PreMiEr
Societal and Ethical Implications (SEI) of Precision Microbiome Engineering (PreMiEr) in Built Environments.
A National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center – Learn more at premier-microbiome.org↗
Microbiome engineering could change how we manage the spaces where we live, work, and receive care. The Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center contributes research on public perspectives, ethics, and governance to help guide these technologies as they develop.
Connecting microbiome engineering with society
GES researchers study how people understand and respond to proposed changes to indoor microbial communities. Their work examines public perspectives, potential benefits and concerns, and the policies that could guide responsible use in homes, healthcare settings, and other shared spaces.
UPCOMING REGULATORY WORKSHOP | ZOOM
Governing the Microbiome of the Built Environment
Anticipating Regulatory Pathways for Emerging Technologies
November 16–17, 2026 | Virtual via Zoom
Limited participation. Invitation requests welcome.
About PreMiEr
The NSF Engineering Research Center for Precision Microbiome Engineering↗ (PreMiEr) studies the microbial communities found in buildings and develops ways to monitor and influence them. Its research explores how microbiome technologies could support healthier indoor environments.
Led by Duke University, PreMiEr brings together researchers at NC State University, North Carolina A&T State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UNC Charlotte, along with industry and other partners. At NC State, the GES Center leads research on the societal and ethical implications (SEI) of these emerging technologies.
Bringing societal questions into the research process
PreMiEr’s Societal and Ethical Implications (SEI) Core combines public opinion research, interviews, engagement, and governance scholarship to inform how microbiome technologies are developed and evaluated. The work brings questions about public concerns, responsibility, and oversight into the research process.
01 / PUBLIC PERSPECTIVES
02 / EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENTS
03 / RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT
04 / GOVERNANCE
2026 Regulatory Workshop
Governing the Microbiome of the Built Environment
Anticipating Regulatory Pathways for Emerging Technologies
November 16–17, 2026 · Virtual via Zoom
Monday, November 16: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. ET
Tuesday, November 17: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET
NSF PreMiEr workshop organized by the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at NC State University.
Emerging microbiome technologies could help manage pathogens, harmful biofilms, and fungal contamination in buildings. As researchers move toward practical applications, they face questions about how such technologies should be evaluated, monitored, and governed.
This working meeting will bring together expertise from government, academia, industry, standards organizations, and public-interest communities. Participants will use case studies to examine how existing oversight systems might apply, where evidence is needed, and how to prepare for technologies still taking shape.
What the workshop will examine
- How existing U.S. biotechnology oversight and other relevant authorities could apply to emerging microbiome technologies.
- What evidence may be needed to evaluate safety, efficacy, exposure, persistence, and monitoring.
- Where regulatory responsibilities, standards, or governance approaches may need further development.
- Practical recommendations for research, coordination, and responsible development.
Three Case Studies
These scenarios give participants concrete questions to examine. They are discussion tools, not predictions of future products.
1. Clinical Ecology and Pathogen Mitigation
Microbiome-based approaches for managing pathogens and harmful microbial communities in healthcare environments, including questions about validation, safety, and oversight.
2. Residential Resilience and Mycology
Emerging biological approaches to detect, manage, or mitigate mold and fungal contamination in homes, with attention to consumer safety and indoor conditions.
3. Long-Term Foresight and Synthetic Biology
Future engineered biological systems that could challenge established regulatory categories and call for new approaches to monitoring and stewardship.
Program overview
Day 1 · Monday, November 16
Opening presentations will introduce the regulatory landscape for emerging biotechnology and the questions it raises for microbiome engineering in buildings. Speakers will then frame three case studies involving healthcare environments, mold in homes, and longer-term synthetic biology applications. Participants will discuss potential benefits and risks, the evidence needed to evaluate proposed uses, and where current oversight may provide clear or uncertain pathways.
Day 2 · Tuesday, November 17
Presentations and facilitated discussion will draw out themes across the case studies, including evidence needs, regulatory coordination, and responsible development. Participants will work together to identify practical recommendations for a forward-looking governance roadmap and consider opportunities for continued research and collaboration.
Program details are provisional and may change.
Speakers and discussion leaders
Speakers and discussion leaders will bring expertise in biotechnology regulation, microbiome science and engineering, indoor environmental health, risk assessment, ethics, and responsible innovation. The program is being developed to include perspectives from government, academia, industry, standards organizations, and public-interest work. They will introduce the regulatory context, frame the case studies, and help guide discussion toward practical questions and recommendations. Names and session roles will be added as participation is confirmed.
