microbial ecosystems Archives

31 July 2024 Silhouette of gastrointestinal track alongside an illustrator's representation of the carcinogens and antibiotics that seem to be affected by the gut microbiome

Silhouette of gastrointestinal track alongside an illustrator's representation of the carcinogens and antibiotics that seem to be affected by the gut microbiome

Gut microbes implicated in bladder cancer

Study shows that gut bacteria can metabolise carcinogens and cause them to accumulate in distant organs, leading to tumour development.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

1 July 2024

New funding scheme to strengthen infection biology research across Europe

EMBL and partners announce ‘Amplifying Funds in Infection Biology’ to foster interdisciplinary and collaborative research in infection biology.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2024

embl-announcements

27 June 2024

Exploring microbial life in context

EMBL researchers and their partners have been studying microbial functions and interactions for the benefit of human and planetary health for the last two decades.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

7 June 2024

Illustration showing fish bones on the sea floor, surrounded by DNA helix and microbe icons. In the centre is an icon that looks like barrel, with the word MGnify on it, symbolising the MGnify database for microbiome data. On the right are green sachets with the words "protein powder"on them. The illustration is meant to represent some of the elements required when upcycling fish and more generally animal bone into protein powder.

Case study: Discovering new enzymes to upcycle food waste

EMBL-EBI data resource helps scientists upcycle animal by-products.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

perspectivesscience-technology

5 February 2024

We are EMBL: Jacqueline Toussaint on strange bacteria and bioinformatics

Jacqueline shares her experience of EMBL's international PhD programme.

LAB MATTERS PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2024

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

27 November 2023 Photo of two people brainstorming at the table covered with several papers and images related to the research project, such as the structure of the molecule, a map with the Solar Lake marked, photo of EMBL Hamburg, photo of Garo Antranikian looking into a microscope, pages of the manuscript, data graphs, and more.

Photo of two people brainstorming at the table covered with several papers and images related to the research project, such as the structure of the molecule, a map with the Solar Lake marked, photo of EMBL Hamburg, photo of Garo Antranikian looking into a microscope, pages of the manuscript, data graphs, and more.

Hamburg collaboration paves the way to cleaner technologies for industry

An interdisciplinary collaboration between Hamburg scientists has yielded new insights into the structure and function of a heat-resistant enzyme from an exotic microbe. In this interview, EMBL Hamburg’s Matthias Wilmanns and TUHH’s Garo Antranikian discuss how their collaboration developed and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

26 October 2023 Photographs of three scientists on a decorative blue background

EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Synergy Grants

Jan Kosinski, Julia Mahamid, and Georg Zeller have received grants to enable ambitious projects aimed at mapping the cellular protein synthesis machinery in context and understanding complex host-microbiome interactions, respectively.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2023

embl-announcementsscience

20 October 2023 Abstract art shows waves of yellow and green punctuated by pipe-like shapes poking out of the waves.

Six symposium takeaways about human microbiome research

Here are six takeaways from a recent EMBO/EMBL symposium that brought together scientists to discuss the state of research involving the human microbiome and its connection to health and disease.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

eventsscience-technology

17 October 2023 Pill icons representing different antibiotic classes are seen exerting their effects on a bacterium, whose cell wall, membrane, and protein synthesis machinery (two different classes) can be seen as potential targets. Curved lines connect the pills to each other, representing synergies in drug interactions. More bacteria can be seen in the background.

Pill icons representing different antibiotic classes are seen exerting their effects on a bacterium, whose cell wall, membrane, and protein synthesis machinery (two different classes) can be seen as potential targets. Curved lines connect the pills to each other, representing synergies in drug interactions. More bacteria can be seen in the background.

Fighting antimicrobial resistance with new drug combinations

In an extensive investigation, EMBL researchers have tested over 10,000 drug combinations against some of the leading pathogenic bacteria carrying antimicrobial resistance and causing mortality.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

5 September 2023 Faces of Jordi van Gestel and Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva.

ERC starting grants for two EMBL Heidelberg researchers

Jordi van Gestel and Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva each receive 1.5 million EUR funding for research projects on microbial predators and the gut microbiome respectively

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS LAB MATTERS

2023

embl-announcementslab-matters

14 August 2023 Man standing in front of a building

Open data to power up the blue economy

EMBL-EBI Senior Scientist Rob Finn explains why data coordination and sharing are fundamental for a sustainable blue economy.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

people-perspectivesperspectivesscience

27 June 2023

Supporting the development of hologenomic approaches for more sustainable animal feeds

HoloFood, the first consistent collection of multiomic data about chicken and salmon gut microbiomes, set to enable the development of better animal feeds.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technologytechnology-and-innovation

19 April 2023 Picture of a man standing in front of a dinosaur skeleton.

EMBL alumni: Alex Almeida on the unchartered gut microbiome and becoming a principal investigator

As a postdoc Alex Almeida used bioinformatics to push the boundaries of what we know about the gut microbiome. Here, Almeida explains how his time at EMBL-EBI generated new research avenues, and how the skills and connections from his postdoc prepared him for leading his own research group at the…

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

people-perspectivesperspectives

11 January 2023 Man in a blue shirt

Molecules to Ecosystems: Rob Finn on the Microbial Ecosystems transversal theme

Rob Finn, one of the co-chairs of the Microbial Ecosystems theme, discusses his work, the challenges of multidisciplinary research, and how the theme is already helping to promote the exchange of scientific ideas.

