White House backs microbe research

On Friday, the Obama administration announced a “moonshot” that focuses on our world’s tiniest inhabitants. The National Microbiome Initiative will dive into the microbes that live on, in, and around us — providing a wave of funding and support for one of the hottest young scientific fields.

“Although new technologies have enabled exciting discoveries about the importance of microbiomes, scientists still lack the knowledge and tools to manage microbiomes in a manner that prevents dysfunction or restores healthy function,” said a statement released by the White House.

A growing body of evidence suggests that the microorganisms of our planet have a powerful influence on human health. Scientists are working to figure out what bacteria are tied to particular diseases — and which bacteria seem to be prevalent in and on the healthiest members of our species.

Some illnesses, like the devastating gastrointestinal infection C. difficile, are already being treated with microbial hacks like Fecal Microbiota Transplants, which replace the “bad” bacteria of the infection with hardy microbes taken from a healthy donor’s feces.

But the initiative won’t just focus on the bacteria and fungi that cling to human bodies — it will also support research on microbes that can be used in fuel production and food processing, microbes that contribute to the health and productiveness of soil, and microbes that cause harm to animal populations — like the algae blooms that are becoming increasingly common as ocean waters get warmer.

The announcement comes just months after a group of experts in the field published a proposal for such an initiative in the journal Science.