How does the microbiome influence chronic inflammatory disease?

Coordinators: J. Baines (CAU/MPI EB), M. Groussin (CAU), M. Poyet (CAU), H. Schulenburg (CAU)

Trillions of microorganisms live in and on the human body. Together, they form the microbiome. In people with chronic inflammatory diseases, the microbiome often differs from that of healthy individuals. However, knowing which microorganisms are present is only the first step. We also need to understand what they do: which microbes promote inflammation, which may protect us, and which influence how a disease develops or responds to treatment.


RTF-II investigates these microbial functions and interactions. We study how microbial communities form and change, how microorganisms communicate and exchange nutrients, and how they adapt to inflamed environments in the gut and other parts of the body. By combining patient data and computer-based analyses with cultured microorganisms, advanced tissue models, bioreactors and animal experiments, we can test whether microbiome changes are merely associated with disease or actively contribute to it.


Our goal is to identify microbial functions that distinguish different groups of patients and reveal new opportunities for diagnosis and treatment. In the longer term, this research could lead to microbiome-based biomarkers and targeted therapies using beneficial microorganisms, microbial communities or their molecules.