We need the biodiversity of the unseen world
There are many reasons to appreciate the incredible value of microbial life
Biodiversity is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.” Between COVID-19 and reading “Never Home Alone” by Rob Dunn, I’m even more intrigued by the impact and importance of the immeasurable biodiversity in the unseen world around us and inside of us.
It’s easy to be germophobic right now, but not all microbes are harmful to human health.
“Viruses, like bacteria, can be important beneficial microbes in human health and in agriculture,” a literature review by Dr. Marilyn Roossinck, professor of plant pathology and environmental microbiology and biology at Pennsylvania State University, found.
Viruses and bacteria have been battling it out forever. Some viruses, called bacteriophages or just phages, infect specific bacteria. Medical researchers are already looking at using phages to treat cancer and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Speaking of which, a number of years ago, my partner (during a family dinner, of course) told us about fecal transplants . We stopped laughing once we realized he wasn’t making it up. It is a most effective treatment for C. difficile colitis infections.
Estimates vary, but the number of bacteria in our body is roughly equal to the number of human cells, with a mass of about 0.2 kilograms. Your gut is home to a great deal of those microorganisms, and what you eat makes a difference. An article in the American Society for Microbiology Journal reports that people who consume fermented foods have, “subtle differences in their gut microbiota structure, which is enriched in conjugated linoleic acid, thought to be beneficial.” Bring on the sauerkraut, yogurt, pickles, cheese and, best of all, chocolate!
Wine drinkers will appreciate this from “Never Home Alone:”
“The yeasts in vineyards overwinter in the guts of wasps. Once the grapes are on the vine, the wasps, quite unintentionally, carry yeasts from grape to grape … that start the fermentation process when the grapes are harvested.” How cool is that!
Have you started making bread?
Dunn’s lab was curious whether the “microbes on the bodies of the bakers and in their homes and bakeries would influence the microbes in the (sourdough) starters.” Fifteen bakers from around the world were given identical sourdough starter ingredients. Those bakers were then brought into a controlled setting at the Center for Bread Flavour to have their sourdough starters and hands swabbed, and then they baked bread. Their microbes were all different and that created noticeable differences in the flavour and substance of their bread.
Other handmade, microbe-reliant foods, such as kimchi, show differences as well.
This influence of our personal microbiome may also explain why our attempts to replicate our beloved grandmothers’ recipes are never quite the same. Gastronomes and the French speak of terroir — the unique flavours created by the soil, history and biodiversity of a place — and now we must add our personally unique contribution of body and house microbes.
There is no need to repeat how critical handwashing is right now, but our “take no prisoners” approach to cleaning and sanitizing is doing unexpected harm by reducing the number and diversity of bacteria, both beneficial and harmful. We do the same with insects using insecticides. This approach breeds resistance, and always leaves survivors that continue in a world with less competition for food and space that would normally keep them in check.
You can improve your microbial biodiversity during gardening season by making sure you have a great variety of plants, preferably native ones, and to open your windows to circulate the naturally residing microbes. And get your hands in the soil! More and more studies are showing how important soil microbes are for both mental health and your immune system. Even if it’s just potted plants on your balcony.
If you need just one more reason to appreciate the incredible value of microbial life, C.A. Suttle, associate dean of science at University of British Columbia, wrote this in “Viruses: Unlocking the greatest biodiversity on Earth:”
“There are about 200 megatonnes of carbon in viruses in the ocean, which is equal to about 75 million blue whales . . . . As I tell my students, whales are great; many are top predators; however, if you are interested in how the planet functions, it is not the whales that are important, it is the microbial life that we cannot see.”