News

Unlocking the Microbiome report published

The Society launched its latest policy report, ‘Unlocking the Microbiome’, at the Royal Society in November 2017. Over 60 experts in research, funding and policy-making attended the launch event to discuss progressing the rapidly developing field of microbiome science. The report makes recommendations for how the scientific community can address the opportunities and challenges for microbiome research through collaboration between different sectors and disciplines. The Society is also publishing three in-depth briefings exploring developments in microbiome science relevant to human health, agriculture and food, and the environment and biotechnology. The report was informed by Society members and other experts, including the Expert Working Group, chaired by Professor Julian Marchesi. The report, briefings and summary of the launch event are available on our website. Contact [email protected] with any enquiries.

New Honorary Member: Dr John Schollar

The Microbiology Society is delighted to welcome Dr John Schollar as an Honorary Member. Dr Schollar has been working with the Society since 2001, and has taught basic microbiology techniques to teachers, helped to develop many of our educational resources, and trained teachers over the summer for our Antibiotics Unearthed project.

Microbial Genomics trial in ScienceOpen

The Society is currently running a trial Launchpad for our youngest journal, Microbial Genomics, on the research and publishing network, ScienceOpen. ScienceOpen offers next-generation indexing and marketing services, aggregating published content from across open access sources to build context and promote collections, with the aim of bringing the journal’s content to a wider audience. If the trial is a success, we will be extending this service to other journals in the Society’s portfolio.

ECM Forum Summer Conference

The Early Career Microbiologists’ (ECM) Forum Conference planning group are delighted to announce the inaugural ECM Forum Summer Conference. Bringing postdocs together to share their research with undergraduate members, this will be a fantastic opportunity to bring members of the ECM Forum together and learn from each other. To find out more, see the website.

Hilary Margaret Lappin-Scott OBE

Congratulations to past president of the Microbiology Society, Professor Hilary Margaret Lappin-Scott, on her OBE for services to Microbiology and the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering.

Vacancies on Council, Committees and Divisions

Serving on a Committee or a Division enables you to make a real contribution and impact to the microbiological community, and public benefit. From January 2018, we have vacancies on Council, most of our Committees, and on all of our Divisions. We are seeking engaged, innovative and dedicated members with the relevant skills and expertise to join these bodies, and really contribute to the work we do while nurturing their own professional development.

If you perhaps feel you do not yet have the necessary skills or experience to put yourself forward for a Committee or Council position, then consider getting involved with the Society’s Early Career Microbiologists’ Forum.

We also offer a shadowing scheme for eligible members to gain insight into our Council’s activities.

Further details will be available on the website in April 2018. 

Grant deadlines

Date	Grant
1 March 2018	Travel Grants – to support members presenting their work at conferences between 1 April and 30 June 2018.
1 April 2018	Research Visit Grants – to support members visiting collaborators from 1 June.
	Education and Outreach Grants – to support members’ teaching public engagement activities from 1 June.
	International Development Fund – to support members working to develop microbiology in low-income countries from 1 June.
18 April 2018	Microbiology in Society Award – to recognise members conducting high impact public engagement activities from 1 June.

Applications for Society Conference Grants to support members presenting at Focused Meetings are also open – check the website for details.

Council Member Professor Steve Oliver wins Yeast Genetics Meeting Lifetime Achievement Award

The Microbiology Society would like to congratulate Council Member Professor Steve Oliver for winning the Genetics Society of America’s 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award, for his contributions to the field of yeast genetics and outstanding community service. Professor Oliver, who won the Microbiology Society’s Marjory Stephenson Prize in 2016, will be presenting a lecture at the Yeast Genetics Meeting in August 2018.

Society events for 2018

Throughout 2018, we are once again hosting an excellent array of Focused Meetings, with topics ranging from emerging zoonoses to testate amoeba research. It’s also not long until the Annual Conference, which is taking place in Birmingham this year. Find out more about all of our upcoming meetings in our articles about Annual Conference and Focused Meetings.

Would you like to organise your own Focused Meeting? The next deadline for proposals for 2019 events is 12 June 2018.

Alternatively, apply for a Society-Supported Conference Grant to help support invited speakers’ costs for your microbiology-related event. The application deadline for the next round is 11 June 2018. Visit our website for more information.

Cork Conference Ambassador Awards honours ISSY33

The Cork Convention Bureau’s annual Cork Conference Ambassador Awards, which took place in December last year, paid special tribute to 33 ambassadors for placing a spotlight on the city over 2017. The Society would like to congratulate Council Member Dr John Morrissey, also formerly the Eukaryotic Division Chair, who accepted an award on behalf of the organising committee for the International Specialised Symposium on Yeasts (ISSY33). The meeting, which took place in June 2017 at University College Cork, was a great success and attracted over 250 delegates from around the world.

Contributions and feedback

The Society welcomes contributions and feedback from members. Please contact [email protected] with your ideas.

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Images: The Microbiology Society's microbiome report cover. Microbiology Society. Anita McBride and John Morrissey at Cork Conference Ambassador Awards ceremony. Joleen Cronin.