Novel bacterial species

The Microbiota Discovery Program at the HumanMicrobiology Institute is comprised of faculty working across disciplines and research areas of the human microbiome. The HMI has developed innovative approaches that enable the identification of novel, unculturable microbial species within the human microbiota. As a result, the research of this program is geared towards identifying and characterizing such species in both normal and pathological (individuals with cognitive disorders, infections, cancers, etc.) microbiota, and evaluating the potential roles of these organisms in the pathogenesis of human diseases. Indeed, to date, we have successfully identified and characterized several bacterial pathogens that may be involved in human diseases.