Science Friday Can A Microbe Conservation Movement Take Off?
Dec 2, 2025
Microbial ecologist Jack Gilbert, co-chair of the IUCN's Microbial Conservation Specialist Group, delves into the urgent need for a global movement to conserve microbes. He highlights their crucial role in ecosystems while discussing their alarming decline, often unnoticed by mainstream conservation efforts. Gilbert shares his passion for microbes and outlines innovative conservation strategies like microbe vaults. The conversation also tackles the skepticism within the scientific community and emphasizes why these tiny organisms matter for our planet's health.
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Microbes Are Central To Earth's Systems
- Microbes drive global biogeochemical cycles and represent the largest biomass on Earth.
- Jack Gilbert argues microbes deserve a formal seat at conservation efforts alongside plants and animals.
Microbial Extinctions Go Untracked
- There is no comprehensive red list tracking bacteria, archaea, and viruses today.
- Gilbert warns that many microbe species will go extinct if their host species disappear.
The Lost Infant Gut Microbe
- Bifidobacterium longum infantis used to be common in infants and digests breast milk sugars for immune development.
- Gilbert recounts it is disappearing in places like the U.S., China, and Europe, risking rises in chronic disease.