Sondra Turjeman, PhD’s Post

My first CELL paper 😄 Thrilled to share our latest perspective in Cell Press: "From big data and experimental models to clinical trials: Iterative strategies in microbiome research." I've always been a #methods person and I couldn't be prouder of this Perspective! Especially because we submitted before GenAI really took off - just lots of reading, deep thinking and focused writing. So,vin a nutshell: #Microbiome research has grown exponentially, but translating findings into clinical applications remains a challenge. Why? Too often, we rely on correlations rather than true causative mechanisms. In this paper, we propose an #iterative framework to move from big data and association studies to mechanistic insights—leveraging in silico, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models to rigorously test hypotheses before reaching clinical trials. 💡 Key takeaways: ✅ Multi-omics + traditional microbiology = a more powerful way to identify causative microbial functions ✅ Bridge the gap between preclinical models and human trials using humanized models, wildling, and artificial microbiome therapeutics ✅ Reproducibility & translatability—why promising mouse studies often fail in humans, and how we can do better This work was made possible by an incredible team: Tomaso Rozera, Eran Elinav, Gianluca Ianiro, and Omry Koren. I'm so grateful for the collaborations and discussions that shaped this paper! We hope this perspective helps #advance microbiome research toward real clinical #impact. Join the conversation—how do you think we can improve translation in this field? #Microbiome #BigData #ClinicalTrials #TranslationalResearch #GutHealth #Science #Research #CELL