Microbiome engineering

Within the framework of a the new NCCR Microbiomes and a Sinergia project with the University of Fribourg, we are studying and modeling how soil microbial communities develop and stabilize.

We are further investigating the possibilities and usefulness of applying specific bacterial strains to remediate toxic compounds. With the help of transcriptomic and genetic studies we are trying to unravel how such bacteria react, when they are re-implanted into existing or dysbiosed communities and how this affects their capability to degrade the target chemicals.

In order to better understand soil community functioning, we are developing new tools to study in high-throughput the possible interactions between introduced and the resident bacteria in the soil.