|
Microverse Monthly: Science, Support & Summer Highlights
As we head into summer, there is much to celebrate, reflect on, and prepare for. First and foremost, we are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Microverse Get-Together on July 10 at the Paradiescafé in Jena—a moment to thank everyone involved in our successful renewal proposal and to look ahead together.
This issue also highlights the many ways our community continues to engage with science at a national and global level. From new funding opportunities to public advocacy, here’s what you’ll find in this edition:
-
Standing Up for Science: Christina Warinner speaks out on funding cuts and international exchange
-
Microverse Seminar on July 10: Judith Behnsen on fungal–bacterial interactions in the gut
-
World Microbiome Day: Join us online on June 27 and share your microbiome insights
-
DFG Prospects-Series: Upcoming career funding info sessions
-
Funding by Algorithm: New handbook on AI in research funding
-
ERC Work Programme Updates: Key changes for 2026 and 2027 calls
-
Aging and Microbiome Conference (AMC 2025): Deadline extensions & call for abstracts
-
New DFG funding for data storage systems to support NFDI initiatives
-
Event highlights: Schillertag party, summer schools, symposia, and more
-
Recent publications by Microverse researchers
Happy reading — and happy posting on World Microbiome Day!
|
| |
Illustration: Juliane Seeber
|
Join Us: Microverse Get-Together on July 10 – A Thank You and a Look Ahead
We are delighted to finally share the location of our upcoming Microverse Get-Together—an event dedicated to thanking everyone who contributed to the successful renewal proposal and to celebrating our shared path forward!
- Date: Thursday, July 10, 2025
- Time: From 3:00 p.m. onwards
- Location: Paradiescafé Jena, Vor dem Neuentor 5
(right in the park, next to the playground)
The afternoon will begin with a few words from Prof. Kirsten Küsel, our Cluster Spokesperson, and Dr. Markus Lakemeyer, representing our Junior Research Group Leaders. Together, we will reflect on what we’ve achieved—and look ahead to the exciting years to come.
If you haven’t registered yet, please do so by June 25, 2025 (today) via this Registration Form.
We look forward to seeing many of you there and to celebrating this milestone together!
|
| |
Standing Up for Science
Microverse Cluster PI Christina Warinner is speaking out against recent U.S. policy shifts that jeopardize research and international collaboration. In a Science article and a Deutschlandfunk interview, she warns of the broader impact of sudden research funding cuts and proposed bans on international students at Harvard. Her message is clear: science thrives on stability, openness, and global exchange.
|
| |
Microverse Seminar: Judith Behnsen
July 10, 2025 | 10 to 11 am | Leibniz-HKI, Seminar Room Pasteur, Building A8, Beutenbergstr. 11a, Jena
We are very happy to announce our Microverse Seminar speaker for July:
- Judith Behnsen
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois Chicago, College of Medicine
- Topic: "Cross kingdom interactions: How a gut commensal fungus promotes Salmonella virulence"
No registration required.
|
Portrait: Judith Behnsen
|
| |
Logo World Microbiome Day
|
Celebrate World Microbiome Day with Us on 27 June!
Mark your calendars! On 27 June, we’re joining the global scientific community in celebrating World Microbiome Day 2025, hosted by the MicrobiomeSupport Association.
This year’s theme is "Microbiome 101: What You Need to Know" – a perfect opportunity to spotlight the fundamental wonders of the microbial world!
We invite all researchers within the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" to share fun facts, surprising insights, or clever analogies from your research that help the public better understand what microbes do and why they matter.
Whether it’s a tweet, a short video, a quirky metaphor, or an everyday example from your work – make it count, make it accessible, and most of all, make it microbe-sized but mighty!
Don’t forget to:
Need inspiration or shareable materials?
Head over to the official website:
👉 https://worldmicrobiomeday.com/
Let’s bring microbiome science to the world — one post at a time!
|
| |
Graphic: Juliane Seeber
|
Upcoming Changes to the ERC Work Programmes for 2026 & 2027
With the next ERC grant competitions just around the corner, researchers should take note of important updates to the 2026 and 2027 ERC Work Programmes. These include changes to the structure and evaluation of applications, adjustments to funding opportunities, and broader eligibility conditions aimed at fostering inclusivity and supporting diverse research careers.
Highlights include:
-
A restructured scientific proposal format with clearer guidance on content and page limits
-
Refined evaluation procedures with new emphasis on feasibility in later stages
-
Increased additional funding options, especially for non-EU applicants relocating to Europe
-
Expanded eligibility windows for Starting and Consolidator Grants from 2027 onwards
-
A new funding instrument offering long-term support for ambitious projects under the Choose Europe for Science initiative
To explore these developments in detail and prepare for the upcoming calls, visit the official announcement:
|
|
Read more
|
| |
Explore Your Career Funding Options with the DFG Prospects-Series
Are you planning your next career step in science? The German Research Foundation (DFG) continues its Prospects-Series with a variety of virtual information sessions designed to support researchers at all career stages. These online events—offered in both German and English—highlight some of the DFG’s most prominent funding opportunities, including the Emmy Noether, Heisenberg, and Walter Benjamin programs.
Upcoming Sessions:
-
June 27, 2025 | 10:30 am to 12 pm (in German)
DFG-Förderangebote für die wissenschaftliche Karriere
-
July 18, 2025 | 10 to 11:30 am (in English)
Emmy Noether Programs
-
September 15, 2025 | 2 to 3:30 pm (in English)
DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs
-
October 14, 2025 | 1:30 to 3 pm (in German)
Walter Benjamin-Programm
-
December 11, 2025 | 4 to 5:30 pm (in English)
DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs
🔗 A few days before each session, access links will be made available on the DFG-Website
Take advantage of these insights to shape your academic journey!
|
| |
|
SAVE THE DATE: 4th LIFE SYMPOSIUM
The 4th LIFE Symposium of the University of Jena will take place on November 25, 2025. The event is aimed at researchers, students and interested parties from the Jena LIFE area. Fellows of the LIFE CONNECT and TALENT projects will present their research projects in short field reports. In addition, local companies and foundations will be represented to promote the exchange between science and business.
|
| |
|
Deadline Extension: Aging and Microbiome Conference (AMC) 2025
We are happy to announce that the deadlines for the Aging and Microbiome Conference (AMC) 2025 have been extended!
-
Early-bird registration is now open until August 1, 2025
-
Abstract submission is possible until June 30, 2025
AMC 2025 will take place in Jena, Germany, on October 28 to 29, 2025. The conference offers a dynamic platform to explore the latest advances at the intersection of aging and microbiome research — from basic science to clinical applications.
A selection of submitted abstracts will be chosen for short talks.
Please feel free to share this information with colleagues and encourage students and early-career researchers to register and submit their abstracts.
|
|
Find more details in the attached poster or visit the website.
|
| |
DFG Launches Funding Initiative for Data Storage Systems to Support the NFDI
In a coordinated effort with federal and state governments, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has introduced a special funding initiative under its “Major Research Instrumentation” programme to strengthen the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). This action aims to address the growing demand for robust data storage systems across German universities that are active in or planning to contribute to NFDI consortia.
Key details at a glance:
-
Funding covers investment costs for data storage systems used in areas such as data provision, long-term archiving, or georedundant mirroring
-
Total funding volume of approx. €20 million (50% co-financed by the Länder)
-
Applications do not need to be tied to specific research projects, but must demonstrate alignment with concrete storage needs of NFDI consortia
-
A Letter of Intent must be submitted by 5 August 2025
-
Full proposals are due by 7 October 2025 via the elan portal
-
A digital information session will be held on 24 June 2025, 2 pm to 4 pm (CEST)
This one-time opportunity is designed to accelerate investment and integration of shared storage infrastructures into the broader NFDI ecosystem. Institutions are encouraged to coordinate early with relevant consortia and ensure compliance with DFG standards for scientific integrity.
|
|
Click here for full details on the DFG funding initiative (only available in german language)
|
| |
New Handbook on AI in Research Funding: Supporting Responsible and Equitable Use
How can artificial intelligence and machine learning be applied responsibly in research funding? What are the risks, and how can we make sure these tools support – rather than compromise – fairness, trust, and diversity in science?
To help answer these timely questions, the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) and the Research Council of Norway (RCN) have launched a major new publication:
Funding by Algorithm: A Handbook for Responsible Uses of AI and Machine Learning by Research Funders.
This first-of-its-kind handbook provides practical guidance for funding organizations navigating the growing interest in AI-based tools for peer review, portfolio analysis, grant selection, and policy development. It draws on two years of work through RoRI’s GRAIL project, which brought together 13 research funders from across three continents – including the DFG, SNSF, UKRI, Wellcome Trust, and Volkswagen Foundation.
With thoughtful insights and real-world use cases, the handbook offers strategies for capacity building, identifies appropriate applications, and raises critical questions about transparency, bias, and accountability in algorithm-supported decision-making.
|
|
Read the full handbook here: Funding by Algorithm
|
| |
Upcoming Events
- Summer party on Schillertag (Schiller day) at the University of Jena
June 27, 2025 | Start: 6 pm | Am Planetarium 1, Botanischer Garten und Griesbachgarten, Jena
Further information
- NFDI4Microbiota Coffee Talk with Ivan Belyaev: BEXIS2 — a user-friendly Platform for Metadata Management
June 30, 2025 | 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm | online
Further information
-
Meet your future Employer!
July 2, 2025 | 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 2, Jena
This event is aimed at international and German-speaking students and PhD candidates in technical, scientific, or business-related fields at Thuringian universities, offering them the opportunity to connect with local companies and explore career prospects.
Registration & schedule
-
SPAAM Ancient Metagenomics Summer School 2025
August 4 to 8, 2025 | 9 am to 5 pm | online
This summer school offers a hands-on introduction to host-associated ancient metagenomics, equipping participants with practical skills in bioinformatic workflows and NGS data analysis through lectures, exercises, and expert discussions.
Application Deadline: May 30, 2025 - Website
-
8th International Symposium on Systems Biology of Microbial Infections
September 18 to 19, 2025 | Leibniz-HKI, Beutenbergstr. 11a, Jena
Further information
|
|
More dates from the Microverse
|
| |
Selected Publications
|
-
Samimi A, Hengoju S, Martin K, Rosenbaum MA. Advancing droplet-based microbiological assays: optofluidic detection meets multiplexed droplet generation. Analyst. 2025.
-
Soares MP. Evolutionary medicine in action: Sickle hemoglobin fuels tumor progression. Immunity. 2025;58(6):1366-8.
-
Unger K, Agler MT. Beyond defense: microbial modifications of plant specialized metabolites alter and expand their ecological functions. New Phytol. 2025;247(2):518-26.
-
Hoffmann T, Behrendt F, Klein M, Lange L, Engel N, Pretzel D, Czich S, Liefeith K, Gottschaldt M, Schubert US. Adjustment of physical properties and pH-responsive behavior of cryogels based on two- and three-armed poly(2-oxazoline) cross-linkers with functional side chains. European Polymer Journal. 2025;235.
-
Peets P, Litos A, Duhrkop K, Garza DR, van der Hooft JJJ, Bocker S, Dutilh BE. Chemical characteristics vectors map the chemical space of natural biomes from untargeted mass spectrometry data. J Cheminform. 2025;17(1):82.
-
Giebeler L, Ehrhardt C, Hader A, Lauf T, Deinhardt-Emmer S, Loffler B. Colonizing Bacteria Aggravate Inflammation, Cytotoxicity and Immune Defense During Influenza A Virus Infection. Int J Mol Sci. 2025;26(11).
|
|
All publications
|
| |
|
