Microbes are an integral and essential part of the web of life. They carry out a variety of important ecological functions, from recycling organic matter to aiding in the carbon and nitrogen cycles. This article will discuss their importance to both nature and human industry and society as well as their applications in some key industries.
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Humans and microbes: A brief history
Disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms has been a major killer throughout history. Our species continued survival has been a source of fascination for people all the way back to prehistory. Over the millennia, physicians and scientists have struggled to better understand disease has led to many treatments, some sadly not as effective as others. The domestication of animals for food sources also brought additional problems, with pathogens jumping from animal to human hosts.
Humans have had an intimate relationship with microbes throughout history, using them for many important purposes. The food industry especially has long used microbes, and over the last couple of centuries they have been utilized in the life sciences and medical industries, the energy industry, waste treatment, and many more industries besides.
Microbiology, the study of microbes, has existed since the early 17th century with the invention of the microscope. Earlier works such as the theory of contagious diseases in the 16th century, proposed by Girolamo Fracastoro, paved the way for the field. Modern studies have further revealed details about the structure and uses of microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and plasmodia.
Thousands of industrially important products are derived from microbes including actinomycetes, bacteria, and fungi. More products created by microbiologists are entering the market every year.
Microorganisms in nature
Microorganisms play an intrinsic role in almost every natural cycle. Found in most environments, from aquatic to land, air, inside the human body, and even in extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents and volcanoes, microorganisms are an essential part of the web of life.
Microbes help to break down organic matter from plants, animals, and other microbes. They are involved with the nitrogen and carbon cycles. Microorganisms help to generate oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as fix atmospheric nitrogen into useable forms for multiple organisms. They also help animals ingest food by being part of the gut microbiome. Some species of microbe are symbiotic in nature. It is estimated that the total number of bacteria and archaea on Earth is in the region of 1030.
Microbes and drug discovery
Microorganisms cause numerous diseases in humans, plants, animals, and there are even strains of microbe (such as bacteriophages) that are pathogenic to other microorganisms. Early advances in the field of medicine that utilized microbes include the discovery of penicillin and the development of antibiotics in the early part of the 20th century and the discovery of an effective vaccine against smallpox in the 19th century.
Microbes are used in numerous drug discovery studies today. In 1991, half the pharmaceuticals on the market were either natural products or derivatives. In 1997, 42% of the top-selling pharmaceuticals were obtained from natural sources. Today, hundreds of thousands of secondary metabolites have been identified, and these are used widely in the pharmaceutical industry. Antivirals, antibiotics, and antifungals are commonly used in healthcare settings across the world.
Resistance to drugs has grown in recent decades, most notably antibiotic resistance. This presents several challenges in drug discovery, but new designer drugs are entering the market that is allowing clinicians to treat and cure deadly diseases that are becoming increasingly hard to tackle via existing means.
Microbes in the food industry
The history of microbe use in the food industry stretches back to antiquity. Many food products including bread, yogurt, cheese, kombucha, preserves and preserved meats, and alcoholic beverages take advantage of microbes and their chemical reactions. Microbes also play a vital role in the gut as part of the microbiome, which has spurred techniques to improve the design of microbiome-friendly foods.
Techniques to prevent contamination by pathogenic bacteria improve food safety, design, quality, and shelf-life. Antimicrobial food packaging is a relatively recently developed technology in the food industry. Research into microbes and safeguarding against their danger to human health is of paramount importance to the multi-billion-dollar food industry.
Waste treatment and environmental remediation
Microbes break down and feed on human waste. They have been used in sewage and wastewater treatment for the last couple of centuries, with ever-more sophisticated applications improving sanitation and health for billions worldwide. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are commonly utilized by the waste industry.
Research over the past few decades has also provided microbial applications for cleaning up pollution and disposing of plastic waste, two of the most critical issues facing modern society. Microbial systems that help to reduce carbon emissions have also been explored extensively.
Microbes and agriculture
Agriculture takes advantage of the natural cycles and behavior of both plants and animals. Microbes have played a vital role in the history of farming and agriculture. They are a major source of concern for farmers and agricultural scientists due to common diseases such as black rot, bacterial soft rot, bacterial leaf spot, blight, and numerous fungal and viral infections that affect crops worldwide. Numerous treatments and remediation strategies have been developed over the years.
A recent important development in the field of agriculture has been genetic modification. Genetic modification techniques use microbes to amplify beneficial genes. The rise of genetic modification, whilst controversial, offers the possibility of disease-resistant crops and strains that show a more robust response to climate change. Microbes are intrinsically linked with the future of sustainable agriculture.
The future
Many innovative technologies are making use of microbes today. They are currently being explored for construction, bioremediation, energy security and generation, and much more. The future of our relationship with these industrially important organisms is likely to be as intricate and intriguing as our long history with microorganisms.
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Further Reading
International experts set framework for microbiota diagnostics