iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Small wonders, big curiosity! 🔬🐭 65 young researchers explored our new #MicroverseCenterJena with #VR, microscopes and glowing bacteria at #TürenAufMitDerMaus. Thank you for your questions and enthusiasm! Excellent research opens doors – for curious minds of all ages.

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Happy #WorldMicrobiomeDay everyone! 🌍 Microbial networks of cooperation and competition are a key part of our #ClusterOfExcellence on the "Balance of the Microverse". The animation by @mariia-prokopenko.bsky.social shows exactly what happens when this balance shifts. 👇

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

🇩🇪🤔 Ever been told to put the butter next to the fish or that the barrel is about to overflow? Our new Microverse Kitchen Postcards turn quirky German idioms into hilarious illustrations—and connect international researchers with support resources via QR code. 🧈🐟🛢️

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Great science starts with great conversations 🦠✨ Thanks to @michiwagner4.bsky.social (@microbesplanet.bsky.social) for the inspiring visit to our #ClusterOfExcellence in Jena. Great discussions, new perspectives — and proof that the “Microverse effect” is real 😉 🤝 @kuesellab.bsky.social

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Bye, bye HKI 👋 On Monday, the Microverse admin office moves to the new Microverse Center Jena. Today: a sunny farewell with colleagues after years at @leibniz-hki.de (since 2016). Thanks for everything! We stay close—just 300 m away. A tiny “microbe friend” comes with us as a reminder 💛

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

#ThrowbackThursday to #VAAM2026 in BER! 🧫 “Microverse meets MibiNet” drew 80+ participants—one of our highlights. Chaired by Kirsten Küsel & Julia Frunzke, keynote by Leo Eberl. Thanks to everyone for inspiring exchange! 🤝@vaam-microbes.bsky.social, @mibinet.bsky.social &@kuesellab.bsky.social

Opening Slide - Microverse meets MibiNet

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Happy International Women’s Day! 🌍🔬 Quick look at Ruth Ella Moore: In 1933, she became first African American woman in the U.S. to earn a PhD in natural sciences. Her research on tuberculosis, immunology, & dental caries left lasting mark on microbiology. #IWD2026 @leibniz-hki.de & @uni-jena.de

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

First benches detected! 🔭 Rosalind Allen's lab is the first to set up in the new #MicroverseCenterJena. Moving in this year: ✨ 10 Research Groups ✨ Microverse Imaging Center ✨ 5,000 m² of science space Follow along as we fill this building with life! 🚛 #MicroverseOnTheMove @uni-jena.de

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Different Roles, One Shared Mission! 🔬✨ Success in the Microverse Ecosystem is about more than just research—it's about the perspectives and support systems that empower women to lead. 🚀 Happy #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience! 🤝@leibniz-hki.de & @uni-jena.de

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

📚 Yesterday (Feb 24) was the International Day of Education. Microbes may be tiny, but their impact on health, ecosystems & our future is huge. At our #ClusterOfExcellence, we believe microbiology deserves a central place in education. #InternationalDayOfEducation #Microbiology #STEM

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Zoom in, look closer! Our Microverse Wimmelbild hides the faces, ideas & discoveries that made 2025 unforgettable. Can you spot them all? Season’s greetings & here’s to a curious, collaborative 2026! Illustration: Hannes Naumann

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

"May the phage be with you!" 🎬🧬 Julia Frunzke (@fz-juelich.de) joined our #JEMS at @leibniz-hki.de! She discussed antiviral defense & how delayed phage DNA replication buys cells time to respond. Great science + movie quotes = 💯. Thanks for the visit, Julia! #ScienceSky #Microbiology #Phage

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Today is @unesco.org’s World Science Day for Peace & Development. At the Microverse Cluster we believe the science of 2050 needs curiosity, openness, and trust. Some of our PIs share what future-ready science means to them. ➡️ www.unesco.org/en/days/scie...

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

A great turnout for our latest Microverse Seminar! 🍕🔬 @ameliabarberphd.bsky.social, Junior Group Leader #FungalInformatics, shared fascinating insights in her talk “From Ecology to Genomes: Unraveling Fungal Pathogenicity Across Scales.” Lively discussions and great connections followed!

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

🧬 EMERGENCY SWITCH! 🤯 Bacteria adapt their metabolism to famine in seconds. @uni-jena.de researchers found that 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘴 use two RNA molecules as molecular switches. An 'RNA sponge' kicks in to ensure survival.

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

Building inclusive microbial communities 🌍 @adjiep.bsky.social (@kuesellab.bsky.social, @uni-jena.de & Sullivan Lab) shares how mentorship & representation can shape a more inclusive future in microbial sciences. 🎤 Meet him at the #ISME Early Career Researchers event on 21 Oct: lnkd.in/dXeyvnZK

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Evi Stegmann from IMIT, @unituebingen.bsky.social, joined our #MicroverseSeminarSeries for an inspiring talk on natural product biosynthesis. She shared insights into the genes behind negamycin production & balhimycin biosynthetic machinery – sparking lively discussions! Thank you for visiting us!

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

18 students from across Germany joined us at our #ClusterOfExcellence at @uni-jena.de for the #CampusThüringenTour! 💬 Talks, lab tours & hands-on microbiology — from Gram staining to magnetotactic bacteria from the Saale. 🔬🌱🧫 #ScienceEducation #Microbiology

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

🌍 Today is the #InternationalMicroorganismsDay! On this occasion, we are naming the Microverse #MicrobeoftheYear 2025: Candida albicans. Carried by up to 95% of people, it usually lives harmlessly in our bodies – but can also cause infections. www.microverse-cluster.de/en/news/micr...

