Mohammad Arifuzzaman： Finalist 2025 NOSTER & Science Microbiome Prize

Today’s guest is Mohammad Arifuzzaman from the Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, and one of the 2025 Prize Winners of the NOSTER & Science Microbiome Prize. His essay, “Illuminating Microbial Dark Matter,” reveals how changes in diet can bring to light previously unknown molecules made by gut microbes. These hidden microbial products act like messengers, quietly influencing our immunity and metabolism in ways we are only beginning to understand. Mohammad’s work shows how uncovering these signals could lead to precision nutrition and entirely new therapeutic strategies.Mohammad ArifuzzamanIlluminating microbial dark matter: Dietary alterations uncover microbial regulation of immunity and metabolism.Science 389,38-38(2025).DOI:10.1126/science.adz0502