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1. A concept for international societally relevant microbiology education and microbiology knowledge promulgation in society

Author

Timmis, Kenneth N. [0000-0002-0066-4670], Hallsworth, John E. [0000-0001-6797-9362], McGenity, Terry J. [0000-0002-1497-8822], Armstrong, Rachel [0000-0002-3516-6815], Colom, María Francisca [0000-0002-8672-5429], Karahan, Z. Ceren [0000-0001-7727-3363], Chavarría, Max [0000-0001-5901-3576], Bernal, Patricia [0000-0002-6228-0496], Boyd, Eric S. [0000-0003-4436-5856], Ramos, Juan L. [0000-0002-8731-7435], Kaltenpoth, Martin [0000-0001-9450-0345], Pruzzo, Carla [0000-0002-1280-4677], Clarke, Gerard [0000-0001-9771-3979], López-García, Purificación [0000-0002-0927-0651], Yakimov, Michail M. [0000-0003-1418-363X], Perlmutter, Jessamyn [0000-0002-9789-4674], Greening, Chris [0000-0001-7616-0594], Eloe-Fadrosh, Emiley [0000-0002-8162-1276], Verstraete, Willy [0000-0002-3140-3713], Nunes, Olga [0000-0003-4742-2537], Kotsyurbenko, Oleg R. [0000-0002-4748-3017], Nikel, Pablo I. [0000-0002-9313-7481], Scavone, Paola [0000-0002-8840-3757], Häggblom, Max M. [0000-0001-6307-7863], Lavigne, Rob [0000-0001-7377-1314], Le Roux, Frédérique [0000-0002-9112-6199], Timmis, James Kenneth [0000-0002-7773-0859], Parro, Victor [0000-0003-3738-0724], Michán, Carmen [0000-0003-2921-0987], García, José Luis [0000-0002-9238-2485], Casadevall, A. [0000-0002-9402-9167], Payne, Shelley M. [0000-0003-3112-4340], Frey, Joachim [0000-0001-9133-0280], Koren, Omry [0000-0002-7738-1337], Prosser, James I. [0000-0003-1757-5102], Lal, Rup [0000-0001-8364-8547], Anand, S. [0000-0001-7852-3512], Sood, U [0000-0002-0886-0107], Offre, Pierre [0000-0002-3660-2164], Bryce, Casey C. [0000-0002-1132-5201], Mswaka, Allen Y. [0000-0003-4868-1530], Jores, Jörg [0000-0003-3790-5746], Kaçar, Betül [0000-0002-0482-2357], Blank, Lars M. [0000-0003-0961-4976], Pope, Phillip B. [0000-0002-2067-4059], Banciu, Horia L. [0000-0002-6563-3226], Armitage, Judith [0000-0003-4983-9731], Lee, Sang Yup [0000-0003-0599-3091], Wang, Feng-Ping [0000-0002-0376-6947], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Gilbert, Jack A. [0000-0001-7920-7001], Wood, Thomas K. [0000-0002-6258-529X], Vasiljevic, Branka [0000-0002-2315-3590], Soberón, Mario [0000-0002-1593-9227], Udaondo, Zulema [0000-0003-3445-6842], Rojo, Fernando [0000-0003-1848-7745], Giraud, Tatiana [0000-0002-2685-6478], Ropars, Jeanne [0000-0002-3740-9673], Ezeji, T. C. [0000-0002-8384-895X], Müller, Volker [0000-0001-7955-5508], Averhoff, Beate [0000-0003-1460-3649], Sessitsch, Angela [0000-0003-0137-930X], Partida-Martinez, Laila Pamela [0000-0001-8037-2856], Huang, Wei [0000-0003-1302-6528], Molin, Søren [0000-0002-7973-2639], Junier, Pilar [0000-0002-8618-3340], Amils, Ricardo [0000-0002-7560-1033], Wu, Xiao-Lei [0000-0002-9897-6903], Ron, Eliora [0000-0003-2615-8685], Erten, Hüseyin [0000-0003-1537-2416], De Martinis, E.C.P. [0000-0002-6089-6238], Rapoport, Alexander [0000-0002-6185-0039], Öpik, Maarja [0000-0001-8025-7460], Pokatong, W. Donald R. [0009-0009-6692-9879], Stairs, Courtney W. [0000-0001-6650-0970], Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali [0000-0002-9638-0532], Gil-Serna, Jessica [0000-0002-2113-1830], Timmis, Kenneth N., Hallsworth, John E., McGenity, Terry J., Armstrong, Rachel, Colom, María Francisca, Karahan, Z. Ceren, Chavarría, Max, Bernal, Patricia, Boyd, Eric S., Ramos, Juan L., Kaltenpoth, Martin, Pruzzo, Carla, Clarke, Gerard, López-García, Purificación, Yakimov, Michail M., Perlmutter, Jessamyn, Greening, Chris, Eloe-Fadrosh, Emiley, Verstraete, Willy, Nunes, Olga, Kotsyurbenko, Oleg R., Nikel, Pablo I., Scavone, Paola, Häggblom, Max M., Lavigne, Rob, Le Roux, Frédérique, Timmis, James Kenneth, Parro, Victor, Michán, Carmen, García, José Luis, Casadevall, A., Payne, Shelley M., Frey, Joachim, Koren, Omry, Prosser, James I., Lal, Rup, Anand, S., Sood, U, Offre, Pierre, Bryce, Casey C., Mswaka, Allen Y., Jores, Jörg, Kaçar, Betül, Blank, Lars M., Pope, Phillip B., Banciu, Horia L., Armitage, Judith, Lee, Sang Yup, Wang, Feng-Ping, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Gilbert, Jack A., Wood, Thomas K., Vasiljevic, Branka, Soberón, Mario, Udaondo, Zulema, Rojo, Fernando, Giraud, Tatiana, Ropars, Jeanne, Ezeji, T. C., Müller, Volker, Averhoff, Beate, Sessitsch, Angela, Huang, Wei, Molin, Søren, Junier, Pilar, Amils, Ricardo, Wu, Xiao-Lei, Ron, Eliora, Erten, Hüseyin, De Martinis, E.C.P., Rapoport, Alexander, Öpik, Maarja, Pokatong, W. Donald R., Stairs, Courtney W., Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali, Gil-Serna, Jessica, Timmis, Kenneth N. [0000-0002-0066-4670], Hallsworth, John E. [0000-0001-6797-9362], McGenity, Terry J. [0000-0002-1497-8822], Armstrong, Rachel [0000-0002-3516-6815], Colom, María Francisca [0000-0002-8672-5429], Karahan, Z. Ceren [0000-0001-7727-3363], Chavarría, Max [0000-0001-5901-3576], Bernal, Patricia [0000-0002-6228-0496], Boyd, Eric S. [0000-0003-4436-5856], Ramos, Juan L. [0000-0002-8731-7435], Kaltenpoth, Martin [0000-0001-9450-0345], Pruzzo, Carla [0000-0002-1280-4677], Clarke, Gerard [0000-0001-9771-3979], López-García, Purificación [0000-0002-0927-0651], Yakimov, Michail M. [0000-0003-1418-363X], Perlmutter, Jessamyn [0000-0002-9789-4674], Greening, Chris [0000-0001-7616-0594], Eloe-Fadrosh, Emiley [0000-0002-8162-1276], Verstraete, Willy [0000-0002-3140-3713], Nunes, Olga [0000-0003-4742-2537], Kotsyurbenko, Oleg R. [0000-0002-4748-3017], Nikel, Pablo I. [0000-0002-9313-7481], Scavone, Paola [0000-0002-8840-3757], Häggblom, Max M. [0000-0001-6307-7863], Lavigne, Rob [0000-0001-7377-1314], Le Roux, Frédérique [0000-0002-9112-6199], Timmis, James Kenneth [0000-0002-7773-0859], Parro, Victor [0000-0003-3738-0724], Michán, Carmen [0000-0003-2921-0987], García, José Luis [0000-0002-9238-2485], Casadevall, A. [0000-0002-9402-9167], Payne, Shelley M. [0000-0003-3112-4340], Frey, Joachim [0000-0001-9133-0280], Koren, Omry [0000-0002-7738-1337], Prosser, James I. [0000-0003-1757-5102], Lal, Rup [0000-0001-8364-8547], Anand, S. [0000-0001-7852-3512], Sood, U [0000-0002-0886-0107], Offre, Pierre [0000-0002-3660-2164], Bryce, Casey C. [0000-0002-1132-5201], Mswaka, Allen Y. [0000-0003-4868-1530], Jores, Jörg [0000-0003-3790-5746], Kaçar, Betül [0000-0002-0482-2357], Blank, Lars M. [0000-0003-0961-4976], Pope, Phillip B. [0000-0002-2067-4059], Banciu, Horia L. [0000-0002-6563-3226], Armitage, Judith [0000-0003-4983-9731], Lee, Sang Yup [0000-0003-0599-3091], Wang, Feng-Ping [0000-0002-0376-6947], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Gilbert, Jack A. [0000-0001-7920-7001], Wood, Thomas K. [0000-0002-6258-529X], Vasiljevic, Branka [0000-0002-2315-3590], Soberón, Mario [0000-0002-1593-9227], Udaondo, Zulema [0000-0003-3445-6842], Rojo, Fernando [0000-0003-1848-7745], Giraud, Tatiana [0000-0002-2685-6478], Ropars, Jeanne [0000-0002-3740-9673], Ezeji, T. C. [0000-0002-8384-895X], Müller, Volker [0000-0001-7955-5508], Averhoff, Beate [0000-0003-1460-3649], Sessitsch, Angela [0000-0003-0137-930X], Partida-Martinez, Laila Pamela [0000-0001-8037-2856], Huang, Wei [0000-0003-1302-6528], Molin, Søren [0000-0002-7973-2639], Junier, Pilar [0000-0002-8618-3340], Amils, Ricardo [0000-0002-7560-1033], Wu, Xiao-Lei [0000-0002-9897-6903], Ron, Eliora [0000-0003-2615-8685], Erten, Hüseyin [0000-0003-1537-2416], De Martinis, E.C.P. [0000-0002-6089-6238], Rapoport, Alexander [0000-0002-6185-0039], Öpik, Maarja [0000-0001-8025-7460], Pokatong, W. Donald R. [0009-0009-6692-9879], Stairs, Courtney W. [0000-0001-6650-0970], Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali [0000-0002-9638-0532], Gil-Serna, Jessica [0000-0002-2113-1830], Timmis, Kenneth N., Hallsworth, John E., McGenity, Terry J., Armstrong, Rachel, Colom, María Francisca, Karahan, Z. Ceren, Chavarría, Max, Bernal, Patricia, Boyd, Eric S., Ramos, Juan L., Kaltenpoth, Martin, Pruzzo, Carla, Clarke, Gerard, López-García, Purificación, Yakimov, Michail M., Perlmutter, Jessamyn, Greening, Chris, Eloe-Fadrosh, Emiley, Verstraete, Willy, Nunes, Olga, Kotsyurbenko, Oleg R., Nikel, Pablo I., Scavone, Paola, Häggblom, Max M., Lavigne, Rob, Le Roux, Frédérique, Timmis, James Kenneth, Parro, Victor, Michán, Carmen, García, José Luis, Casadevall, A., Payne, Shelley M., Frey, Joachim, Koren, Omry, Prosser, James I., Lal, Rup, Anand, S., Sood, U, Offre, Pierre, Bryce, Casey C., Mswaka, Allen Y., Jores, Jörg, Kaçar, Betül, Blank, Lars M., Pope, Phillip B., Banciu, Horia L., Armitage, Judith, Lee, Sang Yup, Wang, Feng-Ping, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Gilbert, Jack A., Wood, Thomas K., Vasiljevic, Branka, Soberón, Mario, Udaondo, Zulema, Rojo, Fernando, Giraud, Tatiana, Ropars, Jeanne, Ezeji, T. C., Müller, Volker, Averhoff, Beate, Sessitsch, Angela, Huang, Wei, Molin, Søren, Junier, Pilar, Amils, Ricardo, Wu, Xiao-Lei, Ron, Eliora, Erten, Hüseyin, De Martinis, E.C.P., Rapoport, Alexander, Öpik, Maarja, Pokatong, W. Donald R., Stairs, Courtney W., Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali, and Gil-Serna, Jessica

