Center for Grassland Microbiome has carried out extensive interdisciplinary researches into frontier science issues on key microbial technologies, fundamental theories and other fields, and has explored solutions to major microbial scientific and technical issues as well. It will also provide scientific supports for government decision-making, grassland health and sustainable development of animal husbandry. The core research directions of the center include: grassland soil microbes, plant microbes, animal microbes and systemic microbiology theories and technologies.

Taking its bases from the State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems (Lanzhou University), and through the joint disciplinary cooperation with University of California, Berkeley, University of Oklahoma, Stanford University and other well-known foreign universities, the center is committed to build a multidisciplinary research team by attracting and introducing high-level talents on grass science, microbiology, molecular biology, animal husbandry, ecology, soil science, bioinformatics and other related areas, explore and cultivate a couple of new academic research directions and disciplines that will lead the future development, establishing itself as the top-grade grassland microbiology scientific research center with tremendous impact at home and abroad.

In February 2019, Center for Grassland Microbiome was established at Lanzhou University as an entity research institute. It is the first grassland microbial research center in China and with the aim to promote cutting-edge research and technology in grassland microbiology. Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering &Professor Nan Zhibiao, now serves as the first Director of the center.