Listen to a conversational deep dive into the PreMiEr SEI Workshop Report, exploring the shift from sterilization to precision microbiome engineering and the ethical, scientific, and governance questions that come with it. Generated using Google Gemini and based on the workshop report, the episode highlights key insights and takeaways for researchers and collaborators.

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This episode of the GES Publications podcast provides an AI-generated overview of the article below, highlighting key findings and insights into the societal dimensions of biotechnology. Episodes are created using Google Gemini’s NotebookLM to summarize faculty and student publications from NC State University’s Genetic Engineering and Society Center.

Das, Z., Landreville, K.D., and Kuzma, J. (2025) PreMiEr SEI Workshop Report: Social and Ethical Dimensions of Microbiome Engineering in the Built Environment. Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State University. Online at https://go.ncsu.edu/premier-sei-workshop-report-2025

Zoya Das, Kristen D. Landreville, and Jennifer Kuzma

The 2025 PreMiEr SEI Workshop brought together nearly 50 researchers, students, and practitioners to explore the social and ethical dimensions of microbiome engineering in the built environment. Over a half-day virtual program, participants heard invited talks on ethical futures of microbiome science, responsible governance, public attitudes and risk perceptions, virtue ethics for researchers, “ghost variables” in media and policy, community engagement in built environments, and household experiences with mold and environmental exposure. Breakout groups then worked with structured prompts to identify priority SEI questions, opportunities for collaboration, and concrete needs from the SEI Core.

Across talks and discussions, participants emphasized that rigorous, responsible microbiome engineering requires attention to justice as a bioethical principle, community engagement, methodological rigor, and the socioeconomic conditions that shape both microbiomes and health. They called for governance frameworks grounded in Responsible Research and Innovation, and for engagement approaches that connect technical microbiome work to lived experiences of exposure, housing, water, and inequality. This report documents the workshop agenda, summarizes each session, synthesizes breakout themes, and outlines recommendations for the PreMiEr SEI Core.

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Produced by Patti Mulligan, Communications Director, GES Center, NC State

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