About the talk
Most people know that microbes cause disease and many are now aware that there are both good and bad bacteria. But this knowledge is still couched in the context of human health. What most people don’t know is that microorganisms are vitally important to all life on Earth. From their role in the human gastrointestinal tract to their role in wastewater treatment and the turning of the biogeochemical cycles of planet Earth, microbes are both our ancestors and our modern day life support systems.
You are invited to the Shine Dome to hear a public lecture by internationally acclaimed microbiologists Janet Jansson, Mike Manefield and Stephen Giovannoni.
About the speakers
Janet Jansson,
Ecology Department, Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkley, California, US.
Trillions of microbes inhabit the human intestine, forming a complex ecological community that influences normal physiology and susceptibility to disease through its collective metabolic activities and host interactions. Understanding the factors that underlie changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota will aid in the design of therapies that target it. This goal is formidable. The gut microbiota is immensely diverse, varies between individuals and can fluctuate over time - especially during disease and early development. Viewing the microbiota from an ecological perspective provides insight into how to promote health by targeting this microbial community in clinical treatments.
Mike Manefield,
School of Biotechnology and Bimolecular Sciences, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Every time you flush the toilet, every time you wash the dishes, every time you take a shower, think about what happens to all that dirty water. In most parts of the world the water is transported to wastewater treatment plants where swimming pools full of bacteria and other microbes make a living stripping the nutrients and pollutants out of the water so it can be returned to rivers and seas. Unbeknownst to most, bacteria are social creatures forming mini-societies and interacting through chemical languages to coordinate their activities. These interactions are crucial in wastewater treatment and if this biotechnology didn’t exist there is no way we could sustain 7 billion humans on the planet.
Stephen Giovannoni
Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Oregon, US.
The history of microbial evolution in the oceans is as old as the history of life itself. In contrast to terrestrial ecosystems, microorganisms are the main form of biomass in the oceans, and form some of the largest populations on the planet. Microbes have been engineering the ecosystems of the Earth for over 3.5 billion years. There are 100,000,000 microbes in every litre of the oceans. Microbes in the oceans are the drivers of biogeochemical systems on planet Earth, playing crucial roles in the global carbon cycle that underwrites the weather systems of our planet.
About the talk
Most people know that microbes cause disease and many are now aware that there are both good and bad bacteria. But this knowledge is still couched in the context of human health. What most people don’t know is that microorganisms are vitally important to all life on Earth. From their role in the human gastrointestinal tract to their role in wastewater treatment and the turning of the biogeochemical cycles of planet Earth, microbes are both our ancestors and our modern day life support systems.
You are invited to the Shine Dome to hear a public lecture by internationally acclaimed microbiologists Janet Jansson, Mike Manefield and Stephen Giovannoni.
About the speakers
Janet Jansson,
Ecology Department, Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkley, California, US.
Trillions of microbes inhabit the human intestine, forming a complex ecological community that influences normal physiology and susceptibility to disease through its collective metabolic activities and host interactions. Understanding the factors that underlie changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota will aid in the design of therapies that target it. This goal is formidable. The gut microbiota is immensely diverse, varies between individuals and can fluctuate over time - especially during disease and early development. Viewing the microbiota from an ecological perspective provides insight into how to promote health by targeting this microbial community in clinical treatments.
Mike Manefield,
School of Biotechnology and Bimolecular Sciences, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Every time you flush the toilet, every time you wash the dishes, every time you take a shower, think about what happens to all that dirty water. In most parts of the world the water is transported to wastewater treatment plants where swimming pools full of bacteria and other microbes make a living stripping the nutrients and pollutants out of the water so it can be returned to rivers and seas. Unbeknownst to most, bacteria are social creatures forming mini-societies and interacting through chemical languages to coordinate their activities. These interactions are crucial in wastewater treatment and if this biotechnology didn’t exist there is no way we could sustain 7 billion humans on the planet.
Stephen Giovannoni
Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Oregon, US.
The history of microbial evolution in the oceans is as old as the history of life itself. In contrast to terrestrial ecosystems, microorganisms are the main form of biomass in the oceans, and form some of the largest populations on the planet. Microbes have been engineering the ecosystems of the Earth for over 3.5 billion years. There are 100,000,000 microbes in every litre of the oceans. Microbes in the oceans are the drivers of biogeochemical systems on planet Earth, playing crucial roles in the global carbon cycle that underwrites the weather systems of our planet.
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