ISAPP’s President Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology

The President of the ISAPP Board of Directors, Prof. Maria Marco PhD, was among the elite group of scientists elected this year to the American Academy of Microbiology.

Membership in the Academy is given to individuals within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) who are selected through a rigorous process that involves peer evaluation of scientific achievements and original contributions to the field of microbiology.

Prof. Marco was publicly named as one of this year’s 65 new fellows in an announcement on February 14th. Her lab at UC Davis, which focuses on improving human health through the gut microbiome and food fermentation, has published several landmark papers: evidence of extracellular electron transfer in lactic acid bacteria, the mechanisms of L. plantarum’s health benefits, and more. Prof. Marco also actively advances field-wide initiatives in microbiology and fermented foods, such as a recent call for including dietary data in probiotic and prebiotic trials, and improving microbiology education through more inclusive practices.

“I’m honored to join the ranks of fellow microbiologists in the academy who work across diverse fields addressing critical questions in microbial biology relevant to medicine, agriculture, and the environment,” says Prof. Marco.

Prof. Marco has been a valued member of the ISAPP Board of Directors since 2019, helping drive the organization’s scientific activities. “Maria’s work is pushing the frontiers of what we know about probiotics, lactic acid bacteria and fermented foods”, says ISAPP’s Executive Director Marla Cunningham. “Maria is a collaborative and inspiring leader within the ISAPP community and we are thrilled to see her receive this highly deserved recognition for her rigorous and insightful contributions to the field.”