Latest Society News

Call for Nominations – ISME International Board Members
Call for Nominations – ISME International Board Members

ISME seeks nominations for three International Board vacancies. We encourage applications from scientists with strong academic records who are willing to contribute their time and expertise in support of the Society and the broader microbial ecology community.

GSC26 meets in Rotorua ahead of ISME20
GSC26 meets in Rotorua ahead of ISME20

In the week leading up to ISME20, the 26th instalment of the international meeting of the Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC26) will take place in Rotorua, New Zealand, from 12–14 August 2026.

Call for Applications – ISME Scholar Mobility Fund
Call for Applications – ISME Scholar Mobility Fund

ISME supports MSc/PhD graduate students and postdocs to develop academically via the Scholar Mobility Fund. Please submit your application by 26 April to study at a host institution abroad.

ISME20 registration is open
ISME20 registration is open

Make sure to register by 1 May to benefit from early bird rates and secure your place in the programme if your abstract has been accepted.

Call for Nomination – IWA/ISME BioCluster Awards
Call for Nomination – IWA/ISME BioCluster Awards

The IWA/ISME BioCluster awards honour scientists whose internationally recognised research links microbiology and engineering in water and wastewater treatment. Submit your nomination by 8 May 2026.

Career choice interview – Alicia Foxx
Career choice interview – Alicia Foxx

Alicia Foxx, Conservation Scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, shares her career journey, insights on applied ecology and mentoring, and advice for early-career researchers in microbial ecology.

New Ambassador Program Director – Kelly Wrighton
New Ambassador Program Director – Kelly Wrighton

The International Society for Microbial Ecology is pleased to announce that Dr. Kelly Wrighton from Colorado State University in the United States has been appointed as the new Ambassador Program Director.

ECS Activities Across ISME Regional Meetings
ECS Activities Across ISME Regional Meetings

The ISME Early Career Scientist Committee (ECSC) delivered a range of activities at ISME Regional Meetings to support, connect, and empower early career researchers in microbial ecology worldwide.

ISME Publications news

Structured interactions reduce keystone effects
Structured interactions reduce keystone effects

Not all species are created equal – the structure of their interactions determines their impact on the ecosystem. New research reveals microbial communities stay stable even when species are removed.

Close to home: measuring microbial dispersal
Close to home: measuring microbial dispersal

Microbial movement into soils occurs at a surprisingly local scale. By measuring dispersal rates and spatial patterns, this study challenges the assumption that microbes freely mix across environments.

Hidden drivers of wastewater treatment microbiomes
Hidden drivers of wastewater treatment microbiomes

Wastewater treatment and resource recovery are key for human and environmental health and green transition. Here, Riisgaard-Jensen et al. uncover how the underexplored sewer microbiome shapes the activated sludge communities of the systems.

Cable bacteria transfer electrons through contact
Cable bacteria transfer electrons through contact

Cable bacteria in freshwater sediments connect through brief end-to-end contact to relay electrons, unveiling a novel cooperative strategy among microbes.

Two-step localization in bacterial predation
Two-step localization in bacterial predation

Peptidoglycan hydrolase drives a two-step localization in interbacterial predation, representing a previously unrecognized predation mechanism.

Bacterial ‘memory’ lives outside the cell
Bacterial ‘memory’ lives outside the cell

Microbes can store “memories” by collectively altering their environment. These externalized “memories” impact how microbial communities assemble.

Acetogens are widespread and versatile in ruminants
Acetogens are widespread and versatile in ruminants

Acetogens colonizing the rumen have the potential to reduce methane emissions by incorporating electrons to generate acetate, offering a sustainable strategy to improve livestock energy efficiency and help combat climate change.

Reshaping microbial behavior without antibiotics
Reshaping microbial behavior without antibiotics

This study shows that a novel therapy for cystic fibrosis that is not an antibiotic alters the lung microbiome structure and function due to its effects on shifting microbial niche spaces.