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

At this week’s #JEMS, Michael Zimmermann (@zimmermannlab.bsky.social & @embl.org) shared insights on how gut microbiota shape #drugmetabolism and carcinogen toxicity. Fascinating findings on cancer risk, #drugresponse variability, and limits of current models. Thanks for the inspiring talk!

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

🚴‍♀️ On Sept 12, the Sepsis Awareness Tour 2025 stops in Jena! Led by the Center for Sepsis Control & Care (CSCC), experts share how early detection saves lives. Join us at Teichgraben, 2 p.m. #WorldSepsisDay #SepsisAwareness #Jena

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Happy Birthday, Goethe! 🌿 Though he never saw microbes under a microscope, his holistic view of nature still inspires us today. At the #Microverse, we explore how microbial worlds shape life’s balance – just as Goethe imagined nature as one interconnected whole. Illustration: AI-generated

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

🌊 In June 2025, Prof. Christian Jogler and his team dove into Corsica’s seagrass meadows to explore unseen microbial worlds. Samples collected by scientists & divers are now cultivated at @uni-jena.de — tiny discoveries that may unlock novel bacteria and future natural products.

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

🌟 The @jsmc-info.bsky.social Summer School 2025 ended with an inspiring celebration at the Planetarium Jena! 2 weeks, 13 nations, microbial research & new friendships. Thanks to all participants, organizers & awardees who made this journey unforgettable! 🌍✨ #JSMC #ScienceCommunity

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

“What is feeding surface life?” 🌍 and “Are the microbes all alive?” 🦠 — Kirsten Küsel (@kuesellab.bsky.social & @uni-jena.de) sparked deep curiosity at the #MicrobialDiversity Symposium at @mblscience.bsky.social. A powerful talk on unseen life in groundwater & its global impact. #MBL2025

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

🎉 Roos Brouns (@bedutilh.bsky.social's #VEO-Group & @uni-jena.de) & Vikrant Minhas (mentee @kuesellab.bsky.social) won the ISME poster award at the AEM Gordon Conference! A great example of cross-institutional #excellence in microbial ecology. 👏 #Microbiology #ISME #AEMGordon #EarlyCareerResearchers

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

🌟 Celebrating community at the Microverse Get-Together! Big thanks to Kirsten Küsel (@kuesellab.bsky.social) & @mlakemeyer.bsky.social for inspiring us. Proud of our amazing team spirit! Looking forward to more great moments together 🚀 #MicroverseCommunity #ThankYou

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Huge thanks to Dr. Andreas Strecker (@dfg.de) for visiting @uni-jena.de. His talk & 1:1 sessions offered valuable guidance on career paths & funding for early career researchers. Supporting young scientists is close to our heart! 🌱🧬

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

What an evening! ✨ Yesterday’s announcement brought cheers, hugs & happy tears. Cluster members, Uni leadership & friends celebrated together – united by passion and purpose. Thank you for this unforgettable moment! 💙 #Microverse #ExcellenceStrategy #TeamScience

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Big congrats to our Junior Group Research Leader Dr. @ameliabarberphd.bsky.social 🎉 She’s been named a #CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar for her work on fungal pathogens. 👉 Read the full story here: www.microverse-cluster.de/en/news/amel... #CIFAR #GlobalScience

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Team Microverse in Motion crushed the Jena Company Run! 🏃‍♂️💨 Fastest man: Hans-Dieter Arndt Fastest woman: @ameliabarberphd.bsky.social Microbes aren’t the only ones moving fast! 🦠💪

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

On #IDAHOBIT, we reaffirm our commitment to an open and inclusive research culture. Respect, diversity and equal opportunity are essential to scientific collaboration and excellence. #InclusionMatters #DiversityInScience

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

At yesterday’s #MicroverseSeminar at @leibniz-hki.de , Prof. Sebastian Leptihn shared insights on 🦠 “Phage Therapy: An Evolutionary Tug-of-War with Bacterial Pathogens” — exploring phage resistance, antibiotic synergy, and more. Thanks to all who joined this brilliant session!

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

🌊 World Water Day 2025: Glacier Preservation ❄️ #WorldWaterDay highlights global water challenges. This year: glaciers – vital freshwater sources under threat. Microbes shape aquatic ecosystems. We support this day to raise awareness! #GlacierPreservation

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Prof. Rotem Sorek gave a fascinating #JEMS talk @uni-jena.de on bacterial immune systems! 🦠🛡️ He explored the diverse and sophisticated defense systems of bacteria—and how studying these mechanisms can unlock new insights for human health. A reminder that microbes still have a lot to teach us!

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Celebrating International Women's Day! 🎉🔬 On #IWD2025, we honor pioneers who shaped #microbiology & life sciences. From antibiotics to DNA, their work revolutionized medicine & research. Discover 5 women whose impact still inspires @BalanceMicroverse. #WomenInScience #Microbiology

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

At our Cluster we are proud to foster diversity in science. Today, on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we highlight Rosalind Allen, Ute Hellmich, Amelia Barber & Kirsten Küsel, who share what drives their research. Their passion, curiosity & dedication inspire us every day! 💡

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Ice sheets are so cool, but they’re getting warmer! 🌍 - At the Jena Excellence in Microbiology Seminar, Ricarda Winkelmann shared her research on ice sheets and their role in global warming, highlighting their fragile balance and climate impact. Thank you, Ricarda! 🌱❄️ #JEMS #ClimateScience

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Balance of the Microverse @microverse.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

🌟 Hello, @bsky.app ! 🌟 We’re excited to join this vibrant community! 🎉 From now on, you’ll find all the updates, research highlights, and news from our Cluster right here. 🌱🔬 - Let’s dive into the fascinating world of #microbes together! Stay tuned for groundbreaking discoveries and exciting events.

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