster of Excellence PMI, the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1182 “Origin and Function of Metaorganisms”, and the DFG research unit “miTarget.”