Abstract

The biosphere of planet Earth is a microbial world: a vast reactor of countless microbially driven chemical transformations and energy transfers that push and pull many planetary geochemical processes, including the cycling of the elements of life, mitigate or amplify climate change (e.g., Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2019, 17, 569) and impact the well-being and activities of all organisms, including humans. Microbes are both our ancestors and creators of the planetary chemistry that allowed us to evolve (e.g., Life's engines: How microbes made earth habitable, 2023). To understand how the biosphere functions, how humans can influence its development and live more sustainably with the other organisms sharing it, we need to understand the microbes. In a recent editorial (Environmental Microbiology, 2019, 21, 1513), we advocated for improved microbiology literacy in society. Our concept of microbiology literacy is not based on knowledge of the academic subject of microbiology, with its multitude of component topics, plus the growing number of additional topics from other disciplines that become vitally important elements of current microbiology. Rather it is focused on microbial activities that impact us–individuals/communities/nations/the human world–and the biosphere and that are key to reaching informed decisions on a multitude of issues that regularly confront us, ranging from personal issues to crises of global importance. In other words, it is knowledge and understanding essential for adulthood and the transition to it, knowledge and understanding that must be acquired early in life in school. The 2019 Editorial marked the launch of the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative, the IMiLI.

Published
2024

2. A concept for international societally relevant microbiology education and microbiology knowledge promulgation in society

