Scientists' call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals

Thomas W Crowther¹, Rino Rappuoli², Cinzia Corinaldesi³, Roberto Danovaro⁴, Timothy J Donohue⁵, Jef Huisman⁶, Lisa Y Stein⁷, James Kenneth Timmis⁸, Kenneth Timmis⁹, Matthew Z Anderson¹⁰, Lars R Bakken¹¹, Matthew Baylis¹², Michael J Behrenfeld¹³, Philip W Boyd¹⁴, Ian Brettell¹⁵, Ricardo Cavicchioli¹⁶, Camille S Delavaux¹⁵, Christine M Foreman¹⁷, Janet K Jansson¹⁸, Britt Koskella¹⁹, Kat Milligan-McClellan²⁰, Justin A North²¹, Devin Peterson²², Mariagrazia Pizza²³, Juan L Ramos²⁴, David Reay²⁵, Justin V Remais²⁶, Virginia I Rich²⁷, William J Ripple²⁸, Brajesh K Singh²⁹, Gabriel Reuben Smith¹⁵, Frank J Stewart³⁰, Matthew B Sullivan³¹, Johan van den Hoogen¹⁵, Madeleine J H van Oppen³², Nicole S Webster³³, Constantin M Zohner¹⁵, Laura G van Galen³⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland; Restor Eco AG, Zürich 8001, Switzerland. Electronic address: tom.crowther@usys.ethz.ch.
² Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Siena 53100, Italy. Electronic address: rino.rappuoli@biotecnopolo.it.
³ Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy.
⁴ National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy.
⁵ Wisconsin Energy Institute, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA.
⁶ Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 94240, the Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
⁸ Institute of Political Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79085, Germany; Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081, the Netherlands.
⁹ Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig 38106, Germany.
¹⁰ Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
¹¹ Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas 1433, Norway.
¹² Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Cheshire, Neston CH64 7TE, UK.
¹³ Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
¹⁴ Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia.
¹⁵ Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland.
¹⁶ School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
¹⁷ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA.
¹⁸ Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
²⁰ Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA.
²¹ Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
²² Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
²³ Department of Life Sciences, CBRB Center, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
²⁴ Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada 18008, Spain.
²⁵ School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK.
²⁶ Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
²⁷ Center of Microbiome Science, Byrd Polar and Climate Research, and Microbiology Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43214, USA.
²⁸ Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5704, USA.
²⁹ Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
³⁰ Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
³¹ Departments of Microbiology and Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Center of Microbiome Science, and EMERGE Biology Integration Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
³² Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
³³ Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
³⁴ Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland; Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), Dover, DE 19901, USA. Electronic address: laura.vangalen9@gmail.com.

PMID: 39303686
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.051

Free article

Review

Scientists' call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals

Thomas W Crowther et al. Cell. 2024.

Free article

. 2024 Sep 19;187(19):5195-5216.

doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.051.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland; Restor Eco AG, Zürich 8001, Switzerland. Electronic address: tom.crowther@usys.ethz.ch.
² Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Siena 53100, Italy. Electronic address: rino.rappuoli@biotecnopolo.it.
³ Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy.
⁴ National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona 60131, Italy.
⁵ Wisconsin Energy Institute, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA.
⁶ Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 94240, the Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
⁸ Institute of Political Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79085, Germany; Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081, the Netherlands.
⁹ Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig 38106, Germany.
¹⁰ Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
¹¹ Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas 1433, Norway.
¹² Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Cheshire, Neston CH64 7TE, UK.
¹³ Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
¹⁴ Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia.
¹⁵ Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland.
¹⁶ School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
¹⁷ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA.
¹⁸ Biological Sciences Division, Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
¹⁹ Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
²⁰ Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA.
²¹ Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
²² Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
²³ Department of Life Sciences, CBRB Center, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
²⁴ Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada 18008, Spain.
²⁵ School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK.
²⁶ Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
²⁷ Center of Microbiome Science, Byrd Polar and Climate Research, and Microbiology Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43214, USA.
²⁸ Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5704, USA.
²⁹ Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
³⁰ Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
³¹ Departments of Microbiology and Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Center of Microbiome Science, and EMERGE Biology Integration Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
³² Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
³³ Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia; Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
³⁴ Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich 8092, Switzerland; Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), Dover, DE 19901, USA. Electronic address: laura.vangalen9@gmail.com.

PMID: 39303686
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.051

Abstract

Microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protists, are essential to life on Earth and the functioning of the biosphere. Here, we discuss the key roles of microorganisms in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting recent and emerging advances in microbial research and technology that can facilitate our transition toward a sustainable future. Given the central role of microorganisms in the biochemical processing of elements, synthesizing new materials, supporting human health, and facilitating life in managed and natural landscapes, microbial research and technologies are directly or indirectly relevant for achieving each of the SDGs. More importantly, the ubiquitous and global role of microbes means that they present new opportunities for synergistically accelerating progress toward multiple sustainability goals. By effectively managing microbial health, we can achieve solutions that address multiple sustainability targets ranging from climate and human health to food and energy production. Emerging international policy frameworks should reflect the vital importance of microorganisms in achieving a sustainable future.

Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals; archaea; bacteria; microbial biotechnology; microeukaryotes; microorganisms; planetary health; sustainability; viruses.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests M.Z.A. is on the board of the Native BioData Consortium (NBDC; https://nativebio.org/); D.R. is co-chair of Just Transition Commission (https://www.justtransition.scot/); J.K.J. is chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Oath Inc. (https://www.oathinc.com/); J.A.N. has a patent holding: North JA, Tabita FR, Young SJ, and Murali S. 2021. Nitrogenase-like enzyme system that catalyzes methionine, ethylene, and methane biogenesis. P2021-099-6249; WIPO 20240060037.

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Scientists' call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals

Affiliations

Scientists' call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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LinkOut - more resources

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