The Midwest Microbiome Symposium grew out of the Purdue Applied Microbiome Sciences Group’s long-standing commitment to interdisciplinary microbiome research and community building.
The first PAMS Microbiome Symposium was held in May 2019 at Purdue University’s Beck Center, bringing together 230 participants from Purdue and 18 other institutions, along with industry, government, and nonprofit partners. The two day event featured six keynote speakers, contributed talks, and a poster session with roughly 50 presenters, establishing a strong foundation for a regional microbiome research community.
After a two year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the symposium resumed in spring 2022 at Purdue, reaffirming strong interest and momentum across disciplines and ecosystems.
In 2023, the meeting formally expanded beyond a single host institution and was relaunched as the Midwest Microbiome Symposium. The inaugural MMS was hosted by The Ohio State University, marking the transition to a rotating, regional model. That same year, representatives from Purdue University, The Ohio State University, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ratified the constitution of the Midwest Multidisciplinary Microbiome Symposia Board.
In 2024, the symposium returned to Purdue under the MMS banner, welcoming more than 220 attendees and featuring over 80 student posters. The event highlighted research across human, animal, agricultural, and environmental microbiomes and reinforced the value of a regional, multidisciplinary forum.
Today, the Midwest Microbiome Symposium continues as an annual, rotating conference dedicated to advancing microbiome science, fostering collaboration, and supporting professional development across institutions and ecosystems throughout the Midwest.
Previous Symposia
Midwest Microbiome Symposium 2025 at The Ohio State University
Midwest Microbiome Symposium 2024 at Purdue University
Midwest Microbiom Symposium 2023 at The Ohio State University