Hub of Talents in Microbiome Medicine and Microbial Technology for One Health (MMOH) Officially Launched

On 21 July 2025, the Hub of Talents in Microbiome Medicine and Microbial Technology for One Health (MMOH) held its official launch ceremony. Led by Assoc. Prof. Suchaorn Saengnipanthkul, M.D., as Head of the Hub, MMOH is supported by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) in partnership with Khon Kaen University through the National Phenome Institute and a network of leading universities across the country.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Sirinphon Diaotrakun, Deputy Director of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), spoke on the importance of establishing the hub, noting that Thailand needs an academic center capable of addressing the BCG economic model and driving sustainable development in medicine and the bioeconomy.

Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, said that Khon Kaen University and the National Phenome Institute are ready to support MMOH as an incubator for the next generation of talent and as a key mechanism for translating in-depth research into industrial applications.

Ms. Nitchaporn Chongudomroek, Chief Executive Officer of Mod Gut Co., Ltd., spoke on the role of the private sector, noting that businesses need a hub such as MMOH to connect research findings to the concrete design and development of personalized health products.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Jutarop Phetcharaburanin, Deputy Head of the Hub and Director of the National Phenome Institute, said that Thailand has the potential to become a leader in microbiome medicine and the sustainable use of microbial technology for health, and that MMOH will be an important step in advancing science to improve the quality of life of Thai people and the global community.

MMOH was established in response to the One Health and Precision Medicine policies, with the aim of developing a highly skilled workforce and technologies in the microbiome and microbes for health. Its scope ranges from proactive health promotion and the development of a personalized nutrition industry to research on disease prevention and the use of beneficial microbes in human, animal, plant and environmental ecosystems.

The hub brings together experts from four main fields: health sciences and medicine; food and drugs; medical biotechnology; and agriculture and the environment. Its key goals are to develop a highly skilled workforce in microbiome-based pharmaceutical products and microbial biotechnology; to advance research and innovation into clinical and industrial use through collaboration among physicians, scientists and the private sector; and to develop policies and standards for the certification of microbiome products in Thailand.

In addition, MMOH aims to increase the recognition and visibility of Thai researchers' microbiome research on the international stage and to build collaborative networks with experts and partner institutions abroad, strengthening the country's capacity to develop biotechnology and the medicine of the future in a sustainable way.