The first funding period of SPP 2474 took place from 22nd to 23rd June, when our first in-person meeting was held at Seeon Monastery. Coordinated by Prof. Lisa Maier, the SPP 2474 brings together 22 projects led by 35 PIs who are working together to understand the gene function of non-model bacteria in the human gut microbiome. Alongside excellent presentations, the beautiful lakeside setting encouraged fruitful discussions within the consortium and with our guests, including KC Huang from Stanford University, Alexandra Koumoutsi from EMBL Heidelberg, Boris Macek, and Gerben Stouten from the University of Tübingen.