PreMiEr Industry & Advisory Summit 2025

On November 20–21, 2025, PreMiEr convened more than 80 participants from 9 academic institutions and 13 external organizations for its annual Industry & Advisory Summit in Chapel Hill, NC. The two-day event brought together scientists, engineers, industry leaders, government partners, and non-profit organizations to advance one shared mission: shaping the future of healthier indoor environments through microbiome engineering. 

Across sessions and workshops, the summit highlighted major strides in the field and the growing momentum to translate research into practical solutions that improve health, safety, and building performance. 

PreMiEr leadership opened the summit by outlining the center’s progress and expanding national role in defining healthier building standards. The program quickly transitioned into demonstrations and technical discussions on microbial sensing, early-warning technologies, and analytical tools designed to support better decision-making in built environments. 

During the session on sensing technologies, Duke roboticist Boyuan Chen emphasized the need for accessible early-warning systems, noting: