The Microbes and Social Equity working group, and The University of Maine Institute of Medicine present a virtual symposium on:
“Living in a Microbial World”
June 5 – 9th, 2023.
Format: virtual meeting, Zoom platform.
The full program is here.
Session 2: Microbiomes and climate justice
Tuesday, June 6th, 11 am – 2:30 pm EST. This session has passed, watch the recorded talks.
Social and economic activities have impacted microbes vital to the carbon cycle, while climate change has already begun to alter environmental microbiota. How do these reciprocal anthropogenic effects affect our health? How will such impacts follow our socio-economic fault-lines? This session will explore how we can use these links to inform communities, conservation movements, and policy.
Hosts and organizers:
Dr. Mike Friedman, PhD, MPH. Recently-retired Researcher and Lecturer in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Health.
Dr. Erin Eggleston, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Middlebury College. Molecular microbial ecology, cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms, T. gondii detection in shellfish, coral holobiont thermal resilience, environmental microbes and social equity, and microbial community members involved in mercury methylation in St. Lawrence River wetland sediments
Speakers, 11~12:00 EDT:
Dr. Arpita Bose, PhD., Associate Professor of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis. Her lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using an interdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such as the energy crisis, climate change, pollution, human health, sustainability and the circular economy.
Dr. Mallory Choudoir, PhD, Assistant Professor & Soil Microbiome Extension Specialist, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University. The goal of my research program is to translate microbiome science to sustainable agriculture and to develop microbial-centered solutions to agroecosystem challenges.
TBD
Break, ~12:05 – 12:20 EDT
Panel Discussion, 12:20~13:00 EDT:
- What’s the most pressing issue in your field?
- Combining microbial ecology with climate models
- We hear about ‘climate grief’, but what about ‘climate optimism’? What are some success stories?
Break, 3:00 – 13:15 EDT
Breakout room discussions, 13:15 ~ 14:30 EDT:
- Marine microbes
- Contradiction between research and activism
- TBD
Related to this session, here are recorded talks from previous MSE events:
- “Microbiomes and climate change at the intersection of human and ecosystem health in the North”, Dr. Catherine Girard, PhD
- “Connecting environmental microbiomes to social (in)equity across temporal and ecological scales“, Dr. Erin Eggleston and Dr. Mallory Choudoir
- “Transforming your research into policy engagement“, multiple speakers
- “Community engagement and collaboration“, multiple speakers
- “MSE education and curriculum design“, multiple speakers