Photo credit: J. Craig Venter Institute It is with deep emotion that we share the news that Craig Venter, the pioneer of microbial genomics and diversity passed away at 79 on April 29th 2026. He was expected to give a keynote lecture at the IUMS meeting in Lisbon on November 6th. It will be impossible to replace his talk, but we will do our best to make sure we will give the appropriate credit to hi...
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Climate change is one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time. The global microbiome, composed of 1 trillion species of microbes, during the last 4 billion years of evolved enzymes and solutions for a sustainable life on this planet. Microbes live in soil, rivers, lakes, oceans, rocks and in the most extreme environments of our planet and can digest greenhouse gases and plastics or fix nitroge...
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First Abstract Submission Deadline: Midnight CET – Wednesday, 29 April 2026 Don’t miss the opportunity to contribute to the scientific program of the IUMS Congress 2026 by submitting your abstract. Researchers, clinicians, and professionals working across all areas of the microbiological sciences-including Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology, Virology, Mycology, and Eukaryotic Microbiology-are warml...
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Article published on Science.org A paper and a perspective published in the January 8th issue of Science report that microbial communities present in the bark of trees (there are over 6 trillion bacteria per square meter of bark), consume CH4, H2, and CO aerobically at rates comparable to those of soils. Since the bark of trees global surface area is of ~143 million km2, almost as large as the global l...
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Published across 6 leading scientific journals, the strategy charts a path to integrate microbial science into global climate solutions. Embargoed Until: 11:00 am ET, Tuesday, September 23, 2025 Washington, D.C. – In a bold step toward climate action, leading microbiology societies and organizations have unveiled their first joint global strategy to harness the power of microbial science in addressing t...
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Article published on the Monash University website Key points Microbes dominate biodiversity and are critical for society A new international body aims to safeguard them Monash expert says microbes must be conserved, just like plants and animals A new global body will promote the conservation of microbes, which it argues are as important to the Earth’s biodiversity as plants, animals and people. ...
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