Last Wednesday, people representing over 50 units on campus gathered in the Ebling Auditorium in Microbial Sciences for a symposium focused on the microbiome, a research area that was identified as an important focus in the CALS strategic planning work.

Exploring Microbiome Opportunities in Life Sciences in Agriculture was funding from private gifts and brought experts from NSF, DOE, NIH, the University of Aberdeen and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as well as speakers from here on campus, to discuss opportunities in microbiome research.

Several UW-Madison researchers are exploring the microbiome in a variety of ways and the CALS-appointed Microbiome Work Group is looking at ways in which collaborations can be encouraged.

A survey that was used to track registrations for the symposium also captured key words and research techniques being used by respondents. This information will be used to develop a database that will facilitate new research collaborations.

After observing conversations at breaks during the symposium, it is clear there is a lot of interest in the topic.