The Endurance of Microbiology: An Interview with Mike Jetten, Mark Martin, Ute Romling, and Victor Torres

Autor: Ute Römling, Victor J. Torres, Mike S. M. Jetten, Mark O. Martin
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Trends in Microbiology, 24, 319-323
Trends in Microbiology, 24, 5, pp. 319-323
ISSN: 0966-842X
Popis: UR: There is a certain public awareness about the importance of microbiology. Also, the movement of biohackers already shows that there is an increased interest for microbial and scientific issues in the lay audience. However, often, the detrimental consequences of microbiology, such as the problem of antibiotic resistance, infection outbreaks, and nosocomical infections, are in the foreground. These are indeed huge challenges, which need to be solved and controlled. And there are even other equally broad ecological and economic challenges such as concerted infestations of plantations by microbial pathogens. But what else do we hear about microbiology? There is a need to communicate more intensively the beneficial aspects of microbiology such as the beneficial role of the human, animal, and plant microbiome and the role of microbiology as initiating and driving other research areas. The global impact of microbes, historically, in earth's history and, today, on our climate, can be emphasized. Also, we should not hesitate to mention the role of microbiology in daily delicacies, including the diversity of microbes required for the flavor of the cheese that we eat and the wine that we drink.MJ: As humans we are a ‘visual’ species making the microbiology as a science seem more challenging. Luckily we see a steady increase in public awareness and interest in microbiology, not in the least by the many human microbiome studies that reveal important roles in our own development and functioning. Recent good examples are the establishment of Micropia, the first microbiology museum at Artis Zoo Amsterdam, or the Secret World Inside You exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Further, the learned societies of microbiology (the American Society for Microbiology, Microbiology Society, Federation of European Microbiological Societies, and Koninklijke Nederlands Vereniging voor Microbiologie) develop outreach packages for schools and the general public. Also, our recent center of excellence is dedicated to inform the general public (see for example http://anaerobic-microbiology.eu/ontdeklab/) and recently organized an outreach event at the InScience film festival. Further, I accept quite some invitations to lecture for the general public on the importance of microbiology that are very well received.MM: I would like to see much more in the way of ‘Citizen Science’ in microbiology. Many researchers are exploring exactly that, and they need showcasing. I also think that every microbiology course needs a small independent project for students. These small-scale projects really lead to ownership and improved outcomes. Microbiology is not a stack of notecards; it's a process and a way of thinking. I try to teach this kind of ‘microbiocentricity’ (or even ‘microbial supremacy’) in the classroom, or when I speak to the public. My goal remains to change the way people think about what I call ‘matters microbial’. I also remind listeners of the lesson that the tattoo on my right arm states: Avete Parvuli Domini. All Hail the Small Masters.VT: We desperately need to find a way to make microbiology ‘cool’ again. While tragedies like the recent Ebola crisis, now the Zika virus, and the seriousness of multidrug-resistant bacteria and the recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses have put microbes on the map and in the news, we also need to do a better job highlighting and explaining to lay people the broader outcomes of microbiological research –CRISPR/Cas9 and its application in genome editing comes to mind. This is a job not only for scientists, but also for publishers, magazines, and news outlets. Lastly, the recent unpleasant encounters with highly virulent and, in some cases, lethal microbes also highlight something very important – we need to commit sustainable additional resources to battle these pathogens.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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