NC-Microbiome 2026 Full Program

Full Program – NC Microbiome Consortium Meeting 2026

8:00AM – 8:50AM –Trainee Networking with Keynote

8:30AM – 8:50AM – Registration, coffee, and breakfast for attendees

8:50AM – 9:00AM – Welcome (Neil Surana and Jason Arnold)

9:00AM – 10:29AM Session 1: “Microbiome Methodological Advances”

9:00AM – 9:25AM – “Deciphering the language of human gut bacteria in host healthy aging.”, Shuo Han, Assistant Professor, Duke University

9:25AM – 9:32AM – Flash Talk – “A Deep Learning Framework for Studying Single-Cell Bacterial Dynamics“, Bukola Akindipe, NCA&T

9:32AM – 9:57AM – “Title TBA”, Indriati Hood-Pischany, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

9:57AM – 10:04AM – Flash Talk – “Leveraging PacBio Revio Platform to Characterize both Microbiome and Mycobiome in a Single Run with Species-Level Resolution“, Eva Kim, Duke University

10:04AM – 10:29AM – “Advancing metaproteomic approaches to investigate microbiome function”, Manuel Kleiner, Associate Professor, North Carolina State University

10:30AM – 10:45AM – Break

10:45AM – 12:15PM – Talk Session 2: “Microbial Ecology and Systems Biology”

10:45AM – 11:10AM – “Title TBA”, Ophelia Venturelli, Associate Professor, Duke University

11:10AM – 11:17AM – Flash Talk – “Diet-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides and their impact on a SImplified HUman MIcrobiota Model“, Paiton Motley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

11:17AM – 11:42AM – “From Randomness to Selection: What Honey Bees Reveal About Microbiome Assembly”, Kasie Raymann, Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University

11:42AM – 11:49AM – Flash Talk – “Intersection of genotype and environment on the dynamics of the virome and microbiome of an estuarine cnidaran“, Sydney Birch, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

11:50AM – 12:15PM – “A Shared Microbial Heritage: Co-Diversifying Gut Symbionts Across Mammalian Hosts”, Daniel Sprockett, Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University

12:15PM – 2:00PM – Lunch, Poster Session, Sponsor Networking

2:00PM – 3:15PM – Talk Session 3: “Translational Microbiome Science”

2:00PM – 2:25PM – “Title TBA”, Sam Lai, Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2:25PM – 2:32PM – “Partnering for Innovation in Microbiome Research: Strategic Opportunities with the MISM Center“, Keith Reeves, Multiscale Immune System Modeling Center (NIAID)

2:32PM – 2:39PM – Flash Talk – “Structural insights into substrate processing by diverse gut microbial bile salt hydrolases“, McKenzie Gehris, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2:39PM – 3:04PM – “Blood bacterial DNA signatures link ‘microbial translocation’ to outcomes in critical illness”, Mara Serbanescu, Assistant Professor, Duke University

3:04PM – 3:11PM – Flash Talk – “Utilization of phages for targeted depletion of Akkermansia from the gut microbiota“, Elizabeth Hughes, Duke University

3:15PM – 3:30PM – Break

3:30PM – 3:45PM – Award Announcements and Closing Remarks

3:45PM – 4:45PM – Keynote Talk

“The Microbiome Field Through an Editor’s Lens”
Lakshmi Goyal – Founding Editor in Chief, Cell Host and Microbe

4:45PM – 5:00PM – Cleanup and Exit