Microbes quietly shape our world, influencing everything from the air we breathe to the food we eat. Despite their vast impact, research into microbial systems has long been fragmented—split across academic disciplines and institutional silos.

A fellowship program at the University of Maryland is underway to bridge those gaps.

Now in its second year, the Microbiome Center Fellowship brings together eight graduate students from across campus to collaborate on research spanning human, environmental and agricultural microbiomes.

The seven-month program fosters interdisciplinary connections and prepares students to tackle global challenges with a systems-level approach to microbiome science. Fellows receive an $8,000 stipend and gain access to shared computational and sequencing resources, including those at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.

The program is coordinated by the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences, which began operations in 2023 with startup funding from the UMD Grand Challenges Grant program.

“Microbes are everywhere, from human and animal health to agriculture and the environment,” says Gabi Steinbach, associate research scientist and program coordinator of the center. “Different habitats host diverse microbes that make up complex microbiomes, and microbes move between these environments, linking them together.”

Steinbach notes a unique aspect to the fellowship: students’ advisers joining in on the networking and community-building activities, creating additional opportunities for cross-disciplinary connections among both faculty and students.

“We’re building a community where students not only gain technical skills, but also learn to work across cultural and disciplinary divides,” Steinbach says.“They get to connect with faculty and peers from diverse fields, which is essential for advancing microbiome science.”

For example, at a recent launch meeting, fellows, their advisers, and program leaders took part in activities designed to spark collaboration—including a research and resource-sharing speed chatting session that participants found both productive and fun.

This year’s Fellows include Raunak Dey and Nakia Fallen from the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences; Claire Barlow from the School of Public Health; Darby Steinman, Ingrid Roselyne Dukundane and Yuzhu Mao from the A. James Clark School of Engineering; and Erin Harrelson and Yue Jiang from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Throughout the program, these students will participate in team science training, cross-disciplinary workshops, and seminars aimed at preparing them to collaborate across disciplines and translate scientific principles into transformative action. The Fellows will also organize and host an invited panel in December, choosing a topic themselves based on what they have explored together throughout the fellowship. The capstone event will be open to the campus community and will showcase the collaborative outcomes of the program.

“We’re excited to see how these students take what they’ve learned and shape the future of microbiome science,” Steinbach says. “Their panel in December will showcase the kind of innovative, cross-disciplinary thinking we need to solve complex challenges.”

—Story by Melissa Brachfeld, UMIACS communications group