91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ

This article was originally published in Oct. 2021 and has since been updated. 

The consist of 17 interconnected global objectives identified by the United Nations (UN) as a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all" by 2030. 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ is committed to harnessing the power of microbes to address the planet’s most pressing challenges, and we believe that  microbes, which know no borders and are adept surviving in extreme and constantly changing environments, will be instrumental to achieving the UN’s SDGs.

To help spread this message, 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ CEO Stefano Bertuzzi, Ph.D, joined a wide range of renowned speakers during the opening plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Science Summit on Sept. 14, 2021. “Understanding the world of microbes is absolutely imperative to curb their dangerous effects and to harness their power for healthier life, for sustainable energy sources, for biodiversity, for tackling climate change and for solving hunger problems,” Bertuzzi said.

Following the event, 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ leadership, including Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., Greetchen Díaz-Muñoz, Ph.D., Tim Donohue, Ph.D., and Jo Handelsman, Ph.D., hosted a virtual panel to identify specific ways in which microbes can be used to address the issues that Bertuzzi highlighted in his plenary address.

As a further commitment to the effort of championing global sustainability, 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ signed the UN SDG Publishers Compact in March 2024 and recently launched its first article collection highlighting top sustainability-related articles across the journals program.

91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ staff also attended the 2024 UNGA from Sept. 24-26 in New York, urging delegates to address the gaps, challenges and opportunities to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the threat of AMR is greatest.



Importantly, the UNSDGs mirror many of 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s policy principles, and many are connected directly or indirectly to the microbial sciences. Some examples are highlighted below.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Microbes are integral in food production. Some soil microbes aid in plant growth via their role in soil protection and fertilization, while others are destroyers of food (spoilage), crops and livestock, and still others are direct producers of food through fermentation. Microbes play roles in agriculture and food production that can impact crop health and potentially increase yield to help feed a growing global population, yet we must also be cautious of the large energy and environmental inputs required by many agricultural practices.

To achieve changes, researchers need to obtain scientific knowledge to promote the activities of ; utilize microbes to ; increase carbon storage by microbes on land and water and engineer microbes to reduce the negative impacts of agricultural inputs.

91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ is advocating for and investments in microbiome research to understand soil microbiomes and the agriculturally significant microbiomes.

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

As seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and other microbes continue to plague humanity. Those living in countries with limited resources and limited access to medical care carry the highest burden of infectious diseases.

On the other hand, a third of the drugs we use, including numerous antibiotics (penicillin), cholesterol lowering and anticancer drugs, are made by microbes. Microbes are also factories for new drugs made by recombinant DNA technology and the source of . Gut microbes are key components of health as they assist in food digestion and are even responsible for the production of some of the vitamins that are essential for our health.

91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ and our members are working to address antimicrobial resistance through research and advocacy for antimicrobial stewardship and the development of new antimicrobials and diagnostics. 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ’s Global Public Health Programs works to build laboratory capacity in low and middle income countries, expanding access to diagnostic tests and improving surveillance of emerging infectious pathogens.

Goal 5 and 10: Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities

Women may not have equal opportunities or access to scientific pursuits in low resource countries. However, even in the U.S. and many other regions around the globe, women are underrepresented in STEM fields and academia, despite having equal or higher levels of education than their male counterparts. Most of the food in the world is produced on farms of 2 hectares or less, many of which are managed by women with the joint goal of providing for their families. Knowledge of the microbial sciences and its role in the environment and agriculture can empower small farmers to earn a livable wage.

Additionally, microbiologists should and, in return, give Indigenous people a voice in global management of resources. They are often the most deeply affected by the actions of state actors and should be empowered through both policies and practices to influence the Earth’s, and their own, future.

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Microbes can reduce pollution in water and thus improve water quality. The presence of certain microbes in water can also lead to diseases with high mortality, such as cholera and childhood diarrhea. Soil is the largest water filter in the world, hence the importance of maintaining its health, integrity and microbial community. Conversely, some microorganisms have a beneficial impact on our water sources, such as those that can break down oil or other dangerous toxins.

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Microbes can have direct roles in the production of affordable clean energy through the generation of new types of fuels. Not only are researchers exploring new ways of getting electricity directly from microbes, but microbial catalysts can also help convert renewable materials into hydrocarbon fuels. Researchers are working to develop microbial scrubbers to remove pollutants from soil, ground water and other contaminated sites.

While methane-producing microbes can also contribute to the input of greenhouse gases, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that changes to agricultural practices could lower net carbon dioxide emissions ~100-1000 gigatons by the end of the 21st century. Plugging microbes into a clean energy future around the world will provide a distributed and sustainable supply chain that is secure, resilient and responsive to the ever-evolving needs of citizens around the globe.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Microbes are essential for many industries—pharmaceuticals and food production, for example. As discussed, there is tremendous benefit to harnessing the power of microbes to convert renewable resources into , fuels and chemicals. Advances in genomics have paved the way for a “green bioeconomy” based on these abilities. Deploying microbes for a green bioeconomy will require advances in genomics, systems and synthetic biology, computational sciences, machine learning and tech analysis. Such a future may increase productivity and quality of products from agriculture and spawn a circular economy that recycles abundant materials.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Microbes are responsible for both production and destruction of foodstuffs and are a key element in reducing waste from spoilage. Some microorganisms can degrade plastics, toxins and agricultural waste, while others convert excess fertilizer to nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. Understanding these applications and downstream effects can help inform responsible comsumption and production practices across a variety of industries. 

Goal 13: Climate Action

As the most abundant and oldest organisms on Earth, microorganisms have developed numerous strategies for adapting to and persisting in unique or changing environments. This flexibility makes our microbial counterparts a uniquely viable resource when it comes to developing solutions to climate change. Additionally, microbes are responsible for most elemental flows on the planet and are important producers and consumers of greenhouse gasses. Investment in microbial systems can, therefore, lower greenhouse gas emissions and convert renewable resources into low-carbon and low-cost electricity, fuels, chemicals and materials.

In 2021, the American Academy of Microbiology, announced a 5-year commitment to making climate change a major focus of its efforts. As part of this commitment, the Academy has prioritized scientific understanding in 3 major areas:

• Health, microbes and the environment.
• Microbial diversity: cascading effects of climate change.
• Microbial controls on greenhouse gases.

Goal 14 & 15: Life Below Water and Life on Land

Microbes are critical contributors to both the health and disease of ecosystems and, thus, are essential components for life below water and on land. One gram of soil contains as many bacteria as there are people on Earth. Soil bacteria promote the health of our crops by increasing drought tolerance, protecting plants from disease and providing nutrients necessary for growth. Meanwhile, oceans represent the Earth’s largest ecosystem and hold (mineral, energy and food resources) (pollution and eutrophication), which can all be impacted by microbes. Attention to the microbial sciences can help to stop land degradation and the loss of biodiversity in water, soil, land and air.

Undoubtedly, harnessing the power of microbes is key to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all, and 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ is committed to raising awareness among political leaders about the importance of science in policymaking that will promote microbial solutions, which support the SDGs. In advance of the 2024 UNGA, 91Â鶹ÌìÃÀ sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, recommending key priorities for the U.S. Delegation to the UNGA, and UN member states voted on the collected recommendations to secure bold commitments to combat AMR at the end of the assembly. “All these goals require international collaboration and partnership,” Bertuzzi recognized. Sustainability is a global initiative, just as microbiology is a global science.