No individual travels through this world alone; microscopic organisms that affect our health, growth and survival cover us all. Although traditional microbiology has focused on bacteria or fungi that cause diseases, there is an increasing appreciation for the “friendly” microbes that live on or within other organisms and comprise what has come to be called the “microbiome.” In forests, these “friendly” microbes help plants acquire nutrients and resist disease, and may be important for the survival of many animal species.
At the next Science Café Cleveland event, David Burke, scientist and research chair of the Holden Arboretum, and Kathy Krynak, assistant professor of biology at Ohio Northern University, will present “Getting by with a little help from our friends: The hidden forest microbiome and its important role in species conservation.”
The discussion will explore what we know—and what we don’t know—about the forest microbiome, and how cutting-edge-techniques are opening up a whole new frontier in ecology. If the first rule of intelligent conservation is to save all the parts, we need a better understanding of the forest microbiome if we are to successfully save forest species in a changing world.
The event will be held Monday, June 12, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Music Box Supper Club (1148 Main Ave., Cleveland).
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Limited menu options will be available for purchase.
Science Café Cleveland is sponsored by the CWRU chapter of Sigma Xi, WCPN ideastream and the Music Box Supper Club.
For more information, visit case.edu/affil/sigmaxi/ScienceCafeCleveland.html.