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How Does Science Serve Humanity?

Science provides a structure for getting closer to the truth, empowering humanity to explore, understand and improve the world around us. At a time when scientific misinformation and distrust are on the rise, highlighting the necessity and value of science is more important than ever. The Spring 2025 issue of Microcosm showcases a selection of the unique ways in which microbial science is helping to promote the health of both people and the planet.

Whether it's leveraging microbes to bolster food security, combating antimicrobial resistance with cannabinoids, harnessing the power of the microbiome to treat disease or cleaning up radioactive waste with bacteria, scientific innovation helps to create a brighter future for all of us.

Microbial Biofertilizers to Bolster Food Security

Producing enough food to feed more than 8 billion people in the face of climate and environmental change is challenging. However, microbes offer powerful solutions in the form of biofertilizers and biochar, ultimately promoting crop health and boosting global food security and resilience.

How Studying Bat Viruses Can Help Prevent Zoonotic Disease

Bats have become the poster child of emerging zoonotic disease. The creatures host a range of viruses—some capable of causing illness in humans—yet often don't get sick themselves. What makes bats such viable viral hosts? Scientists are digging into the question, using what they learn to inform strategies for preventing spillover.

Agnostic Diagnostics and the Future of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿Health With Dev Mittar

In this podcast, Dev Mittar, Ph.D., Scientific Director of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿Health Scientific Unit, discusses the use of metagenomic next generation sequencing to develop agnostic diagnostic technology, giving scientists and clinicians a tool to diagnose any infectious disease with a single test. He also discusses how the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿Health Unit is leveraging microbial science innovations to address critical global health challenges.

Leveraging Cannabinoids as Antimicrobials

Can cannabis compounds help fight superbugs? Cannabinoids—including plant-derived compounds, synthetic analogs and natural lipids produced by the body—can disrupt bacteria, enhance the activity of antibiotics and both aid and hinder host defenses, making them a promising, yet uncertain, tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Fecal Microbiota Transplants (FMT): Past, Present and Future

Fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) involve transferring stool from a donor to a recipient for therapeutic purposes—a premise that is, admittedly, not the most pleasant. But where did the idea for FMTs even come from? What's new in the field of transferring poo, and what does the future hold?

ASM's Young Ambassadors Use Science to Empower Communities

All over the world, early-career scientists who volunteer as ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿Young Ambassadors are taking action to make microbiology more accessible, applying their skills to serve the public good. Discover how 3 ambassadors are empowering the next generation of scientists to build stronger communities worldwide.

How Do Microbes Remove Radioactive Waste?

Radioactive elements emit a spectrum of ionizing emissions that hurt humans. Luckily, microbes can help. Certain environmental bacteria can remove radioactive elements from nuclear waste, reducing their deleterious impact. How do microbes protect against radionuclides, and how can the tactics be harnessed?

How Microbiomes Frame Humanity's Role on Earth

Humanity is facing serious ecological, societal and geopolitical problems, many of which are driven by human-centric thinking. Microbiome research shows that we are super‑organisms, entwined with trillions of microbes. Recognizing this "more‑than‑human" reality may encourage broader perspectives and help us tackle today's biggest challenges.

Download the Spring 2025 PDF