CoE Deputy Director of Research, Christine Moissl-Eichinger (Medical University of Graz) has been awarded a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant to launch the project ARCH-METH: “Archaeal keystone species in host microbiomes: Understanding and controlling Methanobrevibacter for Environmental and Health Benefits.”
With €2.5 million in funding over five years, ARCH-METH will explore the central role of archaea – ancient, often overlooked microorganisms – in shaping gut microbial networks and influencing human health and global methane emissions.
At the heart of the project: Methanobrevibacter, a genus that acts as a microbial “hub” in the gut ecosystem and plays a major role in methane production in ruminants. The project will develop innovative tools to understand and potentially steer these archaeal–bacterial interactions for both therapeutic and environmental applications.
Photo credit: Med Uni Graz/Wittmann
CoE Key Researcher Dagmar Woebken (Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna) also secured a highly competitive ERC Advanced Grant for her project WinMicAct: “Windows of microbial activity in deserts afforded by non-rain water.”
While we often think of deserts as lifeless, they’re home to resilient soil microorganisms that perform vital ecosystem functions, from cycling nutrients like carbon and nitrogen to storing water and preventing soil erosion.
Dagmar and her national and international collaborators will now explore the crucial role of non-rainwater inputs – think dew and water vapor – in sustaining microbial life and preserving biodiversity in these arid landscapes. This cutting-edge research will provide essential insights into how desert ecosystems function, especially as climate change alters global rainfall patterns. Understanding these “windows of microbial activity” will be key to modeling the effects of climate change on dryland processes.