Please contact Christopher Cummings or Jennifer Kuzma for more information.
What the workshop will produce
Discussions will inform a synthesis of regulatory and governance issues, priority evidence and research needs, and opportunities for improved coordination. The findings will contribute to a forward-looking governance roadmap for emerging microbiome technologies and may support subsequent publications.
Request an invitation
This is a limited-participation working meeting. Invited participants will receive registration and Zoom information directly from the organizers. People with relevant expertise who have not received an invitation may request to participate. Requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Submitting a request does not confirm participation.
Workshop Questions
Is this a public webinar?
No. It is a limited-participation working meeting held virtually via Zoom.
Will the workshop be publicly broadcast?
No. Any recordings or transcripts are intended for internal research and workshop analysis.
How will comments be attributed?
Discussion will follow Chatham House Rule principles; comments will not be attributed to individual participants or their organizations without permission.
Will the workshop set regulatory requirements?
No. Its purpose is to identify questions, evidence needs, and possible governance approaches for emerging technologies.
Research and publications
The PreMiEr SEI Core is producing research that connects microbiome science with public perspectives, lived experience, and responsible development.
- 2026 · Sustainable Microbiology:
Policy in Practice: Exploring and Defining Concepts of Microbiome Stewardship for the Indoor Built Environment - 2026 · Journal of Responsible Innovation:
Towards the responsible development of microbiome engineering in the built environment - 2026 · Infographic, NC State University:
Community feedback on sink health and microbiome engineering - 2026 · Environment Systems and Decisions:
Public perceptions and support for microbiome engineering to combat mold growth in disaster relief efforts - 2026 · Frontiers in Public Health:
Experiences with household mold and perceptions of microbiome engineering to mitigate mold - 2025 · PreMiEr SEI Workshop Report:
Social and Ethical Dimensions of Microbiome Engineering in the Built Environment - 2025 · PLOS ONE:
Public perceptions and support for introduced microbes to combat hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance - 2024 · Environment Systems and Decisions:
Can societal and ethical implications of precision microbiome engineering be applied to the built environment? A systematic review of the literature
Past workshops and resources
2025: Societal Dimensions of Built Environment Microbiome Engineering
The virtual workshop shared SEI research and invited discussion about responsible development, public perspectives, and priorities for future work.
2024: Societal and Ethical Implications of Microbiome Engineering
This interdisciplinary workshop helped inform the team’s approach to responsible development.
PreMiEr News
PreMiEr SEI Team
The PreMiEr Societal and Ethical Implications (SEI) team brings together researchers, students, and staff from NC State, Duke, UNC–Chapel Hill, and North Carolina A&T to examine the societal and ethical dimensions of microbiome engineering.
Jennifer Kuzma
SEI Core Lead and Associate Director of PreMiEr
Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Email Jennifer
NC State
Nourou Barry
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Carter Clinton
Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences
NC State University
Christopher Cummings
Senior Research Fellow
Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Zoya Das
Undergraduate Research Fellow
NC State University
Jill Furgurson
Research Scholar
Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Kristen Landreville
Senior Research Scholar, Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Department Head and Associate Professor, Department of Communication & Journalism, University of Wyoming
Patti Mulligan
Communications Director
Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Sharon Stauffer
Program Associate
Genetic Engineering and Society Center, NC State
Partner Institutions
Claudia Gunsch
Director of PreMiEr
Professor and Associate Director for the Duke Microbiome Center
Duke University Pratt School of Engineering
Darcy Anderson
Assistant Scientist, Water Institute
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
Joe Brown
Deputy Director of PreMiEr
Associate Professor and Engineering Programs Director,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jean Cadigan
Professor of Social Medicine
UNC School of Medicine
Rich Eva
Director, Character Forward Initiative
Duke University Pratt School of Engineering
Joseph L. Graves, Jr.
Associate Director of PreMiEr
MacKenzie Scott Endowed Professor of Biology
North Carolina A&T University
A partnership across five universities
PreMiEr is led by Duke University in partnership with NC State University, NC A&T State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and UNC Charlotte. The center is supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2133504. Learn more about the center and its partners ↗
