Microbiologists join the battle against climate change

Micro-organisms, such as bacteria or algae, offer numerous potential solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. They can capture and store carbon, for example in soils and oceans, or break down the potent greenhouse gas methane. Additionally, they can  produce biofuel, break down pollutants, or strengthen ecosystems.

Eighteen microbiologists, including University of Groningen Professor Joana Falcao Salles, have written an editorial outlining how microorganisms can provide solutions for problems caused by climate change. Published in 14 different journals, the article is a call to action from microbiology societies and institutions, supported by editors and publishers.

Ecological knowledge

‘The most important message of our editorial is that microorganisms can provide solutions to help us fight climate change,’ says Falcao Salles. The paper emphasizes their pivotal yet often overlooked role in climate regulation. To address this, the authors propose establishing a global, science-based climate task force, in which microbial ecologist representatives from scientific societies and institutions contribute to developing and implementing microbiological solutions grounded in ecological knowledge.

‘Writing this paper has already initiated several important conversations’, says Falcao Salles. ‘The next steps are to bring this discussion to next year’s climate conference in Brazil and to have microbial ecologists included in the IPCC committee.’

Reference: Peixoto, R., Voolstra, C.R., Stein, L.Y. et al. Microbial solutions must be deployed against climate catastrophe. Nature Microbiology (and 13 other journals), 11 November 2024