C-MAIKI

The Center for Microbiome Analysis through Island Knowledge and Investigation (C-MĀIKI) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a collaborative group comprising faculty from a diverse range of fields, including biology, oceanography, microbiology, ecology, mathematics, medicine, agronomy, and computer science. Our mission is to perform cutting-edge microbiome research by leveraging Hawaiʻi's unique ecology, geography, and cultures to understand and model microbiome dynamics. We pursue this mission through transdisciplinary approaches to research and education, as well as by fostering strong partnerships within the University of Hawaiʻi and local communities.

 

With the acknowledgement that the microbial world underpins the health of humans and the environment, and that these are not discrete entities, but rather sets of nested and interdependent ecosystems, we seek to illuminate the diversity and function of microbes across hosts and habitats to understand what constitutes healthy microbiomes.

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C-MĀIKI's broad expertise allows us to investigate how the power of microbes can help tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges, such as ecosystem resilience, the spread of infectious diseases, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Hawaiʻi provides an ideal backdrop for this work due to its cultural and ecological diversity and biogeography. What unites us is our drive to address these issues here and abroad by understanding the roles of microbiomes in sustaining and creating resilient biological systems. Through these efforts, we seek to exchange the knowledge gained with our peers, community stakeholders, and future generations.