The University of Minnesota has announced the launch of CoreBiome, a startup that provides analysis of microbial communities for agricultural, environmental and human health applications. The technology behind CoreBiome is based on discoveries by researchers Kenneth Beckman, PhD, director of the University of Minnesota Genomics Center (UMGC), a Consortium member; Daryl Gohl, PhD, research and development lead of UMGC; and Dan Knights, PhD, of the BioTechnology Institute, which is also a Consortium member. Understanding how communities of microbes behave, whether in the human gut, in farm animals and soil, or in natural waterways, can help scientists discover new ways to control and remedy harmful microbial processes or to facilitate beneficial ones. Microbiome research is leading to new opportunities that range from treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections to removing toxins from contaminated water. Some of the research that led to the startup was funded by the Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI), a Consortium member. Visit Corebiome's website here.