mikroVERSUM - the world of microbes more exciting than the travel to Mars

Winogradsky columns render microbes visible. Driven by light, photosynthetic microbes of differend kind colour the columns. These are composed of the slurry of rivers and amendend with paper snips as carbon, and eggs as nitrogen source.

Plants are associated with microorganisms in the soil. These may be fungal mykorrhizae, or plant growth promoting bacteria like root-nodule forming Rhizobia. Both are made visible in rhizoboxes.

The award-winning staion of mikroVERSUM shows the co-operation (symbiosis) of cattle with intestinal anaerobic fungi, bacteria, archaea and viruses. How exciting to see the size differences of these important players of digestion!

Austria proudly announces the launching of mikroVERSUM, a Science Center dedicated to the exciting world of microbes.

Key challenges of our time, climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability, cannot be solved without understanding microbial processes. These are more exciting than any travel to space”

— Prof. em. Heribert Insam, PhD

ZIRL, TYROL, AUSTRIA, June 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The interactive science center mikroVERSUM opened its doors at the hollu Campus in Zirl, Austria. A joint project of the University of Innsbruck and hollu Systemhygiene GmbH, the exhibition makes the fascinating, invisible world of microorganisms tangible for visitors of all ages. Apart from Micropia in Amsterdam, the only exclusive "zoo" for microbes in Europe, and maybe worldwide.

With 31 interactive stations, mikroVERSUM guides visitors through a 24-hour cycle with the smallest inhabitants of our planet. From oxygen production and food manufacturing to biological wastewater treatment—microorganisms accompany us every moment of the day, unseen yet indispensable. The exhibition features modules such as "Morning" (cyanobacteria and oxygen production), "Forest Walk" (soil microbiome), "Lunch" (microbial food production), and "Evening & Night" (bioluminescence).

"Key challenges of our time—climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource use—cannot be solved without understanding microbial processes," explains Heribert Insam, Prof. em. of the Dept. of Microbiology at the University of Innsbruck. "mikroVERSUM is aimed at all interested persons—children, adolescents, and adults—and is deliberately designed to be multilingual," adds Judith Ascher-Jenull, the person who is linking science with the arts.

The concept was developed by the MikroMondo^® initiative, led by microbiologists Heribert Insam and Judith Ascher-Jenull, with over 100 researchers of the University of Innsbruck and the MCI Innsbruck, and students involved. The project is supported by the federal government, the state of Tyrol, and the EU.

mikroVERSUM is open Friday through Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00, with guided tours and workshops for school groups available Monday through Thursday. Admission is free

Heribert Insam, PhD
MikroMondo
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