Free
External
This webinar and coffee hour is part of the Microbes and Social Equity 2026 Speaker Series.
The Nuts and Bolts of Microbiome Stewardship: What Are We Trying to Protect?
If we want to protect microbiomes, we first need to ask what we are actually trying to protect.
Dr Beiko will take a step back to examine a fundamental question at the heart of microbiome stewardship: what exactly are we trying to protect, and why? Drawing on his work in microbial ecology, evolution, and bioinformatics, he will explore how we define microbial communities, how we measure change, and what counts as meaningful loss or disruption.
His talk will consider the challenges of translating complex, dynamic microbial systems into targets for conservation or intervention. By unpacking the assumptions behind stewardship, he invites a more critical and practical conversation about what it means to protect microbial diversity in real-world contexts.
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 ET)
11:00 Welcome and introduction - Professor Sue Ishaq, Founder and Lead, MSE
11:05 Guest speaker - Dr Robert Beiko PhD
11:45 Audience question and answer session
12:00 Informal coffee and chat
13:00 Close
