Microbes (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists) are ubiquitous on earth and affect every part of our lives. Yet they are mostly invisible, and the vast majority of microbes are still unknown to us. On Saturday, April 13th, eight prominent microbial scientists hailing from a wide variety of disciplines will share their investigations into these enigmatic microbes during the Sixteenth Annual Microbial Sciences Symposium . This all-day event, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by the Harvard MSI and will be held in the Geological Lecture Hall on the Cambridge campus.
The MSI at Harvard is an interdisciplinary program (spanning the fields of molecular biology, engineering, physics, evolutionary biology, genetics, environmental microbiology and microbial ecology) focused on understanding the microbial world. Co-directed by Michael Gilmore (HMS) and Peter Girguis (OEB), the MSI links researchers in FAS, SEAS, HMS, HSDM, and HSPH. The Microbial Sciences Symposium is a major annual event for MSI, and its aim is to stimulate discussion among members of the scientific community and help strengthen integrative science programs.
Symposium topics reflect the enormous value MSI places on interdisciplinary research:
The MSI Symposium begins on April 13th at 8:15 am with a light breakfast followed by the lecture series. The audience is free to explore the Harvard Square area for lunch from 12:10 until 2:00 pm. At 5:20 pm the MSI is hosting a catered reception for symposium speakers and participants.
