​The University of Pretoria Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG) was formally approved as a research entity by the University of Pretoria in September 2012.  CMEG is a core group within the Genomics Research Institute.

In 2012, the University of Pretoria refurbished a 1 000m² laboratory suite to house the CMEG research team and the administrative centre for the Genomics Research Institute. The laboratory is sited in the Natural Sciences II (NWII) building on the Hatfield Campus. The CMEG laboratory suite has the space to house over 40 researchers and support staff. As of December 2016, the CMEG team comprises 39 researchers, including 3 Research Fellows and 11 postdoctoral research staff, along with 14 PhD and 11 MSc researchers.

Virtually all projects within CMEG fall within the fields of Ecogenomics and Functional Metagenomics, with a strong emphasis of microbial diversity, microbial function and adaptation, and microbial applications. With its strong national position in these new and rapidly developing fields, and its extensive range of national and international collaborators, CMEG is ideally positioned to provide high quality and cutting-edge training for postgraduates, and to make a valuable contribution to the Genomics Research Institute and to the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria.