Projects

and The Greater Copenhagen region, which spans Eastern Denmark and Southern Sweden, is home to 4+ million inhabitants. With tens of thousands of employees in the life science industry, and over 7,000 university researchers spread across nine universities based in the region, Medicon Valley is the Nordics’ strongest life science cluster.

Our joint microbiome initiatives seek to build on the cluster’s strengths by positioning it as a global centre for microbiome research.

The human microbiome comprises of microorganisms (or microbiota) that live on and in humans. More specifically, it is the collection of microbial genomes that contribute to the broader genetic portrait of a human. Research in the microbiome is a relatively new interdisciplinary field that takes place across several established research fields, and has gained particular interest in recent years due to its links to a number of conditions, ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

The Microbiome Signature Project (2019-2022) aimed to strengthen entry into the Greater Copenhagen region’s research environment within microbiome research through enhancing collaboration and synergies cross border and cross disciplines. It also sought to boost private investments in research and innovation, through establishing international research facilities and activities, as well as attracting talent to both publicly and privately funded research environments. The project was financed by EU Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak, and jointly led by Medicon Valley Alliance, Copenhagen Capacity and Invest in Skåne. To stay updated with the progress of the project, visit the project webpage: https://mediconvalley.greatercph.com/microbiome-project

One of the project’s conclusions was that Medicon Valley takes a global position in microbiome research and innovation. We are now looking into possible new initiatives for further strengthening the Medicon Valley microbiome life science ecosystem, together with academia and industry. Make sure to get in touch if you want to collaborate or know more.

MVA also engages broadly within the field of microbiome through the MVA Microbiome Network,  for more information click here.