Lichtgedanken 03

S C HW E R P U N K T 9 03 | LICHT GEDANKEN F E AT U R E Microscopic worlds Tiny organisms of great significance Microorganisms are secretly the rulers of the world: not only have they colo- nized virtually every spot on Earth—all higher organisms, whether plants, ani- mals or humans, have communities of microbes living on them. Innumerable processes of life and abiotic processes such as the climate are influenced by interactions with complex microbial communities. These diverse microscopic worlds have long been the subject of intensive research in Jena, at the Universi- ty and Jena University Hospital, as well as at non-university research institutes such as the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biolo- gy—Hans Knöll Institute (HKI). »