Author

Timmis, Kenneth, Hallsworth, John E., McGenity, Terry J., Armstrong, Rachel, Colom, María Francisca, Karahan, Zeynep Ceren, Chavarría, Max, Bernal, Patricia, Boyd, Eric S., Ramos, Juan Luis, Kaltenpoth, Martin, Pruzzo, Carla, Clarke, Gerard, López-Garcia, Purificación, Yakimov, Michail M., Perlmutter, Jessamyn, Greening, Chris, Eloe-Fadrosh, Emiley, Verstraete, Willy, Nunes, Olga C., Kotsyurbenko, Oleg, Nikel, Pablo Iván, Scavone, Paola, Häggblom, Max M., Lavigne, Rob, Le Roux, Frédérique, Timmis, James K., Parro, Victor, Michán, Carmen, García, José Luis, Casadevall, Arturo, Payne, Shelley M., Frey, Joachim, Koren, Omry, Prosser, James I., Lahti, Leo, Lal, Rup, Anand, Shailly, Sood, Utkarsh, Offre, Pierre, Bryce, Casey C., Mswaka, Allen Y., Jores, Jörg, Kaçar, Betül, Blank, Lars Mathias, Maaßen, Nicole, Pope, Phillip B., Banciu, Horia L., Armitage, Judith, Lee, Sang Yup, Wang, Fengping, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Gilbert, Jack A., Wood, Thomas K., Vasiljevic, Branka, Soberón, Mario, Udaondo, Zulema, Rojo, Fernando, Tamang, Jyoti Prakash, Giraud, Tatiana, Ropars, Jeanne, Ezeji, Thaddeus, Müller, Volker, Danbara, Hirofume, Averhoff, Beate, Sessitsch, Angela, Partida-Martínez, Laila Pamela, Huang, Wei, Molin, Søren, Junier, Pilar, Amils, Ricardo, Wu, Xiao Lei, Ron, Eliora, Erten, Huseyin, de Martinis, Elaine Cristina Pereira, Rapoport, Alexander, Öpik, Maarja, Pokatong, W. Donald R., Stairs, Courtney, Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali, Serna, Jéssica Gil, Timmis, Kenneth, Hallsworth, John E., McGenity, Terry J., Armstrong, Rachel, Colom, María Francisca, Karahan, Zeynep Ceren, Chavarría, Max, Bernal, Patricia, Boyd, Eric S., Ramos, Juan Luis, Kaltenpoth, Martin, Pruzzo, Carla, Clarke, Gerard, López-Garcia, Purificación, Yakimov, Michail M., Perlmutter, Jessamyn, Greening, Chris, Eloe-Fadrosh, Emiley, Verstraete, Willy, Nunes, Olga C., Kotsyurbenko, Oleg, Nikel, Pablo Iván, Scavone, Paola, Häggblom, Max M., Lavigne, Rob, Le Roux, Frédérique, Timmis, James K., Parro, Victor, Michán, Carmen, García, José Luis, Casadevall, Arturo, Payne, Shelley M., Frey, Joachim, Koren, Omry, Prosser, James I., Lahti, Leo, Lal, Rup, Anand, Shailly, Sood, Utkarsh, Offre, Pierre, Bryce, Casey C., Mswaka, Allen Y., Jores, Jörg, Kaçar, Betül, Blank, Lars Mathias, Maaßen, Nicole, Pope, Phillip B., Banciu, Horia L., Armitage, Judith, Lee, Sang Yup, Wang, Fengping, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Gilbert, Jack A., Wood, Thomas K., Vasiljevic, Branka, Soberón, Mario, Udaondo, Zulema, Rojo, Fernando, Tamang, Jyoti Prakash, Giraud, Tatiana, Ropars, Jeanne, Ezeji, Thaddeus, Müller, Volker, Danbara, Hirofume, Averhoff, Beate, Sessitsch, Angela, Partida-Martínez, Laila Pamela, Huang, Wei, Molin, Søren, Junier, Pilar, Amils, Ricardo, Wu, Xiao Lei, Ron, Eliora, Erten, Huseyin, de Martinis, Elaine Cristina Pereira, Rapoport, Alexander, Öpik, Maarja, Pokatong, W. Donald R., Stairs, Courtney, Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali, and Serna, Jéssica Gil

Abstract

Executive summary: Microbes are all pervasive in their distribution and influence on the functioning and well-being of humans, life in general and the planet. Microbially-based technologies contribute hugely to the supply of important goods and services we depend upon, such as the provision of food, medicines and clean water. They also offer mechanisms and strategies to mitigate and solve a wide range of problems and crises facing humanity at all levels, including those encapsulated in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations. For example, microbial technologies can contribute in multiple ways to decarbonisation and hence confronting global warming, provide sanitation and clean water to the billions of people lacking them, improve soil fertility and hence food production and develop vaccines and other medicines to reduce and in some cases eliminate deadly infections. They are the foundation of biotechnology, an increasingly important and growing business sector and source of employment, and the centre of the bioeconomy, Green Deal, etc. But, because microbes are largely invisible, they are not familiar to most people, so opportunities they offer to effectively prevent and solve problems are often missed by decision-makers, with the negative consequences this entrains. To correct this lack of vital knowledge, the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative–the IMiLI–is recruiting from the global microbiology community and making freely available, teaching resources for a curriculum in societally relevant microbiology that can be used at all levels of learning. Its goal is the development of a society that is literate in relevant microbiology and, as a consequence, able to take full advantage of the potential of microbes and minimise the consequences of their negative activities. In addition to teaching about microbes, almost every lesson discusses the influence they have on sustainability and the SDGs and their ability to solve

Published
2024

7. The biology of habitat dominance; can microbes behave as weeds?

Author

Cray, Jonathan A., Bell, Andrew N. W., Bhaganna, Prashanth, Mswaka, Allen Y., Timson, David J., and Hallsworth, John E.

