The Jena Microbiome Meeting 2023 (JMM23) was the first symposium of its kind, organized at the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) by Clara Correia Melo, Melike Donertas, and Katarzyna Winek. The event was designed to establish a vibrant network among microbiome researchers, aiming to integrate aging perspective in the already well-establish microbiome research in Jena. Attended by approximately 90 participants, the day-long meeting featured a dynamic program that included engaging invited talks, a panel discussion, an interactive poster session, and a networking event. This interdisciplinary symposium showcased cutting-edge research and fostered connections across various fields related to microbiome science. JMM23 featured eight speakers: Amelia Barber, Dario Riccardo Valenzano, Ilse Jacobsen, Kirsten Küsel, Kirstin Scherlach, Markus Lakemeyer, Michael Bauer, and Rosalind Allen. The event culminated in a thought-provoking panel discussion, “Opportunities and Challenges in Microbiome Research”, moderated by Dario Valenzano. The panel brought together microbiome experts: Bas Dutilh, Christina Warinner (joining via Zoom from the US), Gianni Panagiotou, and Maria Ermolaeva, sparking conversations that bridged disciplines from environmental microbiomes to clinical applications, and from chemistry to bioinformatics. Sponsored by Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, Carl Roth, and QIAGEN, the symposium received overwhelmingly positive feedback for its scientific rigor and collaborative spirit. JMM23 successfully positioned the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) as a key contributor to Jena’s thriving microbiome research community. Building on this success, the organizing team is excited to continue with a conference series on Aging and Microbiome in the coming years.
