Coordination of the OP JAK project “Talking Microbes”

The project is carried out by a consortium of three leading research institutions led by the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS. The partners are the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, and Charles University.

Project website INTER-MICRO “Talking microbes”.

Project aims

• To identify novel signalling molecules (i.e., the “words” in chemical cross-talk) involved in communication between prokaryotic microbes and/or microbes and their eukaryotic hosts.
• To elucidate the mode of action of the previously established and novel signalling molecules, thus assembling the “sentences” and “messages”.
• To successfully manipulate the eukaryotic-associative microbiome by changing the nutrient/energy inputs (diet), composition of starting microbiomes and by using the signalling molecules or their silencers, i.e. the “microbial language”.
• To successfully manipulate the eukaryotic-associative microbiome by changing the nutrient/energy inputs (diet), composition of starting microbiomes and by using the signalling molecules or their silencers, i.e. the “microbial language”
• To identify prokaryotic microbes, metabolic pathways and their regulation involved in the degradation of complex biomolecules or toxins of biological or industrial origin.
• To describe ecosystem-wide microbiome shifts and their functional consequences in response to land use and global changes such as nutrient enrichment, drought, and biological invasions.