Subjects
fungi, food and beverages, Bioengineering, Minireviews, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biota, Immunology and Microbiology(all), Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Interactions, Selection, Genetic, Biotechnology
Abstract

Summary Competition between microbial species is a product of, yet can lead to a reduction in, the microbial diversity of specific habitats. Microbial habitats can resemble ecological battlefields where microbial cells struggle to dominate and/or annihilate each other and we explore the hypothesis that (like plant weeds) some microbes are genetically hard-wired to behave in a vigorous and ecologically aggressive manner. These ‘microbial weeds’ are able to dominate the communities that develop in fertile but uncolonized – or at least partially vacant – habitats via traits enabling them to out-grow competitors; robust tolerances to habitat-relevant stress parameters and highly efficient energy-generation systems; avoidance of or resistance to viral infection, predation and grazers; potent antimicrobial systems; and exceptional abilities to sequester and store resources. In addition, those associated with nutritionally complex habitats are extraordinarily versatile in their utilization of diverse substrates. Weed species typically deploy multiple types of antimicrobial including toxins; volatile organic compounds that act as either hydrophobic or highly chaotropic stressors; biosurfactants; organic acids; and moderately chaotropic solutes that are produced in bulk quantities (e.g. acetone, ethanol). Whereas ability to dominate communities is habitat-specific we suggest that some microbial species are archetypal weeds including generalists such as: Pichia anomala, Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas putida; specialists such as Dunaliella salina, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus spp. and other lactic acid bacteria; freshwater autotrophs Gonyostomum semen and Microcystis aeruginosa; obligate anaerobes such as Clostridium acetobutylicum; facultative pathogens such as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Pantoea ananatis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and other extremotolerant and extremophilic microbes such as Aspergillus spp., Salinibacter ruber and Haloquadratum walsbyi. Some microbes, such as Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Pseudoxylaria spp., exhibit characteristics of both weed and non-weed species. We propose that the concept of nonweeds represents a ‘dustbin’ group that includes species such as Synodropsis spp., Polypaecilum pisce, Metschnikowia orientalis, Salmonella spp., and Caulobacter crescentus. We show that microbial weeds are conceptually distinct from plant weeds, microbial copiotrophs, r-strategists, and other ecophysiological groups of microorganism. Microbial weed species are unlikely to emerge from stationary-phase or other types of closed communities; it is open habitats that select for weed phenotypes. Specific characteristics that are common to diverse types of open habitat are identified, and implications of weed biology and open-habitat ecology are discussed in the context of further studies needed in the fields of environmental and applied microbiology.

Published
2013
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8. Temperature and water potential relations of tropical <e1>Trametes</e1> and other wood-decay fungi from the indigenous forests of Zimbabwe

Author

MSWAKA, ALLEN Y.

Abstract

Three isolates each, of nine different Trametes and five other wood inhabiting basidiomycetes, were collected from the indigenous forests of Zimbabwe, and the impact of temperature (20–60 °C), osmotic and matric potential (−0·5 to −8·0 MPa), and their interactions on in vitro growth compared. Generally, there was no significant difference between growth of isolates of the same species in relation to temperature. Temperature relationships of the species studied correlated well with their geographic distributions. Species occurring in hot, dry regions tolerated a wide temperature range, with some showing unusually high thermotolerance (55°, T. socotrana, T. cingulata and T. cervina). There were significant intra-strain differences for individual species in relation to solute potential on glycerol-modified media. Generally, growth of all species was better on glycerol- and KCl-modified osmotic media than on a matrically-modified medium (PEG 8000) at 25, 30 and 37°. The limits for growth on the osmotic media were significantly wider than matric medium, being −4·5 to −5·0 and −2·5 to −4·5 MPa, respectively. An Irpex sp. grew at lower water potentials than all other species, with good growth at −7·0 MPa. This study suggests that the capacity of these fungi for effective growth over a range of temperatures, osmotic and matric potentials contributes to their rapid wood decay capacities in tropical climates.