LAB MATTERS PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

22 November 2022 Image portraying the three scientists who received the ERC Starting grant

EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Starting Grant

Three EMBL scientists received this year’s ERC Starting Grants, and will be awarded €1.5 million over five years to carry out research projects.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS LAB MATTERS

2022

embl-announcementslab-matters

21 November 2022 male scientist in green shirt and dark pants stands outside in front of tree

Welcome Jordi van Gestel

Looking to understand microbial predator-prey relationships, EMBL’s newest group leader tackles a molecular ‘arms race’ in his lab.

LAB MATTERS PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2022

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

15 September 2022 The foreground shows two yellow pipes representing the human gastrointestinal tract coming together, representing the confluence of donor and recipient gut ecosystems. Bacteria can be seen as green shapes inside the pipes and various kinds of interactions between them are shown symbolically as a mixing of colours.

The foreground shows two yellow pipes representing the human gastrointestinal tract coming together, representing the confluence of donor and recipient gut ecosystems. Bacteria can be seen as green shapes inside the pipes and various kinds of interactions between them are shown symbolically as a mixing of colours.

When microbiomes collide

EMBL researchers used data from over 300 human faecal microbiota transplants to gain an ecological understanding of what happens when two gut microbiomes clash.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

1 August 2022

Shining a light on how bacteria interact

Machine learning has helped researchers uncover new insights into how bacteria infect host cells.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

research-highlightssciencescience-technology

18 July 2022 Large, elongated purple molecule has an on/off switch on it pointed to on.

The retron switch

EMBL researchers now understand the function of an elusive small DNA in bacteria and have developed a tool that can be used to better understand what might ‘switch on’ bacterial immune defences.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

6 July 2022 Potrait image of the three elected members with a blue wavy background

Three EMBL scientists elected as EMBO Members

Cornelius Gross, Miki Ebisuya and Nassos Typas join EMBO, the prestigious organisation for the life sciences.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS LAB MATTERS

2022

embl-announcementslab-matters

7 June 2022 Female scientist photographed in a garden

Welcome: Pascale Cossart

Pascale Cossart, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the biology of Listeria, brings four decades of expertise in intracellular bacterial parasitism to EMBL as a visiting scientist.

LAB MATTERS PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2022

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

30 March 2022 Man standing in front of a wall with scientific imagery including protein structures

Welcome: John Lees

John Lees joins EMBL-EBI as a Group Leader in Pathogen informatics and modelling.

LAB MATTERS PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2022

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

19 January 2022 "From Molecules to Ecosystems" are words on top of a collage of images that span from molecules to ecosystems

A new era for European molecular biology

EMBL announces details about its next programme, ‘Molecules to Ecosystems’. It will guide studying life across scales and in context with changing environments.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS LAB MATTERS

2022

announcementsembl-announcementslab-matters

25 November 2021 Female scientist in front of a background of green plants

Welcome: Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva

Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva is one of EMBL’s newest group leaders and a computational biologist whose research group applies computational modelling to better understand the metabolism of gut bacteria and their potential to have far-reaching impacts on other organs.

LAB MATTERS PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

13 October 2021 Illustration of a community of bacteria. Pills represent an antibiotic that can be used to treat an infection, and a second drug that could protect many gut bacteria from antibiotics.

Illustration of a community of bacteria. Pills represent an antibiotic that can be used to treat an infection, and a second drug that could protect many gut bacteria from antibiotics.

Tackling the collateral damage from antibiotics

Researchers from EMBL’s Typas group and collaborators have analysed the effects of 144 antibiotics on the wellbeing of gut microbes. The study improves our understanding of antibiotics’ side effects and suggests a new approach to mitigating the adverse effects of antibiotics therapy on gut…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

8 September 2021 Illustration of two halves of a pill, which releases chemical molecules that are taken up by gut bacteria in the vicinity.

Common medications accumulate in gut bacteria

A new collaborative study led by EMBL group leaders Kiran Patil, Nassos Typas, and Peer Bork has found that common medications accumulate in human gut bacteria. This process reduces drug effectiveness and affects the metabolism of common gut microbes, thereby altering the gut microbiome.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

1 June 2021 Logos of EMBL and SciLifeLab on a white background, overlaid on a fluorescence microscopy image of cells.