Our vision is to improve lives through a deeper understanding of the gut microbiome
Microba is an Australian company working to create a community of greater health. Built on leading scientific research, Microba has established itself as a world leader in the analysis of the gut microbiome. With a growing body of global research indicating that the gut microbiome plays a central role in health and disease, Microba is a strong contributing force in the development of new pathology services, therapeutics and diagnostics based on the microbiome.
The research that Microba is based upon was developed by Professor Gene Tyson and Professor Phillip Hugenholtz over the past 20 years and has been made possible from the advancement in computing power over the past decade.
They wanted to make research-quality microbiome analysis available more broadly so everyone could have the opportunity to gain deep insight into their gut microbiome and improve their health and wellbeing.
Both founders are actively involved, helping guide the direction of the company and ensure operations meet the highest standards of evidence-based science.
Our laboratories in Brisbane have the latest metagenomic testing equipment, comprehensive quality assurance protocols and a skilled team of scientists ensuring each test is accurate.
Be part of the health revolution.
Professor Philip Hugenholtz
Role: Co-Founder
Professor Phil Hugenholtz is Microba’s co-founder, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and a world-leading expert in microbiome analysis.
Throughout his career as a microbiologist, he has published over one hundred papers in high-impact journals in the field of microbiology and genomics. He has been involved in pioneering many of the methods used in microbiome analysis, including whole genome metagenomic DNA sequencing, and discovered and characterised a number of previously unknown bacterial species. In his role at Microba, he continues to drive the discovery of new insights into the human gut microbiome.
Professor Hugenholtz is also Director of the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), Australia’s leading centre for genomic research.
Publications
Professor Gene Tyson
Role: Co-Founder
Professor Gene Tyson is Microba’s co-founder and a world-leading expert in microbiome analysis.
As a microbial ecologist, Professor Tyson was the first person to publish the use of metagenomic sequencing for assessing microbial communities. This paper highlighted the potential of metagenomics to provide a clearer picture of microbial communities. In his role at Microba, he continues to explore the use of these approaches he helped pioneer to discover even more about the human gut microbiome.
Professor Tyson is also the Deputy-Director of the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics (ACE), Australia’s leading centre for genomic research.
Publications
- 1. GraftM: a tool for scalable, phylogenetically informed classification...
- 2. Recovery of nearly 8,000 metagenome-assembled genomes...
- 3. Genome-centric resolution of microbial diversity, metabolism...
- 4. CheckM: assessing the quality of microbial genomes recovered...
- 5. GroopM: An automated tool for the recovery of population...
Be part of Australian advances and worldwide research
Our laboratory and researchers are part of the exciting ongoing microbiome research here and overseas. This is one of the new frontiers of medicine, revealing important connections about how microorganisms are affecting our health. Human microbiome research has exciting potential to diagnose disease and discover new therapies. Your data can be part of it too if you give us permission to use your dietary, lifestyle and health information anonymously.
Your Contribution
You have the opportunity to contribute to important research about how the human gut microbiome influences health by participating in a further questionnaire about your health and wellbeing that can be matched to your microbiome analysis.
Ethical Compass
We conduct our business in a socially responsible, ethical and scientifically rigorous manner. We respect the law and regulatory requirements. We aim to improve individual wellbeing and benefit the communities where we work.
As featured in recent media
“This is one of the new frontiers of medicine, revealing important connections about how microorganisms are affecting our health.”
– Prof Gene Tyson
Professor Ian Frazer
Non-Executive Director
Blake Wills
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Alena Pribyl
Senior Scientist & Research Officer
Dr David Wood
Head of Bioinformatics Operations
Dr Nicola Angel
Head of Laboratory Operations
Dr Paula Smith-Brown
Lead Dietitian & Head Microbiome Coach
Dr Luke Holtham
Chief Partnerships & Corporate Development Officer
Dr Paraic O’Cuiv
Lead, Live-Biotherapeutics
Assoc/Prof Lutz Krause
Head of Data-Mining & Artificial Intelligence
James Heath
Chief Financial Officer
Dr Kylie Ellis
Research & Commercial Partnerships Manager
Dr Ken McGrath
Technology Liaison Manager
Dr Areej Alsheikh
Bioinformatics Officer
Yao Liu
Lead Developer
Daniela Sanders
Regulatory Affairs Adviser
Drew Webb
Head of Marketing
Samantha MacDonald
Research Assistant