Post-operative dry eye disease affects one-third of all cataract patients after surgery to restore vision. This results in 45,000 new cases every year in Belgium alone. Dry eye disease is a broad term used to capture all symptoms such as burning, itching, and a foreign body sensation. This is due to a disruption of the tear film, but the cause is often unclear. The seemingly unpredictable onset of dry eye disease after surgery is concerning to ophthalmologists, as it significantly impacts patients' quality of life and currently lacks a curative treatment. Literature and in-house data suggest that the ocular microbiome of patients with dry disease differs from patients who do not report ocular discomfort. With this project, we aim to identify microbial biomarkers that can preoperatively predict which patients are at risk of developing dry eye disease. We will study the regenerative capacity of the ocular microbiome in cataract patients over time using amplicon sequencing to identify potential biomarkers. These findings will be utilized in a risk-assessment tool for clinical use, facilitating the identification of high-risk patients to support preventative medicine. Additionally, we will select key strains within the protective microbiome for potential probiotic applications. To achieve this, we will explore the function of identified biomarkers within the community using shotgun sequencing and conduct a whole genome analysis of the strains of interest.