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Message from the Director Microbiome research has earned tremendous worldwide acclaim in the recent past owing to its significant contributions to good health and well-being as a sustainable developmental goal on a One Health perspective. To effectively utilize the various possibilities in this field, the Government of Kerala has initiated the Centre of Excellence in Microbiome as a pioneering research institute under the umbrella of Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment along with the key partnership of Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council and the scientific mentoring of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology. A right action at the right time in the backdrop of the post-Covid era. Nevertheless, CoEM has its own teething problems and hence require support and nurturing from all well-wishers and stakeholders. CoEM is a dedicated centre to tap the remarkable potential of microbial world thriving across various domains encompassing human, animal, plant, aquatic and environment in order to address the tailored requirements of the State. The Centre’s mission involves extracting microbiome from these resources by employing robust multi-omic strategies and interpretation of big data using analytics powered by Artificial Intelligence. The knowledge amassed in this regard can be used to design precise microbiome-based solutions towards novel probiotics, antimicrobials, disease management and biosphere resilience through translational research. Furthermore, the centre is unique in having a platform connecting entrepreneurs, start-ups and researchers to apply their skills for overcoming scientific challenges. We are also establishing specific skill development programs for microbiome researchers, students and enthusiasts. Please go through our website for further information regarding our commitments and activities and we invite regional, national and international groups with parallel interests to collaborate with us to evolve ideas into reality with a global outlook. Dr. Sabu Thomas Director www.drsabuthomas.in

Vision We aspire to be the premier institute in the country to understand microbial systems and their interactions to tackle health related concerns of all compartments of life including its environment so as to catalyse microbiome mediated interventions towards a green economy and One Health. Mission To catalyse research, human resource development and adaptation of need-based therapeutic interventions to address identified challenges through multidisciplinary and cross domain collaborations. To create a comprehensive microbiome database for mining novel, appropriate solutions that cater to the public health needs towards sustainable development.    

The Centre of Excellence in Microbiome (CoEM) was initiated by the Government of Kerala under the aegis of Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment, Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council and the scientific mentoring of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology with the motto ‘Microbes for Life’. The centre is currently housed at the KINFRA Film & Video Park, Kazhakoottam, Trivandrum. CoEM is envisioned as a world-class microbiome-focused innovation centre committed to highly collaborative and grass-root level translational research that investigate the role of the microbiome in a diverse spectrum, spanning environment, agriculture, animal health to medicine. The Centre aims to provide a platform to promote research and entrepreneurial activitiesacross different domains of microbiome – human, animal,plant, aquatic and environment to gather in-depth knowledge and come up with appropriate solutions for the health and environment related concerns. Understanding the role of microbiota, including their dynamic interactions with hosts and other microbes, can enable the prediction of novel biomarkers, interventional strategies and nutraceuticals. Adhering to the One Health framework, the CoEM shall leverage emerging technologies such as big data to promote a multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach towards translational research and development for bringing out products, support innovative start-ups and services to society. The centre strives to combine basic science, translational medicine and cutting-edge multi-omic technologies such as culturomics, genomics, metagenomics, proteomics, metabolomics and data interpretation using bioinformatics, data analytics and artificial intelligence for advancing discoveries in microbiome science across various disciplines. Such discoveries will reach the general public through active entrepreneurial efforts by startup companies mentored by the CoEM.Scientific learning, training and research shall be promoted by fostering more collaborations across industries and academia at the regional, state, national and global levels.

The Centre of Excellence in Microbiomes spans five fascinating domains, each with specific objectives aimed at uncovering the secrets of microbiomes: Human Microbiome: Exploring microbiome diversity, disease associations, and bioactive metabolites, paving the way for personalized prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics, and pioneering Microbiota reinstitution therapy to address prevalent health challenges. Animal Microbiome: Deciphering the ideal microbiome for food security, animal well-being, and climate resilience, pioneer bio-therapeutics, diagnostics, and antimicrobials, tackle community antimicrobial resistance (AMR) concerns, and explore microbial shifts in wildlife conservation Plant Microbiome: Research on Microbiome of Kerala’s native crops, cultivate a core microbiome for enhanced crop health, pioneer a ‘Minimum Effective Microbiome Set’ (MEMS) for plant and human well-being, and assess MEMS in real-world settings, paving the way for local and global commercial success Aquatic Microbiome: Nurturing aquatic ecosystems, enhancing fish health, boost aquaculture production, ensure safe, nutrient-rich fish for consumption, research antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation, explore cryptic pathogen diversity, and conduct vital resistome surveillance Environment Microbiome: Establishing the Environmental Microbiome Observatory in Kerala, catalyze research and entrepreneurship, derive inspiration from nature, and engineer enhanced ecosystems with circular waste management for sustainable, bio-innovation-driven ventures