They’re tiny – too small to be seen by the human eye – but they sure attract a crowd.

Complex microbes will be the hot topic at an international workshop in Halifax this weekend.
Microbes are those single-celled organisms that look like creatures from horror movies when they’re put under the microscope.

Algae, and the organism which causes malaria are a few examples of complex microbes, said Alastair Simpson, associate professor at Dalhousie University.

The two-day conference is hosted by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. They’re getting the world’s best together to work out definitions of complex microbial organisms called protists.

The goal is to fill gaps in their Tree of Life web site, which is a Wikipedia-esque site, but only experts may contribute to it.

“It’s a virtual textbook,” he said. “We’re trying to get all the contributors for complex microbes together so in one shot make that part of the Tree of Life project excellent.”

The Tree of Life is a tool for university students and researchers. Its lofty goal is to collect all scientific knowledge about every species — living and extinct — on earth.

Around 30 international researchers from Japan, Switzerland and Russia to name a few, along with 20 Canadians are scheduled to attend.

Halifax was picked as a location to hold this unique event because Canada is a world-leader in studying these microbes, Simpson said.

“At Dalhousie in particular there are a number of world experts who are particularly noted for studying the evolution of complex microbes.”

There might be a few disagreements on some definitions, he said.
“I honestly don’t know if it will be controversial or collegial,” Simpson said.