Microbiology has never been more relevant to society. Yet, despite their profound impact on our lives, public understanding of the microbial world remains surprisingly limited. As this year’s World Teachers’ Day highlights the vital role teachers play in creating a better future, the EAM Outreach Taskforce discusses the importance of quality microbial literacy to achieve this task. #MicrobiologyEvents
Why microbial literacy matters
From global warming and climate change, pandemics and antimicrobial resistance to food production and security, environmental degradation, sustainable development and biotechnology, microorganisms influence many of the most pressing challenges and opportunities that define our century. But as misconceptions about microorganisms persist, misinformation spreads rapidly and microbiology often remains invisible in educational programs and public discourse.
This disconnect matters. Scientific advances achieve their greatest impact only when they are understood, trusted, and translated into informed decisions.
In the case of microbiology, public perceptions can directly influence health behaviors, environmental practices, and support evidence-based policies. Building microbiology literacy is therefore an essential component of a resilient and scientifically informed society rather than a simple educational objective.
For decades, microbiologists have generated fundamental and practical knowledge, but generating knowledge alone is no longer sufficient. The challenge today is ensuring that this knowledge reaches society in an accessible, relevant, and meaningful way. This requires moving beyond traditional academic channels and embracing engagement as a core responsibility of the scientific community.
Teachers’ roles in microbial literacy
Teachers are central to this effort. They are among the most influential science communicators, shaping the scientific understanding of future generations.
We as scientists have the opportunity and responsibility to provide educators with accessible resources, practical tools, and professional development. The European Academy of Microbiology’s vision is broad and considers activities beyond classrooms. Museums, science centers, citizen-science initiatives, community projects, and family activities all contribute to creating a culture in which science becomes part of everyday life.
Revealing to learners how microbes influence their lives, activities and behaviors opens up curricular contexts, frameworks, and opportunities: educators can teach vital ‘soft skills’ and life lessons, such as critical thinking, the interconnectedness of everything, and importance of systems thinking, the benefits of diversity, the need to address societal inequalities, etc. These may otherwise be difficult to place in other educational contexts.
Scientific initiatives to improve microbial literacy
At a time when misinformation travels faster than scientific evidence, outreach becomes an essential responsibility of the scientific community. Creating opportunities for dialogue between scientists and citizens helps build trust, encourages critical thinking, and allows people to engage directly with scientific knowledge. Educational resources, public events, digital and community-based initiatives are not merely communication tools; they are investments in society’s capacity to navigate complex challenges.
Encouragingly, a growing number of initiatives are working to strengthen microbiology education and public engagement. Among them is the Microbiology Education and Outreach Task Force of the European Academy of Microbiology (EAM). The mandate of the taskforce is to develop policies and strategies to promote microbiology literacy based on collaboration, educational innovation, and knowledge sharing. Their efforts reflect a broader recognition that microbiology should be more visible, accessible, and closely connected to society.
Achieving this vision will require collaboration across sectors. Researchers, educators, professional societies, science communicators, museums, foundations and international organizations all have a role to play. No single institution can transform scientific literacy alone, but together they can help create a society that better understands the microbial world and its influence on our future.
Ultimately, success will not be measured by the number of educational resources produced or the number of outreach activities delivered. It will be reflected in a future where microbiology is widely recognized as an essential component of scientific literacy and citizens make informed decisions to address challenges ranging from public health and food security to environmental sustainability.
Achieving this vision will require sustained commitment, innovation, and collaboration, but the rewards are significant. By strengthening microbiology literacy today, we can help build a more informed, resilient, and scientifically engaged society for decades ahead.
In that sense, outreach is not simply communication – it is an investment in trust, knowledge, and the long-term relevance of microbiology to society.
Kenneth Nigel Timmis is Professor Emeritus at the Technical University of Braunschweig and a leading scientist in bacterial genetics applied to biotechnology and environmental remediation. His research has delivered foundational advances, including the “minimal replicon” concept and the development of engineered bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida KT2440, widely used in bioremediation and genetic engineering. He has held leadership roles at major research institutions, including the Max Planck Institute, the University of Geneva, and the GBF–Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. He founded influential journals in environmental and microbial biotechnology. Beyond research, he champions science education through the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative, promoting public understanding of microbes. His contributions have earned numerous honors, including Fellowship of the Royal Society and the 2023 FEMS-Lwoff Award. He has been President of the European Academy of Microbiology.
Juan Luis Ramos Martín is a Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Granada and a leading expert in environmental microbiology and bacterial metabolism. His work focuses on Pseudomonas species, particularly the regulation of catabolic pathways for aromatic compound degradation and the mechanisms underlying resistance to organic solvents. He has played key editorial roles in leading journals, including Journal of Bacteriology, Environmental Microbiology, and Microbial Biotechnology. In addition to his research, he is actively involved in mentoring and promoting emerging young scientists in microbiology. His achievements have been recognized with major honors, including the 2012 Rey Jaime I Prize for Environmental Protection and the 2013 FEMS-Lwoff Award. He is an elected member of both the American Academy of Microbiology and the European Academy of Microbiology.
Chantal Abergel is a French virologist and Research Director at CNRS, internationally recognized for her pioneering work on giant viruses. She co-founded the IGS laboratory in Marseille and has been behind landmark discoveries including Mimivirus and Megavirus, as well as research on prehistoric giant viruses recovered from Siberian permafrost. Her work explores virus–host interactions, environmental roles and the evolution of life.
Lara Amorim is an FCT scholarship holder and PhD candidate in Science Teaching and Outreach at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto. With a background in microbiology and food science, her research includes the study of lytic phages targeting Salmonella, alongside her involvement in international projects such as BiomeHealth, MiCropBiome COST Action and IMiLI. Alongside her research, Lara brings extensive experience as an educator, with nine years of teaching experience and more than seven years teaching the Cambridge International Curriculum.
Patricia Bernal is an Associate Professor and Group Leader in Environmental and Molecular Microbiology at the University of Seville. Her research focuses on bacterial secretion systems, extracellular membrane vesicles and gene-editing tools, with particular interest in bacterial interactions in agricultural and plant-associated environments. Through her work, she explores how understanding microbial interactions can contribute to biotechnology, ecosystems and sustainable agriculture.
Anna Karnkowska is an Associate Professor at the University of Warsaw, where she leads the Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes group. Her research explores the evolution, ecology and genomics of microbial eukaryotes, including the origins and evolution of organelles such as mitochondria and plastids. She also investigates horizontal gene transfer and the diversity and ecological roles of freshwater protists. Her work has been recognized with the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Award
Pablo Nikel is Full Professor and Chair of Synthetic Bacterial Metabolism at DTU Biosustain, where he leads the Systems Environmental Microbiology group. His research explores how bacterial metabolism can be engineered to create new-to-nature compounds and develop more sustainable approaches to chemical production and bioremediation. His team uses the environmental bacterium Pseudomonas putida as a versatile microbial platform for this work. He has built an international research career and his contributions have received recognition from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
About the blog
The section #MicrobiologyEvents for the #FEMSmicroBlog reports about events and meetings relevant to our network. These include world awareness days, FEMS-sponsored meetings or meetings of Member Societies and many more.
| DO YOU WANT TO BE A GUEST CONTRIBUTOR? |
| The #FEMSmicroBlog welcomes external bloggers, writers and SciComm enthusiasts. Get in touch if you want to share your idea for a blog entry with us! |