The Microbial Population Biology GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.
From oceans to soils to eukaryotic hosts, microbial communities display astonishing diversity in their composition, structure, and function. To make sense of this diversity, we must uncover how ecological and evolutionary forces interact to shape microbial adaptation and diversification. To this end, the 2027 GRS on Microbial Population Biology will bring together experimentalists, environmental microbiologists, bioinformaticians, and theorists whose work sits at the intersection of microbial ecology and evolution. The seminar will feature research across topics and scales, exploring how diverse microbial interactions such as phage-bacteria dynamics and metabolic cross-feeding mediate large-scale ecosystem processes. Through presentations of ongoing research and intensive discussions, we will make strides towards a holistic understanding of the eco-evolutionary forces that matter for microbial communities.
The co-chairs will begin accepting applicants on January 15th, 2027. If you are interested in being a speaker or a discussion leader, we strongly encourage you to submit your application before that date.
If you require a Visa to visit the United States, please submit your application as early as possible and notify the co-chairs through your myGRC account. We will do our very best to expedite our review of your application and provide an official invitation letter as soon as possible.
Application Instructions
The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.
The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by March 21, 2027. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.
Program Format
Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.
