For the first time, researchers from #UniJena and @leibniz-hki.de at @microverse.bsky.social have detected tiny membrane tunnels connecting social amoebae, serving as a communication and transport system. ➡️ www.uni-jena.de/en/434214/amo…

Apparently, amoebae have networking skills too! Excited to share our latest publication on tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) in lower eukaryotes such as amoebae 🥳 🔗 Article: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... @pnasnexus.org @pnas.org @pstallforth.bsky.social @eswarappalab.bsky.social

What can we learn from microbes? 🦠 A lot. Deep beneath our feet, microorganisms have survived for billions of years with minimal energy by recycling resources & working together. Our spokesperson Prof. Kirsten Küsel (@kuesellab.bsky.social) explains why their hidden world matters. 🤝 @uni-jena.de

Leben am Limit: Bakterien können auch Eisen atmen

Was braucht man so zum Leben? Bett, Brot, Smartphone, Klo? Oder schon ein Häuschen mit Kiesauffahrt? Denjenigen, die glauben, sie würden bescheiden leben, sei gesagt: Es gibt Organismen, die brauchen ...

mdr.de

How do microbes survive where there's almost no energy? 🦠⚡ A new #NatureMicrobiology review by Kirsten Küsel (@kuesellab.bsky.social @uni-jena.de) and Mark Dopson (Linnaeus University)University introduces microbial frugality—a concept explaining life at the energy limit in #groundwater.

Life on the energy limit New framework: concept on microbia…

How can microorganisms survive when there is hardly any energy or nutrients available? This question is the subjec…

microverse-cluster.de

On Sunday 19 July, the Tara Polaris I sets sail. Therein, #UniJena is working with international partners to investigate how microbial communities in the Arctic Ocean are responding to climate change. ➡️ uni-jena.de/en/432993/jen…

Neue Bakteriengattung 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘩𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘢 beschrieben: Ein Team des Exzellenzclusters „Balance of the Microverse“ @microverse.bsky.social hat eine neue Bakteriengattung beschrieben und nach Prof. Axel Brakhage benannt, dem wissenschaftlichen Direktor des @leibniz-hki.de. doi.org/10.1038/s415...

🌡️ Small temperature changes, big consequences: Our researchers found that the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii adjusts the activity of around one-third of its protein-coding genes between 18–33°C—revealing how sensitive microbes are to climate change.

Universität Jena@uni-jena.de · 4w ago

A study from #UniJena and @leibniz-hki.de at @microverse.bsky.social shows that even at moderate temperature changes, a third of protein-coding genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii responds – with potential consequences for ecosystems. ➡️ www.uni-jena.de/en/431332/und…

As a not-for-profit publisher, everything that we offer our community is supported by the revenue generated by publishing. Submitting to our titles invests in microbiologists, not profits for shareholders. Discover our portfolio: https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/our-portfolio

🥖 Meet the good yeast. A close relative of baker's yeast could help fight persistent fungal infections. 🦠 In a new study, @markgresnigt.bsky.social & colleagues (@leibniz-hki.de, the Microverse Cluster & KU Leuven) show it weakens 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢 𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴 and boosts immune cells. Good yeast vs. bad yeast. ⚔️

Good yeast, bad yeast: Researchers discover New Potential o…

Millions of women worldwide suffer from vaginal yeast infections. These infections are most commonly caused by the…

microverse-cluster.de

Congratulations to @ameliabarberphd.bsky.social on her next career step! From July 1, she joins @fzborstel.bsky.social & @uni-kiel.de as Group Leader and Professor. We'll miss her interdisciplinary spirit and fungal expertise. Best of luck in Kiel and Borstel, Amelia! 🦠💻

New Chapter for Amelia Barber: From Jena to Kiel

After a highly successful time in the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse,” Amelia Barber is taki…

microverse-cluster.de

Happy #WorldMicrobiomeDay everyone! 🌍 Microbial networks of cooperation and competition are a key part of our #ClusterOfExcellence on the "Balance of the Microverse". The animation by @mariia-prokopenko.bsky.social shows exactly what happens when this balance shifts. 👇

Which wall will your research break? 🧱💡 The #FallingWallsLab is coming to Jena for the first time ever! We are looking for students, researchers, and recent graduates with breakthrough ideas that address today's societal challenges.

