Exploring the Microbial Universe

Microbes are the invisible majority in the world we live in. Thanks to the DNA sequencing revolution of the last few decades, we can now unlock the secrets that these life forms hold. In this talk, Beth will explore the boundless diversity that the microbial universe harbours, before delving into solutions such diversity can provide us with as we struggle with waste, ecological and climate crises in the coming century. Microbes may hold the answer to a truly sustainable, circular, future economy if we only pay them more attention!

Beth Davenport is from Leicestershire in the UK. She finished her undergrad in Natural Sciences in Durham in the North before completing a Master's degree at Imperial College in London in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology. During her undergrad, she did a year abroad at UBC where she fell in love with this part of the world; specifically: people's attitudes to the natural world and the incredible beauty of British Columbia. She has always been very passionate about the environment, engaging in science communication throughout her life, as well as activism. She is now in the first year of her PhD at UBC where her research has married both her love of nature and of biology, specifically, genetics and microbes! Her lab goes around BC, sampling new life forms from lakes, oceans, soils, farms and mines to understand the diversity of microbes on our planet. When she is not working with her cells, she is usually to be found in the forest or up a mountain.