One goal of the UAB Microbiome Center (UMC) is to promote microbiome-related research across UAB. To do this, the UMC provides support to and serves as a contact point for the Microbiome, Microbiota Culture, and Laser Microdissection Cores. The Center also seeks out and is open to collaborative research opportunities with the other UAB Centers. Since 2017, the UMC has funded pilot projects to support both established and young investigators seeking to perform microbiome-related work.