These unseen conductors live in intricate communities that communicate amongst themselves and with their habitats to the benefit or detriment of the surrounding organism. This is the power of the countless microbiomes that surround us.

Microbes and microbiome

Microbiome Partnerships

Our world is connected. From freshwater systems to forests, mountains, farms, deserts and oceans, each ecosystem affects the others. No system works in isolation, and linking everything together are vast networks of microbes. These unseen conductors live in intricate communities that communicate amongst themselves and with their habitats to the benefit or detriment of the surrounding organism. This is the power of the countless microbiomes that surround us.

Connecting our world

Interactions within and among microbiomes are complex, which is why researchers divide these systems into categories. Some study aspects of environmental microbiomes, others agricultural or human microbiomes. But community-level changes in one type of microbiome can greatly affect the others. For instance, pathogens such as the avian flu, can transfer from wild birds to poultry farms, which has consequences for our health and nutrition.

Yet, much microbiome research is performed by specialist groups, focusing on specific topics and disciplines. This is, often, a very efficient way to study complex systems. However, working alone can isolate ideas and build borders. When this happens, inter-community changes and effects can be missed, slowing the speed of discovery.

But what if there was a way to defy these borders?

The One Health Microbiome Center

With more than $1.2 billion in annual research expenditure, Penn State University is among the premier public research schools in the USA, with scientists studying everything from Neanderthal teeth to bacteria in mosquitoes. And the One Health Microbiome Center is a research community that connects all disciplines within the microbiome.

The One Health Microbiome Center is an organization within Penn State that contains over 500 members and 125 faculty members from more than 42 departments. This unique center is not unlike the microbiomes it studies. Consisting of diverse scientists with various backgrounds of study, it unites agricultural, environmental and human microbiome researchers in one of the largest organizations of its type worldwide, facilitating communication across disciplines and accelerating discovery.

And now this center has defied yet another border.

With more than $1.2 billion in annual research expenditure, Penn State University is among the premier public research schools in the USA, with scientists studying everything from Neanderthal teeth to bacteria in mosquitoes. And the One Health Microbiome Center is a research community that connects all disciplines within the microbiome.

Construction workers, for instance, can build a better house in less time using modern power tools suited for specialized tasks. The same is true with scientists. This is why, in January 2024, Penn State University’s One Heath Microbiome Center and QIAGEN announced a first-in-kind university-industry collaboration.

Defying borders

In any given field, workers are limited to the efficiency of their tools. Construction workers, for instance, can build a better house in less time using modern power tools suited for specialized tasks. The same is true with scientists. This is why, in January 2024, Penn State University’s One Heath Microbiome Center and QIAGEN announced a first-in-kind university-industry collaboration.

Our partnership will create a shared research and education facility where the two organizations will work together, developing and testing tools specialized for microbiome research. This includes training opportunities for the next generation of scientists, such as an internship program for Penn State graduate students at QIAGEN laboratories. Overall, this partnership builds a bridge connecting academia with industry for the inter-disciplinary study of the agricultural, environmental and human microbiomes.

Stories from the One Health Microbiome Center

Could oral microbiome transplants be the key to better overall health?

Would you like to have a smile like a Neanderthal? You might after this. According to Laura Weyrich, PhD, Neanderthals had surprisingly good oral microbiomes. She studies ancient teeth togain insights into modern dental health.

Read the full story

Manipulating plant microbiomes for crop security

Can microbes help save crops from parasitic weeds like Striga? A team led by Francisco Dini-Andreote at Penn State aims to improve food security, soil health and climate change mitigation by manipulating microbial communities. Their work promises new strategies for sustainable agriculture.

See the story

Francisco Dini-Andreote, plant phytobiomes