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First Time in Africa in Over 40 Years: from borgs, to climate change and African microbiome network, a historic event happens in South Africa: The 19th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME19).

For the first time in over 40 years, the International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME) has made its way to Africa. Held in Cape Town, South Africa, from August 18 to 23, 2024, this landmark event drew more than 1,500 scientists from over 70 countries, with a record-setting 200 researchers from Africa alone.

The symposium kicked off with a remarkable plenary session revealing a groundbreaking discovery: a new ‘life organism’ that lies somewhere between a virus, a bacterium, and a bacteriophage. Prof. Jillian Banfield from University of Carlifonia Berkeley took the stage, unveiling her team’s groundbreaking discovery: a mysterious new genetic element dubbed 'DNA Borgs.' These massive sequences of DNA, discovered while sifting through mud samples from her own backyard in California, left the audience in awe. Inspired by her Trekkie son, Banfield named these unusual elements after the 'Borg' from Star Trek—cybernetic aliens that assimilate other species.

Banfield explained that these Borgs are unlike anything seen before, with features that don’t neatly fit into known categories like viruses or bacteria. Found in methane-oxidising archaea, they are large, linear strands of DNA—some nearly a million bases long—containing genes that are largely novel. These DNA Borgs have the potential to enhance the metabolic capacity of their host microbes, including methane consumption, which has significant implications for both ecology and climate research. Banfield’s talk left the audience buzzing with excitement, as she proposed that Borgs could be a new class of giant viruses or even genomic parasites, marking a remarkable leap forward in microbial ecology. It was the perfect start to a symposium full of surprises and innovation.

This year's symposium was chaired by South African scientist Prof. Thulani Makhalanyane from Stellenbosch University. In his passionate address, Prof. Makhalanyane emphasised the crucial role of African scientists in advancing microbiome research.Makhalanyane, the Chair of the local organising committee, emphasised the importance of collaborative work with African scientists, stating, "By having this symposium here, we can encourage partnerships with and on the African continent," highlighting the need for more accessible and equitable science globally". He further highlighted the potential of creating a network of African laboratories to unlock the benefits of microbiome studies, which could drive innovations such as drought-resistant plants, dietary supplements, and therapies for diseases prevalent on the continent

Another keynote presenter was Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, who presented the work of the Climate Amplified Diseases and Epidemics (CLIMADE) consortium. Among many examples of diseases that are being amplified by climate change, the emergence of a new virus, the Ouropouche virus, that leaved the Amazon forest to cause an epidemic in Brazil, Colombia and Cuba draw attention to how deforestation may have made mosquitos move to the cities and take with them a new pathogen. Prof, de Oliveira also highlighted the adventurous work on the CLIMADE consortium, which involves putting

DNA sequencing laboratories in boats and going exploring the big rivers in Brazil in the Pantanal and Amazon to characterize new pathogens before they emerge.

The 19th edition of the International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME19) was a historic first on the African continent. As the premier global conference in microbial ecology, ISME19 attracted over 1,500 scientists from more than 70 countries to discuss cutting-edge research in the field. With 1,564 abstracts submitted, the conference featured over 1,100 poster presentations and more than 320 oral presentations, making it a significant event for the scientific community.

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