About the Symposium

The symposium will bring together researchers, students and partners from across Africa and beyond to explore the role of microbiomes in health, agriculture and the environment. The theme is designed to highlight the importance of engagement, networking, and collaborative efforts that connect microbiome research with industry, policy-makers, and the public, while also showcasing microbiome research that allows integrates data across sectors and methodologies. 

What to expect

• Cutting-edge microbiome research across disciplines
• Panel and/or Fireside Discussions on current issues in microbiome science and its impact across Africa
• Transdisciplinary perspectives
• Pre-symposium hands-on microbiome workshop
• Networking cocktail event open to all participants

Who should attend?

• Researchers and academics
• Postgraduate students
• Clinicians and public health professionals
• Industry partners and policymakers
• Microbiome enthusiasts

Previous Symposia

3rd African Microbiome Symposium (2024)

The 3rd African Microbiome Symposium (Biomedical Research Institute, Cape Town) brought together participants from seven South African institutions, five international institutions and two research centres. The programme focused on moving toward translational microbiome research, and featured leading experts across human, environmental and plant microbiome research, alongside discussions on ethics, data representation and the future of microbiome science in Africa. A pre-symposium workshop focused on cloud-based metagenomics analysis. The various informative and thought-provoking presentations inspired critical panel discussions, the outcomes of which were published in mSphere.

🔗 From description to implementation: key takeaways from the 3rd African Microbiome Symposium

2nd African Microbiome Symposium (2022)

Held at Stellenbosch University, the 2nd African Microbiome Symposium brought together international and local researchers to advance collaboration in microbiome science across Africa. The meeting included a hands-on microbiome analysis workshop and fostered transdisciplinary research across human, agricultural and environmental systems. Importantly, the symposium contributed to the establishment of the African Microbiome Network, strengthening regional collaboration and capacity development.

📩 Join the network and stay up to date

1st African Microbiome Symposium (2019)

The inaugural symposium, hosted at The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) brought together leading international experts and laid the foundation for a biennial African microbiome research platform. The event included a scientific meeting and a dedicated bioinformatics workshop focused on introductory microbiota sequencing data analysis. 

🔗 Interactions between the environmental and human microbiota in the preservation of health and genesis of disease: symposium report