Bioprospecting Microbial Communities in Natural and Engineered Systems Using Integrated Omics and Cultivation Approaches

Full description: We apply state‑of‑the‑art molecular and computational tools to bioprospect complex microbial communities for novel microbes, enzymes and industrially relevant metabolites. By integrating multi‑omics (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, metabolomics) with advanced bioinformatics, we reveal microbial interactions, metabolic potential, and resilience in both natural and engineered systems, guiding optimized bioprocess design, environmental monitoring, and microbial resource management. This approach has enabled the identification of previously unexplored biomass‑degrading bacteria such as Planctomycetota with high industrial relevance and multifunctional lignocellulolytic enzymes from termite gut microbiomes, expanding the catalogue of enzymes with potential for biomass conversion and biotechnological applications.