Welcome to the World Microbiome partnership
The term “microbiome” refers to all microorganisms, which live with and are integral to the health of humans, animals, plants, and to soils, oceans and other ecosystems. These microbial members include commensal and pathogenic bacteria, viruses, bacteriophage and fungi, which function together as communities and interact with their hosts and/or in habitats. It is understanding their diverse metabolic capabilities as well as their genetic potential which is at the heart of microbiome studies.
The World Microbiome Partnership (WMP)
The World Microbiome Partnership is an international forum, formally established in 2023, bringing together interested parties across the microbiome field in academia, industry, foundations and government to promote strategic partnerships and to harmonize development of microbiome-based biomarkers, products, and interventions in the service of human, plant, animal, and planetary health.
The WMP will establish a global model of cooperation and collaboration to address scientific, regulatory and structural obstacles for enabling microbiome-based applications to support and sustain health. As a founding principle of its programs and initiatives, the WMP will embrace the ‘One Health” concept which recognizes the linkages between the health of humans, and planetary health.
VISION & MISSIONS
- A. To bring together professionals across the broader microbiome field: The conveying power of the WMP will bring together experts across the globe around the jointly held interest of identifying and resolving obstacles in the microbiome field in order to preserve and promote planetary health.
- B. To facilitate innovative partnerships across the WMP membership:
1) establish concrete academia-government-foundation partnerships for translational microbiome research
2) catalyze long-term industry-academia-foundation partnerships for innovative cross-training in microbiome research and product development,
3) advocate for government-industry-foundation partnerships to promote joint funding for start-up companies in the microbiome area.
4) promote a microbiome curriculum for universities and medical schools to educate the next generation of microbiome professionals. - C. To inform and promote a harmonized global regulatory process for microbiome products for the clinic and the market:
- The WMP will provide the scientific expertise needed to establish criteria for the development of a global regulatory process. These coordinated actions will smooth the pathway for regulation of microbiome-based biomarkers, products and interventions.
The OHHLEP “One Health” concept
The UN’s One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) defines « One Health » as “an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent” (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010537). This recognition has been particularly important for the UN’s Quadripartite agencies (WHO, FAO, WOAH, UNEP; https://www.who.int/news/item/27-03-2023-quadripartite-call-to-action-for-one-health-for-a-safer-world) and the US’s CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/index.html) in addressing issues such as endemic, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, expanding disease vector ranges, antibiotic resistance, food safety, environmental contamination as well as climate change.
The WMP integrates microorganisms into “One Health”
Microorganisms are crucial to the health of all living beings. The WMP recommends that the definition of “One Health” be expanded to include the integral role of microbes and microbial communities in human, plant, animal and ecosystem health. The WMP is founded on the understanding that microorganisms support host health as well as planetary health through their metabolic activities, genetic potential and food web functions. As such, the actions of microbial communities should be considered when addressing the health of the Planet
Human
The One Health concept anchors the microbiome at the heart of human health, revealing the linkages between microbial homeostasis and our health and well-being. This integrated approach offers new perspectives in the battle against emerging diseases and in supporting and maintaining human health.
Animal
In the One Health approach, microbial communities are integral to animal health as well as serve as a reservoir of microorganisms which can be shared with humans and as a key player in the promotion and prevention of zoonotic (animal to human transmission) and anthroponotic (human to animal transmission) diseases
Plant
The One Health concept sheds light on the role of the microbiome in the robustness of plants and the biodiversity of plant systems. The interactions of microorganisms and plant hosts is crucial for agricultural resilience and food security as well as for the health of ecosystems.
Ecosystems
The One Health approach highlights the integral role of microorganisms in ecosystems, where they generate and recycle nutrients, serve as a food source, and are a repository of innovative metabolic properties. Understanding and leveraging the properties of microbes in ecosystems will ultimately be crucial for sustainable management of our planet.
Our News
- UPCOMING! 1st “One Health” WMP Congress, December 11-13, 2024
- Background and Motivation for Establishment of the World Microbiome Partnership:
- History and Objectives of the WMP: Pioneering the Microbiome Research
We build a bridge between innovative communities dedicated to health
THE QUADRIPARTITE ORGANIZATION ON ONE HEALTH IS A PRIVILEGED INTERLOCUTOR
The concept of « One health », wich recognizes the link between Human health, Animal health, Plant health and Envirnmental health, has been particularly important for who and Centers for diseases controle (CDC) to adress issues such as emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, expanding disease vector ranges, antibiotic resistance, food safety and environmental safety.
The World Microbiome Foundation
The World Microbiome Foundation (https://worldmicrobiomefoundation.org, site under construction) is an independent non-profit foundation housed within the French Academy of Medicine and will provide seed funding for WMP projects as designated by the Working Groups.