Talk: The invisible majority - how microbes rule the Earth
This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2026.
Everywhere on Earth has its own population of microbes, but their miniscule scale means that we usually can’t see them. Despite this, microbes play a vital role in supplying our food, keeping us healthy and shaping the environment and climate.
Professor Mark Webber, microbiologist at the Quadram Institute, works at the forefront of understanding the microscopic and diverse world of bacterial biology. In this talk he will reveal the complex relationships between microbes and the world around us, how they impact some of humanities biggest problems from climate change to healthy crops and antimicrobial resistance to human health, and show that although tiny, microbes have a huge and unseen influence over our lives.
Attending the event
This event will be held in Theatre 2 at the Royal Society on Wednesday 1 July 2026, 11am – 11.30am.
- Free to attend as part of Summer Science Exhibition on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to seat availability. We recommend that visitors arrive 10-15 minutes before the session
- Eventbrite tickets for Summer Science Exhibition are recommended, with only a limited number of walk-up tickets released on the day
- Suitable for students aged 14+
- This talk will take place in person
- A recording of this talk will be available later on the Royal Society YouTube channel
- Live subtitles will be available
- Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
- Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café
For all enquiries, please email us.