Biotechnological and Integrative Opportunities in Microbiome Sciences (BIOMS)

The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) ‘Biotechnological & Integrative Opportunities in Microbiome Sciences” (BIOMS) Predoctoral Training Program will be the first NIH T32 training program dedicated exclusively to training graduate students in the microbiome sciences and its biotechnological underpinnings. BIOMS will be anchored by the PSU One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) to enhance curricula and educational training via the world’s first Dual Title PhD program in Microbiome Sciences, which will bridge eight established graduate programs: Biomedical Sciences, Food Sciences, Biology, Anthropology, Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Ecology. The convergence of these programs under the BIOMS program will foster unique perspectives and collaborations to advance the biomedical sciences, particularly in basic host-microbiome and microbe-microbe interactions research. The OHMC serves a community of over 520 individuals including >160 graduate students. Nearly all the BIOMS training components will be available to this broader community, increasing the impact of program investments. The BIOMS program is designed to equip Fellows with the skills and knowledge needed to advance microbiome biotechnology, including technologies shaping the discovery and characterization of microbial taxa, probiotics, antimicrobials, and prebiotics, as well as microbiome-based diagnostics and transplant therapies. The microbial biotechnology market is expected to reach a $300 billion USD value by 2030, underlining the knowledge and workforce development necessary in this area. The BIOMS cohort will undergo training aimed at advancing research and education in human health through a One Health lens by recognizing, as the World Health Organization and National Academy of Sciences has, that microbes are the base of the biosphere, and human health depends upon how microbes (beneficial to pathogenic) flow across environmental, agricultural, and human-associated systems. The program will cultivate an integrative understanding of fundamental concepts in microbiome sciences and biotechnology with rigorous coursework from a set of 36 course options, monthly workshops, and weekly seminars. Fellows will emerge proficient in the application of reproducible and responsible experimental, theoretical, and computational methods. Additionally, they will benefit from professional development experiences, including a biotech internship, mentorship from multiple industry scientists, and “Beyond the Lab” workshops focused on science communication, patents, and more. BIOMS applicants will be recruited through a network of OHMC partners. Importantly, the BIOMS program promotes skill development and student achievement through a foundational skills Summer Jumpstart Bootcamp, an expanded curricula for PhD trainees, and cohort events. With combined NIH and PSU support, the BIOMS program proposes to train a minimum of 28 Fellows over five-years. Trainees will generally be supported in Years 2 and 3 of their PhD program. Overall, BIOMS Fellows will be prepared to be leaders in the microbiome biotechnology field.