Functional microbial genome research is one of the most important areas of life sciences worldwide. It is already influencing very different areas of the economy and society, from human health and climate change issues to the various facets of biotechnology, including synthetic biology. Groundbreaking developments in the field of OMICS technologies not only allow a uniquely detailed insight into the physiology, molecular adaptation strategies and pathogenicity mechanisms of individual microorganisms, but also into the structure, functionality and interactions of complex communities. The integration of the various (meta)-OMICS disciplines leads to a completely new understanding of microbial life. Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics are an integral part of modern microbiology and often form the basis for hypothesis-driven research and the elucidation of interactions.

The central objectives of the special group are

• an intensification of the scientific and methodological exchange between the individual "omics disciplines" in microbiology
• the organization of omics-specific conferences, symposia and workshopsthe training of young scientists, e.g. through subject-specific summer schools
• the discussion and definition of "quality standards" for functional genome analyses in microbiologya microbiologically meaningful analysis of large OMICS data sets