🦠 Love science, strategy & connecting people? We're hiring a Scientific Coordinator for our #ClusterOfExcellence at @uni-jena.de! Help shape research, build networks, and support an international microbiome community. 📅 Apply by 20 July 2026 👉 jobs.uni-jena.de/jobposting/4...

🇩🇪🤔 Ever been told to put the butter next to the fish or that the barrel is about to overflow? Our new Microverse Kitchen Postcards turn quirky German idioms into hilarious illustrations—and connect international researchers with support resources via QR code. 🧈🐟🛢️

New in Science Advances: A bacteriophage stayed genetically stable for months, then evolved rapidly in a new microbial community. www.evolbio.mpg.de/3884217/viru... @jeroenmeijer.bsky.social @paulbrainey.bsky.social @uni-jena.de @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social @bedutilh.bsky.social

🦠 A virus can dominate an ecosystem without evolving—but give it access to a new community, and evolution shifts into fast-forward. Our latest study reveals how migration drives viral adaptation and host switching. 🤝 @jeroenmeijer.bsky.social 🔬 Published in Science Advances Microbiology #Virology:

🦠 Why do antibiotics stop working? Antibiotic resistance evolves faster than many people realize. In the latest MDR podcast microbiologist Kai Papenfort explains how bacteria develop resistance—and why resistance genes often exist from the very beginning. 🤝 @uni-jena.de

Podcast: Warum Antibiotika plötzlich nicht mehr helfen?

Host Karsten Möbius hat vor Kurzem über längere Zeit mehrere Antibiotika schlucken müssen. Ihn überkommt dann jedes Mal ein komisches Gefühl, ob er sich damit nicht resistente Keime "anzüchtet", "antr...

ardsounds.de

🦠 How do bacteria control the viruses hidden in their own genomes? Researchers from @uni-jena.de uncovered a new defense mechanism: the small RNA CisR acts as a molecular brake, limiting replication of the cholera toxin–encoding CTX phage in Vibrio cholerae. Published in @pnas.org.

An intriguing article on "MDR Wissen" picks up on our press release regarding the question of why the #aging immune system increasingly loses control over the #microbiome. Click here (in German only): bit.ly/4edDpwe with: @dvalenzano.bsky.social, @leibnizfli.bsky.social, @microverse.bsky.social

Im Alter gesund bleiben: Jenaer Forscher haben eine Lösung im Darm entdeckt | MDR.DE

Warum gerät unser Darmmikrobiom im Alter aus dem Gleichgewicht? Eine Forschungsgruppe aus Jena liefert eine überraschende Erklärung: Nicht die Bakterien sind schuld, sondern das Immunsystem verliert d...

bit.ly

Engineering quorum sensing: new directions for antimicrobial therapy @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social by Elisabeth Urbauer, Alexander Gräwe, Alexandre Chamas, and Kai Papenfort @microverse.bsky.social www.cell.com/trends/micro...

Engineering quorum sensing: new directions for antimicrobial therapy

Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell–cell communication mechanism that enables bacteria to coordinate gene expression in response to population density and community composition. In many pathogens, QS plays ...

cell.com

Great science starts with great conversations 🦠✨ Thanks to @michiwagner4.bsky.social (@microbesplanet.bsky.social) for the inspiring visit to our #ClusterOfExcellence in Jena. Great discussions, new perspectives — and proof that the “Microverse effect” is real 😉 🤝 @kuesellab.bsky.social

📺 Jena & its university on TV: The latest episode of 3sat Ländermagazin highlights Jena as a city driven by science, innovation & academic excellence — The documentary includes insights from our speaker Kirsten Küsel and follows students Emily & Samira through everyday life in research and study.

