Abstract Description

Biotechnology has traditionally centered on single species engineered for single tasks, yet natural ecosystems show that the most powerful solutions arise from cooperation. In this opening plenary, Dr Rachel Sipler explores how shifting from lone organisms to multi-species microbial communities can expand what biotechnology is capable of achieving. She highlights how collaborative metabolisms offer new ways to confront major global challenges including climate change, water quality degradation, and resource recovery by mirroring the resilience and division of labor found in nature. Central to her talk is recent work on microbialites, complex lithifying communities that integrate photosynthesis, chemoautotrophy, and biomineralization to capture carbon continuously over day–night cycles. These communities are capable of precipitating substantial amounts of carbon as stable mineral deposits, demonstrating how diversity and functional complementarity drive highly efficient ecosystem-level processes. By viewing microorganisms not as isolated tools but as dynamic consortia, Dr Sipler and her colleagues show how biological diversity can serve as a powerful engine for innovation. Her talk invites audiences to imagine future biotechnologies shaped not by single species, but by the strength of many working together.