The contribution of microbial biotechnology to sustainable development goals

Abstract

The signature and almost unique characteristic of microbial technology is the exceptional diversity of applications it can address, and the exceptional range of human activities and needs to which it is and can be applied. Precisely because sustainability goals have very diverse and complex components and requirements, microbial technology has the ability to contribute substantively on many levels in many arenas to global efforts to achieve sustainability. Indeed, microbial technology could be viewed as a unifying element in our progress towards sustainability.

Figure 1

The Contributions of Microbial Biotechnology to Sustainable Development Goals. Microbial diversity and microbial technology are critical to achieve a majority of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mainly due to the central role of microbes in the provision and regulation of ecosystem services. For example, microbial communities play a vital role in primary productivity, via nutrient cycling, and disease regulation, thereby impacting human, animal and plant health, and hence farm productivity and food security. Microbes and microbial technology are now increasingly employed in disease prevention and therapy, and to sustainably increase farm profitability, productivity and nutrient quality which directly contribute to SDGs 1, 2, 3. Similarly, microbes have critical roles in regulating climate via their contributions to both production and consumption of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and they create environments (e.g. soil structure) to support the growth of other organisms on land and water. A number of microbial technologies are used or in developmental pipeline for removal of GHGs and for purification of waste water for consumption. Microbes are a source of an exceptional range of chemicals and chemical catalysts, bioactive substances, biomaterials and of important forms of bioenergy, including hydrocarbons and electricity. They are key agents of pollutant removal and recycling. Microbes have been a source of industrial productivity throughout human history and currently are main drivers of the bioeconomy and industry, which are worth several trillion dollars, thereby contributing directly to SDGs 8 and 9.