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microbiome

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13 November 2024 Illustration showing a human gut floating over a scale resting on a microchip labelled ‘AI’. The two sides of the scale show a varying number of bacteria, shown against a backdrop of 0s and 1s.

Microbial load can influence disease associations

Science & Technology Scientists have developed a new machine-learning model to predict microbial load — the density of microbes in our guts — and used it to demonstrate how microbial load plays an important role in disease-microbiome associations.

2024

science-technology

24 September 2024 Illustration showing several drugs being broken down when reaching a community of gut bacteria. This community has different types of bacteria.

Better together: gut microbiome communities’ resilience to drugs

Science & Technology EMBL Heidelberg researchers compared the effect of drugs on isolated bacteria versus those growing in communities. This is the first study showing that bacteria are more resilient when in community due to cross-protection strategies. This could help researchers design more efficient therapies.

2024

science-technology

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

Gut microbes implicated in bladder cancer

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

2024

science-technology

27 June 2024

Exploring microbial life in context

Science & Technology 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.

2024

science-technology

1 May 2024 Alt Text: An artistic representation of gut microbes and sperm cells

Father’s gut microbes affect the next generation

Science & Technology Scientists from EMBL Rome and EMBL Heidelberg found that disrupting the gut microbiome of male mice increases the risk of disease in their offspring. Their findings suggest that a father’s pre-conception environment can have lifelong effects on offspring.

2024

science-technology

8 March 2024 MGnify logo with text underneath which reads release

MGnify Genomes mouse gut catalogue v1.0 released

The MGnify data resource for microbiome data has launched the latest MGnify Genomes catalogue comprising 112,951 genomes derived from mouse gut datasets, represented by 2,847 species-level cluster representative genomes. This catalogue was generated as part of our work with the MRC funded…

2024

updates-from-data-resources

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

EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Synergy Grants

EMBL Announcements 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.

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

Science & Technology 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.

2023

eventsscience-technology

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

ERC starting grants for two EMBL Heidelberg researchers

EMBL AnnouncementsLab Matters 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

2023

embl-announcementslab-matters

14 August 2023 Man standing in front of a building

Open data to power up the blue economy

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

2023

people-perspectivesperspectivesscience

11 October 2022 EMBL scientists sampling at the coastline of Iceland in August 2022

Examining life along Iceland’s coasts

Lab MattersScience & Technology The final pilot project in Iceland marked the countdown to the ‘Traversing European Coastlines’ (TREC) expedition to study coastal ecosystems and their response to changes in the environment.

2022

lab-mattersscience-technology

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.

When microbiomes collide

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

2022

sciencescience-technology

14 July 2022 Visualising the ocean below and above surface, showing several species and giving written details on the ocean microbiome composition

Priorities for ocean microbiome research

Science & Technology Microbial communities play essential roles in ocean ecology and planetary health. A recent publication highlights priorities for understanding and protecting ocean microbiomes.

2022

sciencescience-technology

15 December 2021 An outline of Earth, covered with depictions of bacteria. The image of Earth is within a the frame of a computer window. There is an “Upload file” button on the bottom left, and a mouse cursor on the right.

Connecting the dots between bacterial genes around the world

Science & Technology Bork Group at EMBL Heidelberg analysed a new global gene database to study how genes emerge and spread across various habitats on our planet. In the future, the group will expand the database and use it for studying microbial gene evolution and dispersal at a finer-grained scale.

2021

sciencescience-technology

8 December 2021 An illustration of the human gut, with coloured shapes representing bacteria. Three different drugs and drug combinations are shown affecting the bacteria, represented by changes in colour

The impact of drugs on gut microbes is greater than we thought

Science & Technology Researchers studying a massive cohort of European patients have found that commonly prescribed drugs for cardiometabolic disorders can have long-term effects on the gut microbiome. Such effects can complicate the understanding of how disease affects the microbiome and must be taken into…

2021

sciencescience-technology

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

Welcome: Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva

Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives 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.

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

26 October 2021 Photo of researcher using MGnify database

Novel enzymes for a Green Economy

Science & Technology Using metagenomic data to find novel enzymes for plastic degradation and beyond

2021

sciencescience-technology

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.

Tackling the collateral damage from antibiotics

Science & Technology 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…

2021

sciencescience-technology

29 September 2021 Female scientist working at a biosafety cabinet, wearing a yellow protective gown and black gloves.

Transferable skills

Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives In the lab, Diënty Hazenbrink works with microbes that live in our guts. In her free time, she enjoys wildlife photography. A shared set of skills facilitates both activities.

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

22 September 2021 Logos of EMBL and Helmholtz Association on white background, over a green-and-blue pattern in the background.

