Explosive Life – How Microbes Changed the Earth (and will continue to do so)
Fri 12th Nov - 7.00pm

Online Talk with Dr Shane O’Reilly
The Earth has been shaped by biology, especially microorganisms, for billions of years. In this talk, we will travel through time and across the Earth, to highlight how the ‘unseen majority’ are the ultimate recyclers and team players. We will also see that, not only can we thank them for much of modern society, but how they can help us achieve a sustainable society for future generations.
Dr. Shane O’Reilly is a research scientist at the cross-section of life sciences, chemistry, and geology. Shane specialism is the use of lipids (or fat), hydrocarbons and other organic molecules as molecular fossils or fingerprints. Shane earned his degree and PhD from Dublin City University; he spent several years as a researcher in Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University College Dublin. He has also worked in research policy and public engagement in Science Foundation Ireland. Shane joined IT Sligo as a lecturer in April 2021