Ländermagazin: Jena und seine Uni – Exzellenz aus Tradition - hier anschauen

Seit Jahrhunderten verändert und prägt die Friedrich-Schiller-Universität die Stadt Jena in Thüringen – mit ihren Studenten, Forschenden, innovativen Projekten und Gebäudekomplexen.

ardmediathek.de

Congrats to @hellmichgroup.bsky.social on her #MaxPlanckFellowship! As a PI at our #ClusterOfExcellence she advances research on signaling in microbial systems. Excited for the new group on Signaling Dynamics and future collaborations!

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology@mpi-ce.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Congratulations to @hellmichgroup.bsky.social! The Max Planck Society awarded her a Max Planck Fellowship. We are happy to have her as a Max Planck Fellow and look forward to intensifying our collaboration with her. www.ice.mpg.de/556225/ute-h...

Bye, bye HKI 👋 On Monday, the Microverse admin office moves to the new Microverse Center Jena. Today: a sunny farewell with colleagues after years at @leibniz-hki.de (since 2016). Thanks for everything! We stay close—just 300 m away. A tiny “microbe friend” comes with us as a reminder 💛

🏅 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗯𝗻𝗶𝘇 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 2026 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻 This year’s award honors research from our institute & @uni-jena.de, conducted within the #ClusterOfExcellence @microverse.bsky.social. 💡👉 Learn more about their discoveries using an innovative research approach: www.leibniz-hki.de/en/press-rel...

It was a pleasure!

Leibniz-HKI@leibniz-hki.de · 3mo ago

🔬✨ Yeast, bright colors, and a dash of curiosity Together with @microverse.bsky.social, we welcomed 34 students for this year’s “Forsche Schüler” Day. Hands on experiments from yeast to data driven research offered insights into real lab work. 👉 Read more: www.leibniz-hki.de/en/news/yeas...

Excellence in microbiome research: Today the Microverse Early Career Scientist Awards honored Beatrix Heinze & @hsuma.bsky.social for outstanding interdisciplinary work on microbial ecosystems. 👏 Congrats to both awardees! 🤝@pstallforth.bsky.social, @kuesellab.bsky.social & @uni-jena.de

Excellence in Microbiome Research: Microverse Presents 2025…

The Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse” at the University of Jena has awarded the Microverse Ear…

microverse-cluster.de

🌍🦠 Viruses shape life on Earth — and @Matthew B. Sullivan is at the forefront. As #MicroverseVisitingProfessor & long-term collaborator within our #ClusterOfExcellence, he advances research on viral roles in microbiomes. 🔗 artsandsciences.osu.edu/news/ohio-st...

Ohio State professor works to save the world, one virus at a time

It’s rare to know early in one’s life what their career might look like, with interests and potential paths always changing as people learn more about the world around them. Matthew Sullivan, however,...

artsandsciences.osu.edu

And another success from the microverse: Congratulations to our spokesperson Kirsten Küsel! @kuesellab.bsky.social

Universität Jena@uni-jena.de · 4mo ago

On Friday, 10 April, 4 researchers from #UniJena were elected to @saw-leipzig-1846.bsky.social: art historian Prof. Dr Johannes Grave, Indo-Europeanist Prof. Dr Martin Joachim Kümmel, geomicrobiologist Prof. Dr Kirsten Küsel and chemist Prof. Dr Birgit Weber. 💐 ➡️ www.uni-jena.de/en/400158/vie…

Congratulations to our long-standing colleague Prof. Wilhelm Boland! – You’ve more than earned it.

Leibniz-HKI@leibniz-hki.de · 4mo ago

We congratulate Prof. Wilhelm Boland on receiving the Xience Award 2026! 👏 In recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements and long-standing support, the Leibniz-HKI has presented the second Xience award to the chemist from @mpi-ce.bsky.social. 👉 More: www.leibniz-hki.de/en/press-rel...