The Centre for Microbiome Medicine is dedicated to improve human health by preventing disease, optimising treatments, promoting healthy living and ageing, through innovative ways to monitor and modulate the microbiome.

The human microbiome refers to the microorganisms that live in various parts of our body. These microbes play a vital role in our health, as it helps to break down food, produce metabolites, and boost our immune system to protect against infection. However, as we develop diseases, there is a shift in the human microbiome composition. This shift or disruption in microbiome, referred to as dysbiosis, has been linked to several diseases including cancers, obesity, lung diseases, and even cognitive decline. Published studies from our investigators have shown differences in microbiome in patients with colorectal cancer, chronic obstructive airway diseases and bronchiectasis.

Although research has shown a clear link between our microbiome and these diseases, there is little understanding on how dysbiosis leads to these diseases. Understanding the mechanisms of how microbiome cause diseases is important for translation into clinical uses. There is an immense potential to exploit the microbiome and its metabolites to improve diagnosis of various diseases. Additionally, microbiome may be therapeutic targets to help treat diseases. As the microbiome can be readily modified by diet, exercise, and drugs, it represents an untapped opportunity for therapeutic manipulation to treat diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, lung diseases, or even cancers.

With scientific field starting to understand more about the microbiome, along with our previous ground works, the stage is now set to take these discoveries forward and translate these into clinically impactful applications. Utilizing human sample collections, advanced DNA sequencing, and laboratory experiments, our microbiome platform will deepen our understanding of how microbiome causes diseases in three domains: (1) Nutrition and Metabolism, (2) Cancers, and (3) Airway and Environment. With better understanding of how microbiome is related to these diseases, we can readily translate microbiome discoveries into novel diagnostics or therapeutics that can open new doors for patients. Patients will benefit from the improved diagnosis and treatment that stems out from our research discoveries.

Our Centre for Microbiome Medicine is dedicated to understanding the disease mechanisms and to discover new ways to prevent or treat diseases through research into the microbiome. The Centre is set up to build the clinical and laboratory infrastructure that fuel the inter-disciplinary research programmes. The Centre is strategically focused on patient-based translational studies, involving longitudinal cohorts, biomarker studies, and clinical trials on ready-for-test interventions related to microbiome. With better understanding of how microbiome is related to these diseases, we can readily translate microbiome discoveries into novel diagnostics or therapeutics that can open new doors for patients. Patients will benefit from the improved diagnosis and treatment that stems from our research discoveries.