Twenty Important Research Questions in Microbial Exposure and Social Equity.

Jake M Robinson ,Megan A Carney ,Sierra Jech ,Laura Grieneisen ,Mauna Dasari ,Philip M Weinstein ,Christina A Bosch ,Harry Watkins ,Christopher A Lowry ,Ally Hunter ,Gwynne Mhuireach ,Nicole Redvers ,Araceli Camargo ,Lisa A Brenner ,James Monroe Stewart ,Edauri Navarro-Pérez ,Patrick F Horve ,Ioana Man ,Euan G Ritchie ,Andrew J Hoisington ,Michael Friedman ,Anna Jørgensen ,Leslie Dietz ,Martin F Breed ,Ashvini Chauhan ,Suzanne L Ishaq

doi:10.1128/msystems.01240-21

Abstract

ABSTRACTSocial and political policy, human activities, and environmental change affect the ways in which microbial communities assemble and interact with people. These factors determine how different social groups are exposed to beneficial and/or harmful microorganisms, meaning microbial exposure has an important socioecological justice context. Therefore, greater consideration of microbial exposure and social equity in research, planning, and policy is imperative. Here, we identify 20 research questions considered fundamentally important to promoting equitable exposure to beneficial microorganisms, along with safeguarding resilient societies and ecosystems. The 20 research questions we identified span seven broad themes, including the following: (i) sociocultural interactions; (ii) Indigenous community health and well-being; (iii) humans, urban ecosystems, and environmental processes; (iv) human psychology and mental health; (v) microbiomes and infectious diseases; (vi) human health and food security; and (vii) microbiome-related planning, policy, and outreach. Our goal was to summarize this growing field and to stimulate impactful research avenues while providing focus for funders and policymakers.

Highlights

Minireview health and well-being; (iii) humans, urban ecosystems, and environmental processes; (iv) human psychology and mental health; (v) microbiomes and infectious diseases; (vi) human health and food security; and (vii) microbiome-related planning, policy, and outreach
Microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, algae, fungi, and protozoans, along with viruses, have key roles in maintaining favorable human health, but they are fundamental to many diseases
Formed in 2020, the Microbes and Social Equity (MSE) working group collaborates on research, curricula, policy, and practice related to microbiomes and our interactions with them (Fig. 1) [1, 2]

Summary

Introduction

Minireview health and well-being; (iii) humans, urban ecosystems, and environmental processes; (iv) human psychology and mental health; (v) microbiomes and infectious diseases; (vi) human health and food security; and (vii) microbiome-related planning, policy, and outreach. Rapid advances in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics have dramatically increased our ability to study the function, assembly, and complexity of microbial communities. This explosion in microbial research has revealed important insights into how microorganisms influence the functionality and resilience of ecosystems, along with human and nonhuman health. Formed in 2020, the Microbes and Social Equity (MSE) working group collaborates on research, curricula, policy, and practice related to microbiomes and our interactions with them (Fig. 1) [1, 2]. The workshop participants used an established discussion and voting-based research method to identify 20 important research questions in microbial exposure and social equity [3, 4]. Similar workshops have been carried out in microbial ecology [3], conservation biology [4], and sustainability [5] and are directly applicable to the development of research and socioecological policy

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion