Dirk Hadrich
European Commission, Belgium
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Infec Dis Treat
EU has already funded 216 projects for more than € 498 M to promote metagenomics and to advance our knowledge on microbiology. MetaHIT as one of the first projects had a catalysing effect with its produced catalogue of gut microbes and the proposed distinct ‘enterotypes’. Many more projects followed but today mechanisms, effects and causes are still not really understood so that research funding now aims to gather all kind of health data to complement patient information because this can increase our understanding and advance health and disease management. Three new projects started in 2019 to find applications and to enhance knowledge on the microbiome, host metabolism, nutrition, immune responses, lifestyle and other interplaying confounders. These multi-disciplinary collaborative projects focus on cancer, liver failure and autism. Real impact is expected with concrete tools that are useful for endusers to predict health and disease states. Future efforts should aim to increase the potential of microbiomics with agreed methods, data comparability and international collaboration.