In a first for the field, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Biotech has formed a strategic collaboration with start-up Second Genome to characterise therapeutic mechanisms in ulcerative colitis (UC) that are mediated by the microbiome, the bacterial ecosystem living in and on the human body. Janssen will provide R&D support to Second Genome, funded through the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center and the Immunology Therapeutic Area within Janssen Research & Development. The big pharma company’s portfolio includes Remicade® (infliximab), which is used in the treatment of moderately to severely active UC.