Blog listing

To mark the month, we spoke to Chien-Yi Chang, a lecturer in the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University, about his journey from studying Plant Pathology in Taiwan to researching how bacteria sense and respond to stress, the mentors and colleagues who have shaped his career, and what representation means to him.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples takes place every year on 9 August, raising awareness of the needs of Indigenous population groups, who live in every region of the world and represent the greater part of humanity's cultural diversity. To mark the day this year, Skylar Ann Gay, member of our Members Panel and Member's Panel representative on the Building Communities Committee, reflects on her Indigenous roots and the influences of Indigenous practices woven into microbiology.

South Asian Heritage Month takes place every July, to deepen understanding of South Asian heritage, promote intercultural dialogue and support a more equitable and inclusive society. To mark the awareness month this year, Society Champion, Dr Deepali Luthra (Stanford University, USA) reflects on her career in microbiology, this year's theme of ‘Unity in Diversity’ and what it means to build a career across countries, cultures and scientific disciplines.

World Refugee Day takes place annually on 20 June to honour the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. This year, Members Panel member, Sara Albagir Abdalla Mohammed (University of Khartoum, Sudan) discusses her experience of being displaced due to conflict, to highlight some of the challenges students and academics face.

Following a successful Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) session at Annual Conference 2026, organisers Arindam Mitra, Bruno Silvester Lopes, Catherine Lawler and Guerrino Macori reflect on learnings from the session’s workshop.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day highlights the importance of creating more accessible and inclusive digital and professional spaces for Disabled people, and those living with impairments. As part of this year’s awareness day, we spoke to Eukaryotic Division and Early Career Forum Executive Committee member, Abbie Storan, about their experiences navigating higher education, and a career in microbiology, as a researcher living with autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), dyspraxia and dyscalculia. From accessing support during their studies to building confidence within research spaces, Abbie reflects on the challenges, adjustments and opportunities that have shaped their journey in science.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia is an annual event that takes place on 17 May to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community and celebrates its diversity. To mark the occasion this year, we hear from member, Bracken Johnston, about his experience of attending the 5th LGBTQ+ Networking Event with Trans and Nonbinary pre-meet, as part of Annual Conference 2026.

As we approach Annual Conference 2026, where members of our community come together from all over the world, Prokaryotic Division member, Prerna Vohra (University of Edinburgh, UK), reflects on the importance of names.