The microbial world

Can altering the gut microbiome composition serve as a novel intervention strategy to reverse the immune ageing clock and improve health in old age?

In nature, microbes do not live as pure cultures of floating single cells in flasks or sprawled in Petri dishes as often observed in the laboratory. Instead, microbes form “microbial megalopolis” known as a biofilm. A biofilm is a “microbial fortress” whereby a sticky glue matrix forms “concrete walls” built by the microbes to protect themselves from attack by predators and harsh environments. Because they are resistant to chemical treatments using disinfectants and antibiotics, biofilms pose a threat to human health and they can also prove costly in manufacturing environments.

Fungi are an enormous kingdom of microbes. Some are invisible to the naked eye, while others are larger than whales and live underground. In this talk I will tell you all about the amazing world of fungi, from how we use these bugs to make drugs, clothes and buildings, to how they can threaten our health and cause extinctions of plants and animals.