Published
1999

9. A concept for international societally relevant microbiology education and microbiology knowledge promulgation in society.

Author

Timmis K, Hallsworth JE, McGenity TJ, Armstrong R, Colom MF, Karahan ZC, Chavarría M, Bernal P, Boyd ES, Ramos JL, Kaltenpoth M, Pruzzo C, Clarke G, López-Garcia P, Yakimov MM, Perlmutter J, Greening C, Eloe-Fadrosh E, Verstraete W, Nunes OC, Kotsyurbenko O, Nikel PI, Scavone P, Häggblom MM, Lavigne R, Le Roux F, Timmis JK, Parro V, Michán C, García JL, Casadevall A, Payne SM, Frey J, Koren O, Prosser JI, Lahti L, Lal R, Anand S, Sood U, Offre P, Bryce CC, Mswaka AY, Jores J, Kaçar B, Blank LM, Maaßen N, Pope PB, Banciu HL, Armitage J, Lee SY, Wang F, Makhalanyane TP, Gilbert JA, Wood TK, Vasiljevic B, Soberón M, Udaondo Z, Rojo F, Tamang JP, Giraud T, Ropars J, Ezeji T, Müller V, Danbara H, Averhoff B, Sessitsch A, Partida-Martínez LP, Huang W, Molin S, Junier P, Amils R, Wu XL, Ron E, Erten H, de Martinis ECP, Rapoport A, Öpik M, Pokatong WDR, Stairs C, Amoozegar MA, and Serna JG

