Bringing Microbial Science to the Community: BCMM at the Bay Area Science Festival

Over 500 visitors stopped at the Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine (BCMM) booth during the Bay Area Science Festival on October 25, 2025. Focused on educating the community about the healthy human microbiome and the vital roles microbes play in health and food production, the BCMM booth offered a dynamic, hands-on experience that engaged attendees of all ages.

Petri dishes showcasing diverse microbial cultures served as the centerpiece of the booth, sparking curiosity and wonder among visitors. For younger attendees, interactive activities such as “Benny the Dog” and microbe-themed coloring pages introduced the concept of microbes living on Benny’s body and their importance to health in a fun and approachable way. Meanwhile, custom-designed Pokémon-style cards featuring microbes and immune cells were a major hit, igniting excitement and curiosity in kids and adults alike. Through thoughtfully designed activities and interactive displays, BCMM delivered a compelling message about the integral role microbes play in daily life, leaving visitors inspired to learn more about the invisible world that surrounds us.

This impactful outreach effort was made possible by the robust support of BCMM volunteers, whose dedication ensured the booth’s success. BCMM extends its heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who generously shared their time and passion for science, exemplifying the collaborative spirit that defines BCMM’s mission. Thank you!

QMAC launches Superuser Training Program

QMAC (Quantitative Metabolite Analysis Center - Metabolomics CoLab Plug-in) is excited to offer a Superuser Training Program designed for advanced, recurring users aiming to gain independent access to our LC-TQMS instrument (SCIEX 7500) with maximum scheduling flexibility and minimal supervision. The three-day program, which will first take place in early December, will cover everything from sample preparation, using the instrument, to analyzing the resulting data. The December session is already full, but QMAC plans to offer another training in spring 2026. Contact Ju Eun Jeon (jueun.jeon@ucsf.edu) to get on the interest list.

New Analytical Skills for BCMM Trainees: Fall Workshop Success

This fall, the BCMM Computational Hub hosted a five-session Microbiome Data Analysis Workshop Series aimed at beginners and early-stage learners across UCSF. The series was designed to help participants develop core skills in microbiome sequencing data analysis through a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, and real-world case studies. Using an amplicon sequencing dataset as a running example, the workshop guided participants through the complete workflow—from study design to bioinformatics processing, statistical analysis, visualization, and biological interpretation.

A total of 33 participants actively engaged in the workshop, representing diverse backgrounds, including staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students/residents, and faculty. Because microbiome data analysis rarely has a single “best” solution - and instead involves multiple reasonable approaches depending on the study context - the workshop emphasized collaborative learning. Each session included dedicated Q&A time to encourage discussion, with many participants staying afterward for additional troubleshooting and analytical support. Participants particularly valued the hands-on coding demonstrations and noted that having a clear analytic question in each session made the material easier to understand and apply.

If you have ideas for future workshops or topics you’d like to see covered, please contact us at microbiomecenter@ucsf.edu.

Save the Date

BCMM Annual Symposium 

Engineering Microbiomes 

February 3rd, 2026

10:45 am-5:15 pm 

Parnassus Campus (Health Science West Building, HSW-301) or via Zoom

Register to attend

The BCMM team is excited to announce a variety of upcoming events. Join us for engaging seminars, social hours, and our annual symposium to connect with peers and discover the latest in microbiome research. Don’t miss our monthly Microbiome Ignite Talks at noon on November 21 (Mission Bay Campus, BH-215) and January 16 (Parnassus Campus, location TBA), where graduate students and postdocs share their cutting-edge work. Join us for a festive Holiday Reception on December 15 at 3:30 pm (Parnassus Campus, Clinical Sciences Building, CS-0101). Mark your calendars for the BCMM Research Retreat on June 25-26, 2026, at the Chaminade Resort & Spa, Santa Cruz, CA.

View here the complete list of upcoming events.