Join SURF for “Deep Talks: The Buzz in Bees” public event on Nov. 17

*Due to an anticipated winter storm in the Northern Hills, this Deep Talks event has been rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. We hope you'll still be able to join us!

LEAD, SD— Bacteria rule the world. That’s a lesson Kayla Miller, an assistant professor of biology at Dakota Wesleyan University, learned early in her studies. “Every organism in the world has a microbiome,” Miller said. “We don’t see them, we don’t think about them, but they are calling the shots.”

Miller studies the relationship between microbiomes and their hosts, which can be humans, plants, or animals. Her research focuses primarily on the gut microbiome of nature’s most charismatic pollinator, the honeybee, and how those microbes communicate with each other. 

At Sanford Underground Research Facility’s (SURF) upcoming Deep Talks event, Miller will discuss how something as tiny as a honeybee gut microbiome could impact South Dakota’s entire ecosystem. Join us for “Deep Talks: The Buzz in Bees,” on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center in Lead, South Dakota. 

“Kayla’s research sits at the intersection of global scientific inquiry and our local ecosystem,” said Erin Woodward, coordinator of SURF’s Deep Talks event series. “We invite you to join us and learn about the microbes that are at work all around—and inside—us!”

Attendees will have the opportunity to view bacteria from a honeybee under a microscope.

Deep Talks begins at 5 p.m. MT with a social hour that includes a Crow Peak Brewing Company beer tasting (must be 21 and older to drink) and light refreshments. The presentation will begin in the Visitor Center classroom at 6 p.m. MT. The presentation will be livestreamed on Vimeo, YouTube, and Facebook starting at 6 p.m. MT. 

Full event and livestream information is available on our website: https://sanfordlab.org/event/deep-talks-buzz-bees.

The Deep Talks lecture series is sponsored by Crow Peak Brewing Company, RCS Construction, Northern Hills Federal Credit Union, Edward Jones, and Chuck and Jolene Lichtenwalner. 

Sanford Underground Research Facility is operated by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) with funding from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Our mission is to advance world class science and inspire learning across generations. Visit SURF at www.sanfordlab.org.