Subjects
Humans, Biotechnology, Microbiology education
Abstract

Executive Summary: Microbes are all pervasive in their distribution and influence on the functioning and well-being of humans, life in general and the planet. Microbially-based technologies contribute hugely to the supply of important goods and services we depend upon, such as the provision of food, medicines and clean water. They also offer mechanisms and strategies to mitigate and solve a wide range of problems and crises facing humanity at all levels, including those encapsulated in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations. For example, microbial technologies can contribute in multiple ways to decarbonisation and hence confronting global warming, provide sanitation and clean water to the billions of people lacking them, improve soil fertility and hence food production and develop vaccines and other medicines to reduce and in some cases eliminate deadly infections. They are the foundation of biotechnology, an increasingly important and growing business sector and source of employment, and the centre of the bioeconomy, Green Deal, etc. But, because microbes are largely invisible, they are not familiar to most people, so opportunities they offer to effectively prevent and solve problems are often missed by decision-makers, with the negative consequences this entrains. To correct this lack of vital knowledge, the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative-the IMiLI-is recruiting from the global microbiology community and making freely available, teaching resources for a curriculum in societally relevant microbiology that can be used at all levels of learning. Its goal is the development of a society that is literate in relevant microbiology and, as a consequence, able to take full advantage of the potential of microbes and minimise the consequences of their negative activities. In addition to teaching about microbes, almost every lesson discusses the influence they have on sustainability and the SDGs and their ability to solve pressing problems of societal inequalities. The curriculum thus teaches about sustainability, societal needs and global citizenship. The lessons also reveal the impacts microbes and their activities have on our daily lives at the personal, family, community, national and global levels and their relevance for decisions at all levels. And, because effective, evidence-based decisions require not only relevant information but also critical and systems thinking, the resources also teach about these key generic aspects of deliberation. The IMiLI teaching resources are learner-centric, not academic microbiology-centric and deal with the microbiology of everyday issues. These span topics as diverse as owning and caring for a companion animal, the vast range of everyday foods that are produced via microbial processes, impressive geological formations created by microbes, childhood illnesses and how they are managed and how to reduce waste and pollution. They also leverage the exceptional excitement of exploration and discovery that typifies much progress in microbiology to capture the interest, inspire and motivate educators and learners alike. The IMiLI is establishing Regional Centres to translate the teaching resources into regional languages and adapt them to regional cultures, and to promote their use and assist educators employing them. Two of these are now operational. The Regional Centres constitute the interface between resource creators and educators-learners. As such, they will collect and analyse feedback from the end-users and transmit this to the resource creators so that teaching materials can be improved and refined, and new resources added in response to demand: educators and learners will thereby be directly involved in evolution of the teaching resources. The interactions between educators-learners and resource creators mediated by the Regional Centres will establish dynamic and synergistic relationships-a global societally relevant microbiology education ecosystem-in which creators also become learners, teaching resources are optimised and all players/stakeholders are empowered and their motivation increased. The IMiLI concept thus embraces the principle of teaching societally relevant microbiology embedded in the wider context of societal, biosphere and planetary needs, inequalities, the range of crises that confront us and the need for improved decisioning, which should ultimately lead to better citizenship and a humanity that is more sustainable and resilient., Abstract: The biosphere of planet Earth is a microbial world: a vast reactor of countless microbially driven chemical transformations and energy transfers that push and pull many planetary geochemical processes, including the cycling of the elements of life, mitigate or amplify climate change (e.g., Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2019, 17, 569) and impact the well-being and activities of all organisms, including humans. Microbes are both our ancestors and creators of the planetary chemistry that allowed us to evolve (e.g., Life's engines: How microbes made earth habitable, 2023). To understand how the biosphere functions, how humans can influence its development and live more sustainably with the other organisms sharing it, we need to understand the microbes. In a recent editorial (Environmental Microbiology, 2019, 21, 1513), we advocated for improved microbiology literacy in society. Our concept of microbiology literacy is not based on knowledge of the academic subject of microbiology, with its multitude of component topics, plus the growing number of additional topics from other disciplines that become vitally important elements of current microbiology. Rather it is focused on microbial activities that impact us-individuals/communities/nations/the human world-and the biosphere and that are key to reaching informed decisions on a multitude of issues that regularly confront us, ranging from personal issues to crises of global importance. In other words, it is knowledge and understanding essential for adulthood and the transition to it, knowledge and understanding that must be acquired early in life in school. The 2019 Editorial marked the launch of the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative, the IMiLI. HERE, WE PRESENT: our concept of how microbiology literacy may be achieved and the rationale underpinning it; the type of teaching resources being created to realise the concept and the framing of microbial activities treated in these resources in the context of sustainability, societal needs and responsibilities and decision-making; and the key role of Regional Centres that will translate the teaching resources into local languages, adapt them according to local cultural needs, interface with regional educators and develop and serve as hubs of microbiology literacy education networks. The topics featuring in teaching resources are learner-centric and have been selected for their inherent relevance, interest and ability to excite and engage. Importantly, the resources coherently integrate and emphasise the overarching issues of sustainability, stewardship and critical thinking and the pervasive interdependencies of processes. More broadly, the concept emphasises how the multifarious applications of microbial activities can be leveraged to promote human/animal, plant, environmental and planetary health, improve social equity, alleviate humanitarian deficits and causes of conflicts among peoples and increase understanding between peoples (Microbial Biotechnology, 2023, 16(6), 1091-1111). Importantly, although the primary target of the freely available (CC BY-NC 4.0) IMiLI teaching resources is schoolchildren and their educators, they and the teaching philosophy are intended for all ages, abilities and cultural spectra of learners worldwide: in university education, lifelong learning, curiosity-driven, web-based knowledge acquisition and public outreach. The IMiLI teaching resources aim to promote development of a global microbiology education ecosystem that democratises microbiology knowledge., (© 2024 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by Applied Microbiology International and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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2024
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