The Leverhulme Centre for the Holobiont is exploring a new way of understanding life on Earth: through the concept of the holobiont—a host organism and its associated microbial communities functioning together as an integrated biological system.
Microbes influence the health, behaviour, ecology and evolution of plants, animals and humans. By studying these partnerships across the Tree of Life, the Centre aims to uncover the principles that govern host–microbe relationships and apply this knowledge to address major global challenges, including biodiversity loss, sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration.
Supported by Imperial Global Connect, in June Prof Martin Bidartondo and his team hosted Dr. Nur Ain Izzati, head of the Biology Department at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), for a one-month research visit to familiarise herself with cutting-edge fungal research in the context of the UK Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme, Defra’s largest research […]
READ MOREThis five-day international workshop will bring together researchers, students, and agricultural stakeholders to explore how microbiome science can support sustainable crop production in arid environments. Delivered through a collaboration between Imperial College London, Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), University of Namibia (UNAM), and CABI, the programme will combine research presentations, practical training, field […]
READ MORECongratulations to Dr Theo Llewellyn and Prof Alfried Vogler on their new paper in MycoKeys! 🎉 By bringing together thousands of fragmented records, the study delivers the most comprehensive phylogenetic framework to date for beetle-associated fungi, a group that includes important insect symbionts and major forest pathogens. 🪲🔬 This new open-access resource will support future […]
READ MOREA partnership between the Leverhulme Centre for The Holobiont and the Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, this series will launch in Autumn 2026 and bring together researchers to explore the interconnected biology of hosts and their microbial partners. 📅 Three times a year, we will host an online seminar focused on a shared holobiont theme presented […]
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The Leverhulme Centre for the Holobiont is a £10 million, ten-year programme bringing together eight partner institutions to advance understanding of host-microbe interactions across the Tree of Life. The Centre will support 7 Research Fellows, 14 postdoctoral researchers and 21 PhD students, while delivering key outputs including a Holobiont Tree of Life, living biobanks, new bioengineering tools, biodiversity and conservation insights, and applications for sustainable agriculture and environmental resilience.
The Leverhulme Centre for the Holobiont is funded by the Leverhulme Trust through a Leverhulme Research Centre Grant, supporting innovative and interdisciplinary research into the role of microbial partnerships across the Tree of Life.
