Although we know that microbes are a key element for the existence of all living beings on our planet, we cannot imagine how, despite their small size, they manage to control the entire planet. Based on current research, we can assert that by acting locally at micrometer distances, they form structures that represent the basic units, and through interactions among these units, they then operate at the ecosystem level. The spatial arrangement of microbial units is extremely important for understanding how the entire biosphere functions. By current approaches, these units can only be monitored. However, if we could recreate them, we would have an extremely powerful tool in our hands, which would not only be useful for understanding how ecosystems function, but also for engineering and managing them. In the lecture, I will describe the methods for spatial microbial management, which we have developed in our research and which allow us to surpass the current state of the art in understanding microbial function.
From stem cells to smart brains in the lab
Lab grown mini-brains encompass a large collection of in vitro stem cell-derived three-dimensional culture systems that aim to recapitulate multiple aspects of in vivo brain development and function. Our laboratory focusses on the functional characterisation of murine...