MicrobiomeSupport: Harmonising Microbiome Research Methods & Funding Worldwide

Current research efforts into the microbiome indicates that it harbours a large potential for human and planetary health. Yet the research field is still hampered due to contradictory results, unaligned methods and resource duplication. MicrobiomeSupport is a European Commission funded project which runs from November 2018 to October 2022, is financed with 3.5 mio. € to address the issues in microbiome research and coordinated by Dr Angela Sessitsch at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.

What is MicrobiomeSupport about?

MicrobiomeSupport is a Coordination and Support Action project and aims to:

1. Harmonise the methods, approaches and standards used in microbiome research in different types of environment (soil, aquatic environments, animals, humans, etc.) and assess their economic and public health importance;
2. Support international efforts to align research funding to avoid unnecessary duplication of research by engaging microbiome researchers, funding agencies, policy makers and industry, specifically through coordinating the working group ‘Food Microbiomes’ of the International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF);
3. Raise public awareness on the potential of microbiome applications.

Why is MicrobiomeSupport important?

Advances in the field of microbiome research are currently hampered by unaligned research methods used across laboratories worldwide leading to seemingly contradictory results and a duplication of funding on regional, national and international levels indicating an inefficient resource use. Further, with the large potential of microbiome research in the food system (for instance, for human health, sustainable management of natural resources, production and preparation of healthy and nutritious foods, reducing waste streams, etc.), it is important for the general public to be aware of the advantages and potential pitfalls of new techniques and methods. Hence, transparency and openness about the impact of advances in the research field are essential to ensure citizens’ acceptance of new methods and techniques used in the food system to the benefit of human and planetary health.

MicrobiomeSupport is well placed to tackle these challenges and provide the foundations necessary to bring about the required changes in microbiome research and funding for a microbiome-driven future-proof food system.

For more information visit www.microbiomesupport.eu.