About Us
The Cluster of Excellence “Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health” unites microbiome researchers in Austria, which already possess strengths in many highly relevant areas of microbiome research, from the human microbiome to global change microbiology.
Led by the Cluster of Excellence (CoE) director Michael Wagner (University of Vienna) and the deputy director Christine Moissl-Eichinger (Medical University of Graz), we bring together expertise from eight top research institutions across Austria.
Our core hub is the University of Vienna, with contributions from other key institutions in both medicine and technology, driving innovation at the intersection of environmental and medical microbiomes.

Together we move beyond the
traditional boundaries of microbiome research to identify unifying principles of how microbiomes function.
What’s new
-
CoE Key Researchers share their knowledge in free online course
The course “Environmental Emergencies: Navigating Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Environmental Pollution” starts on October 1, 2025.
-
Career Development Workshop for CoE Postdocs
16 CoE Postdocs participated in a 2-day workshop ‘Making the transition from Academia to Industry’.
-
CoE Microplanet supports the 28th ENC Meeting held at CeMESS
The meeting was organized by CoE Microplanet Director of Research Michael Wagner and CoE Key Researchers Holger…
-
New CoE Publication in Nature introduces a newly discovered microbial energy metabolism
The team of CoE Key Researcher Alexander Loy shows that microorganisms can harness the reaction between sulfide…