The work of the laboratory, established in 2022, was made possible by a Mega-grant awarded under the competition «State Support for Scientific Research Conducted under the Guidance of Leading Scientists at Russian Higher Education Institutions, Research Institutions, and State Scientific Centers of the Russian Federation» (round 9). The laboratory is headed by leading international scientist Enric Gisbert Casas (Spain). It also includes leading Russian specialists in metagenomic studies of the digestive system and the ecology of vertebrate animals, as well as students, postgraduate students, and support staff.