Global Microbiology

Overview: Microbes are everywhere, are the major contributor of the base of the food web in marine systems and hence support almost all marine life, support terrestrial plants that are the base of the terrestrial food web, and hence support almost all terrestrial life, including us, and profoundly influence the lives of most organisms directly and indirectly, in addition to shaping the planetary surface and habitable subsurface. Microbes are mighty! Most knowledge about microbes relates to their local activities, for example, their involvement in the production of yoghurt or cheese, their recycling of farm wastes, etc. But since they are everywhere, what about their global activities? Let’s discover the global microbial citizens, who they are, what they are doing, how they affect us, and how we can use them to our advantage!