Microbes 101

An introduction to microbial landscapes, relationships, & terminology

In honor of World Microbiome Day 2021, let’s take some time to appreciate the fascinating world of microbes and our ongoing efforts to study and characterize them. Microbes offer a vast array of utility applications, including but not limited to fermentation, agriculture, bioremediation, and maintenance of human health.

“Man himself has emerged from a line descent that began with microbial life, a line common to all plant and animal species…{he} is dependent not only on other human beings and on the physical world but also on other creatures — animals, plants, microbes — that have evolved together with him. Man will ultimately destroy himself if he thoughtlessly eliminates the organisms that constitute essential links in the complex and delicate web of life of which he is a part.”

— Rene Dubos

Fantastic Microbes and Where to Find Them

Microbiomes are found in every corner of the globe, from oceans, coral reefs, and terrestrial landscapes to your bathroom sink and kitchen counter. Nearly every species on the planet relies on the maintenance of symbiotic relationships for survival and function.

A cow’s ruminal bacteria enables digestion of cellulose. Gut bacterial degradation of plant fibers accounts for the preferences of dietary specialists such as koalas. Naked mole rat queens use hormone-rich feces to govern their…