Welcome !

Dear Geomicrobiologists, Geochemists, Sedimentologists, Friends of Microbialites and Microbial Mats:

The M-fed Organizing Committee is delighted to invite you to the field trip, workshop and conference on microbialites – past, present and future. The meeting is specifically aimed at early-career scientists and offers an opportunity to network with colleagues of diverse backgrounds. Extensive funding for students will be available.

The scope of this meeting is to discuss emerging aspects of microbialite research, from molecules to fabrics, and includes early to late diagenesis and the fossil record. In an open forum, with a major contribution expected in the discussion from students and post-docs, we will review novel and incipient aspects of microbialites formation, evolution and diagenesis in small groups. Discussion topics include:
1) Experimental approaches and outlook: linking the field to the lab and the lab to the field
2) Biomineralization vs. organomineralization and the role of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in shaping the microbialite systems/fabrics;
3) Microbialite fabrics from formation to diagenesis and preservation (or lack thereof) in the fossil record;
4) Into deep time: looking for microbialite biosignatures in the fossil record.

Each breakout sessions will have discussion leaders and rapporteurs, who will present respective findings in a plenary discussion session on the final day of the workshop. In the format of this meeting, all participants are expected to contribute. Our goal is to produce a vision document based on consensus of all participants in a general discussion session at the end.

Plenary keynote talks, contributed talks and posters sessions will lead into small breakout group meetings focusing on specific topics.

A two-day optional field trip will be held before the workshop. We will visit fossil and modern microbialites of the Limagnes. Participation in the fieldtrip is limited to 25 people and is on a first-come-first-served basis, with a number of spots reserved for students and post-docs.

Please continue to visit the website for updates, and looking forward to seeing you in Dijon!

Emmanuelle, Pieter, Anthony, Irina, Christophe, Frédéric, & Adeline

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