This webinar and coffee hour is part of the Microbes and Social Equity 2026 Speaker Series.
Mechanisms of environmental microbiome resilience
What does it really mean for a microbiome to be “resilient”, and who or what benefits when it is?
Environmental microbiomes are often described as resilient, but resilience is not a single property, nor is it always beneficial. In this talk, Dr. Ashley Shade will explore the ecological mechanisms that shape how microbial communities respond to environmental disturbance, including stressors such as heat and drought. Drawing on long-term field studies and experimental work in soils and plant-associated systems, she will examine how factors like community assembly, functional redundancy, and environmental history influence whether microbiomes resist change, recover, or reorganize. The talk will highlight trade-offs inherent in resilience, questioning when stability supports ecosystem function and when it may limit adaptive responses under rapid environmental change. By unpacking resilience as a dynamic and context-dependent process, this session invites reflection on how microbial resilience is defined, measured, and managed in a changing world.
After the talk, we continue the conversation with an informal social hour. Join us as we chat with the speaker, MSE members, and attendees about research, teaching, our pets, and more!
Programme (Timings are EST)
11:00 Welcome and introduction - Professor Sue Ishaq, Founder and Lead, MSE
11:05 Guest speaker - Dr Ashley Shade PhD
11:45 Audience question and answer session
12:00 Informal coffee and chat
13:00 Close
Dr Ashley Shade PhD
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Free
External
Free
External
