News Brief
August 09, 2017 
PASCO, Wash. - Almost 200 scientists representing twelve countries came together at a recent conference to share insights into the world of the very small: microbes.
From Aug. one to 3, researchers discussed microbial communities from across the globe. Some grow on teeth, others catch the sun's rays while bobbing along in the ocean and still more soak up moisture in the soil that covers the forest floor.
"This conference was unusual in the way that it brought so many different disciplines together," said conference chair Janet Jansson, a microbiologist at the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab.
The Multi-omics for Microbiomes conference focused on different approaches that let researchers paint better pictures of microbial communities. Some methods determine what molecules and nucleic acids - tools that microbes use to communicate and grow - are present. Other methods use computational tools to analyze and visualize the complicated datasets that Lab studies generate. This event was co-hosted by PNNL and EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a D.O.E. Office of Science User Facility at PNNL.
PNNL postdocs Peyton Smith and Taniya RoyChowdhury said they found the conference both useful and awe-inspiring. They acquired helpful hints for their own plans and learned about completely different research areas.
"That is the real hallmark of success," Jansson said. "When you come to a conference and then you leave with new aspects of knowledge."
Check out PNNL's Twitter Moments feed below to get a taste of the conference.
2017 Multi-omics for Microbiomes Conference
Tags: Fundamental Science, Biology, Microbiology
EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab, is a D.O.E. Office of Science User Facility. Located at Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland, Wash., EMSL offers an open, collaborative environment for scientific discovery to researchers around the world. Its integrated computational and experimental resources enable researchers to realize important scientific insights and create new technologies. Follow EMSL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,400 staff and has an yearly budget of nearly $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