EMBL and Helmholtz Health join forces

ConnectionsLab Matters EMBL and Helmholtz Association have signed a memorandum of understanding. The expanded collaboration of both institutions will focus on research related to health.

2021

connectionslab-matters

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

Science & Technology 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.

2021

sciencescience-technology

16 June 2021 Microscopy images of bacteria against a backdrop of a crowd of humans.

How our gut microbiome changes over time

Science & Technology Researchers investigate how external factors can influence the persistence of microbe species in the human gut

2021

sciencescience-technology

20 May 2021 Male scientist in white coat is laboratory setting

Michael Zimmermann receives FEBS Anniversary Prize

EMBL AnnouncementsLab Matters The Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie has awarded a FEBS Anniversary Prize to Michael Zimmermann for his gut microbiome research.

2021

embl-announcementslab-matters

4 January 2021 photo of white nodule that is a kefir grain sitting in front of a milk bottle with two inset images -- one looks like yellow and tan circles, and the other is animated versions of the kefir grains

In kefir, microbial teamwork makes the dream work

Science & Technology Researchers discovered the dominant species of bacteria in kefir grains cannot endure without other species that help the 'team' survive.

2021

sciencescience-technology

28 July 2020 Small dots. Some in bright yellow.

An ocean of droplets

Science & Technology Bacterial cells are embedded in microfluidic droplets in oil. The fluorescence indicates the presence of the targeted DNA strain with the help of a characteristic DNA sequence.

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

20 July 2020 A magnifying glass hovers over the human gut, revealing its biodiversity.

Unparalleled inventory of the human gut ecosystem

Science & Technology An international team of scientists has collated all known bacterial genomes from the human gut microbiome into a single large database. Their work will allow researchers to explore the links between bacterial genes and proteins, and their effects on human health.

2020

sciencescience-technology

13 July 2020 scientists teaching about the microbiome

Applications for virtual learning lab open

Lab Matters The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS), EMBL’s education facility, invites secondary school science teachers to participate in a virtual training course this autumn entitled ‘Introducing your microbiome’.

2020

lab-matters

22 July 2019 Michael Zimmermann in the ATC.

Welcome: Michael Zimmermann

People & Perspectives Michael Zimmermann's group will investigate how gut microbes affect the body’s response to drugs.

2019

people-perspectivesscience

22 November 2018 Portrait of Nina Kathe

Ambition and talent

Lab Matters Nina Kathe, Winner of the EU Contest for Young Scientists visits EMBL

2018

eventslab-matters

19 March 2018 Commonly used drugs affect our gut bacteria.

Commonly used drugs affect our gut bacteria

Science & Technology One in four drugs with human targets inhibit the growth of bacteria in the human gut, and may promote antibiotic resistance, EMBL researchers report in Nature

2018

sciencescience-technology

26 August 2016 EMBL team leader Georg Zeller. PHOTO: EMBL/Marietta Schupp

Welcome: Georg Zeller

Science & Technology Team leader investigates how the gut microbiome could relate to human diseases

2016

sciencescience-technology

24 August 2015

Stick out your tongue!

People & Perspectives Alumnus Luis Bejarano asked Spanish students to stick out their tongues to analyse their microbiome.

2015

alumnipeople-perspectives

20 April 2011 Artistic impression of the 3 human gut types.

What’s your gut type?

Science & Technology In the future, when you walk into a doctor’s surgery or hospital, you could be asked not just about your allergies and blood group, but also about your gut type. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and collaborators in the international MetaHIT…

2011

sciencescience-technology

4 March 2010

Bacterial balance that keeps us healthy

Science & Technology The thousands of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in our gut are essential contributors to our good health. They break down toxins, manufacture some vitamins and essential amino acids, and form a barrier against invaders. A study published today in Nature shows that, at 3.3 million,…

2010

sciencescience-technology

16 October 2008

Researchers establish international human microbiome consortium

Lab Matters Today at a meeting organised by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, scientists from around the globe announced the formation of the International Human Microbiome Consortium (IHMC), an effort that will enable researchers to characterise the relationship of the…

2008

lab-matters

14 March 2007

Researchers identify molecular basis of inflammatory bowel disease

Science & Technology Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, severely impair the lives of more than four million people worldwide. The development of effective therapies against these diseases requires an understanding of their underlying molecular mechanisms. Researchers from…

2007

sciencescience-technology

2 February 2007

Investigating the invisible life in our environment

Science & Technology Microorganisms make up more than a third of the Earth’s biomass. They are found in water, on land and even in our bodies, recycling nutrients, influencing the planet’s climate or causing diseases. Still, we know surprisingly little about the smallest beings that colonise Earth. A new…

2007

sciencescience-technology

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