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BRIDGE brings together research communities across NMBU to strengthen interdisciplinary host–microbiome research, foster new collaborations and address key challenges in sustainable food production.

01 May 2026 - 01 May 2029

NMBU

About the arena

  • Background

    BRIDGE - Bridging Research, Innovation, Dialogue, Guidance and Education in host–microbiome science at NMBU.

    BRIDGE brings together leading research environments at NMBU to address Host–microbiome interactions are central to the health, development and functioning of plants and animals, with important implications for sustainable food production. NMBU has strong research environments working on these interactions across several faculties and disciplines. BRIDGE connects this expertise to strengthen host–microbiome research across the university.

  • Objective

    BRIDGE provides an interdisciplinary platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and development of new research initiatives. The arena connects researchers, PhD candidates and external partners, facilitates access to complementary expertise and research infrastructure, and supports the development of joint projects and funding applications.

    Through these activities, BRIDGE aims to advance our ability to decode, direct and apply beneficial host–microbiome interactions.

Events

12
Nov

UPCOMING: BRIDGE seminar
Hosts and Microbiomes: New Connections, New Perspectives

Keynote: Professor Tom Gilbert
Domestication hologenomics – how did our ancestors tame the wolf?

Join us for a new BRIDGE seminar bringing together researchers working on host–microbiome interactions across disciplines, host systems and institutions. BRIDGE is an open arena, and this seminar is a great opportunity for anyone curious about the field to gain insight into current host–microbiome research, discover new perspectives and connect with researchers across disciplines.

14
Sept

Second BRIDGE meeting: On-site visit to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The second BRIDGE meeting was held at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at NMBU. The program included an introduction to the faculty and ongoing BRIDGE activities, followed by a visit to the Section for Experimental Biomedicine (ExBio), including the Production Animal and Rodent Units.
Associate Professor Sabrina Rodriguez Campos also gave a scientific talk on reproductive health and the cervical microbiome of small ruminants. The visit provided an opportunity to learn about research facilities and expertise at the faculty and to discuss new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

22
Jun

BRIDGE kickoff meeting

The kickoff meeting for BRIDGE (Bridging Research, Innovation, Dialogue, Guidance and Education) brought together researchers from across NMBU, as well as partners from NIBIO and the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
The meeting introduced the broad range of host–microbiome research taking place across disciplines and provided an opportunity to discuss how BRIDGE can strengthen collaboration across research environments. Topics included shared infrastructure and expertise, interdisciplinary research opportunities, funding initiatives and future activities within the platform.
The meeting generated good discussions and several ideas for future collaboration, providing a strong starting point for developing the BRIDGE community.

People walking in the hallway at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
BRIDGE members on their way to a guided tour of the Section for Experimental Biomedicine (ExBio) during the BRIDGE visit to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at NMBU. Photo: Hilde Vinje

Project management

Want to participate? Contact us here

  • Partners

    NIBIO – The Biogeochemistry group is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure for DNA stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP) using several relevant isotopic tracers, including a newly developed 13CO₂ labelling chamber. This infrastructure enables precise tracing of nutrient transfer from plants to root-associated microorganisms.


    NVI – The microbiome group at NVI work on host–microbiome–environment interactions, linking fundamental microbiome science to applied One Health challenges. We combine high-throughput sequencing and computational approaches for large-scale data analysis across wildlife and production systems. NVI contributes state-of-the-art laboratories, sequencing platforms (Illumina, ONT), BSL-3 capacity, advanced immunology and pathology, and a broad biobank enabling retrospective and comparative studies.


    Yara – A global crop nutrition company that develops fertilizers, digital tools, and agronomic solutions to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability.
    Graminor AS – A Norwegian plant breeding company that develops and tests crop varieties adapted to Nordic conditions to support sustainable and predictable agricultural production.


    Geno AS – A Norwegian dairy cattle breeding cooperative that is developing breeding indices for methane emissions and feed efficiency in NRF, with rumen microbiome at the heart of these two new traits.


    Ard Innovation AS– The technology transfer office (TTO) of NIBIO, NMBU, Nofima and the Veterinary Institute.

    Agribiotix AS – A biotechnology company developing sustainable biocontrol products containing beneficial microorganisms with antifungal and plant growth promoting activities.

    Cmbio – A Danish company providing end-to-end microbiome research services, advanced bioinformatics, and
    data science