Microorganisms to The Rescue

Microorganisms don’t just play a vital role participating in various cycles, helping to digest food and decompose waste, they outnumber any other living organism. They have adapted to and inhabit all kinds of different environments from extreme conditions- such as the ice caps, hot vents on the ocean floor and salt lakes- to the air around us to the human body. The remarkable ability of microorganisms to adapt to such straining conditions provide us with the option to harness their capabilities through studies that shed light on the evolutionary processes, genetics and natural interactions of micro-organisms in ecosystems to provide solutions for the many challenges the world face in the light of increased human population, pollution, global climate change and increasing pressure on ecosystems. This essay will discuss the use of the numerous beneficial microorganisms in the medical, educational, agricultural and environmental sectors to help reach the no poverty, zero hunger, ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing, life on land, and water and sanitation sustainability development goals (SDG’s) set out by the United Nations.

The poverty, hunger, life on land, ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing, and water and sanitation SDG’s are closely linked and important as they are some of the leading causes of death in low- and middle- income countries. Microorganisms and poverty have a very destructive relationship as nearly 12, 6 million people die yearly due to an unhealthy environment (World Health Organization, 2016a). Further research found that 52% of deaths in low- income countries are caused by communicable diseases, nutrient deficiencies and maternal causes. Whereas rich, developed countries only have a 2% mortality rate caused by those factors (World Health Organization, 2017b). According to additional research 793 million people face extreme hunger daily, out of which 791 million are from developing nations (FAO, et al., 2015). Poor sanitation and inadequate water supply has further caused the deaths of around 842000 people living in developing countries as these conditions encourage the transmission of diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. The above-mentioned number represents 58% of the global diarrheal deaths (World Health Organization, 2016a). This serves as an indication of the hardship endured by people with limited access to proper healthcare, food and sanitation and it highlights the importance of these problems being tackled together as all the SDG’s have the potential to influence one another.

Micro-organisms, however can provide solutions to these problems. Although these solutions will not necessarily directly contribute to solving for example poverty in 3rd world countries, it can assist in alleviating the effects of poverty, such as improving the general health of societies caught in the problem of living in poor conditions. That will in turn empower these societies to be able to work and improve their circumstances. Many vaccines in the form of weakened pathogens, medicines produced from micro-organism metabolites, degradation of waste materials in the environment and perhaps even competition between microorganisms are all ways in which solutions can be reached. Vaccines provided to the human populous located in disease – prone areas with weakened strains of pathogens help to increase resistance to the disease by stimulating a response from the human immune system to generate antibodies that would destroy the wild strain should it infect that individual (Kaech, et al., 2002). New possibilities of industrializing micro-organisms whose ecological niches are to break down inorganic materials will play a crucial part in cleaning up polluted areas which is a breeding ground for diseases and infections and is commonly found in poor communities (Shah, et al., 2008). Furthermore, by clean-up of pollutants an environment can be restored to fully functional which will improve the natural ecosystem around and from which impoverished countries usually draw their livelihoods. Incorporating micro-organisms into agricultural sectors with beneficial symbiotic characteristics with specific plants could also enhance crop yield and improve food quality and availability in poor regions (Johansson, et al.,2004; Khan, et al., 2009). These solutions are all indirect and require additionally transformed economic goals for it to be viable, but it can be achieved.

Another way to improve the lifestyle of people in poverty is by an improved education system that is accessible to all, as this will help reduce the risk of being infected by a pathogenic disease (Prokop, et al., 2016). Research done by Smilowitz, et al. (2015) found that raising awareness and improving education about breastfeeding, the disease-fighting and immune system of the infant can be improved by adapting certain specific routines or habits. Other research found that learning about microbes as part of primary school education also show significant improvement in the maintenance of hygiene (Mafra et al., 2015). It has also been found that the daily behaviour of individuals who have studied a microbiology course have been altered (Jones, et al., 2013), changes include not touching contaminated micro abounded surfaces or not eating food that have not been stored under the right conditions. Both is useful in the prevention of outbreaks in communities that live near one another, commonly found in the developing world. If whole communities are educated with regards to microbes in their environment, safe health practices and their responsibility towards working with microbes, the health quality within the communities will elevate. This gives people the opportunity to work for an income to provide food for their families, in turn this helps sustain these families’ health. Educating people about microorganism is another indirect approach using and encouraging research about microorganisms- their ecological niche and their influence on humans- as this will enhance and even potentially change the cyclic lifestyle people living in poverty and hunger find themselves in.

One of the consequences of living in poverty or poorly managed countries is hunger and can be dealt with by increasing the food production or better management of food distribution (Battcock and AzamAli, 1998). Microbes, due to their diverse functions and hosts, are often used to enhance soil fertility, crop production and biocontrol of plant pathogens. Minor agricultural input systems use phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiotic fungi and various microbe-based pathogen control systems as an important approach regarding an increase in crop production (Johansson, et al.,2004; Khan, et al., 2009). Unlike the chemical products currently being used in agriculture, using green microorganisms as bio enrichers and biocontrol, benefits the environment as it doesn’t pose any harm to the environment if it is regulated in appropriation to the ecosytem (Pereg and McMillan,2015; Richardson and Simpson, 2011). Adequate food distribution is haltered by raw materials- fruit, vegetables, milk and meat- being wasted due to inadequate food processing or faulty storage conditions, since undesired environmental conditions trigger microbial development. The most successful methods used to limit, or demolished microbial growth is by preservation. This is done using methods such as canning, freezing and drying. These methods are known to be expensive, used only on industrial level and can potentially have food safety implications such as botulism which is caused by Clostridium botulinum (Shapiro, et al., 1998). However, by using the valuable green and economically-viable fermentation ability of microorganisms on fruits and vegetables these foods can be preserved for longer-terms (Ross, et al., 2002). Bacteria often used in these fermentation processes are Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces and Acetobacter because of the primary and secondary metabolites they produce (Caplice and Fitzgerald, 1999; Ross, et al., 2002). Lactobacillus are found in fermented foods such as many ancient staples, fermented milk, yogurt, wine, cheese, olives, pickles, sourdough bread, fermented sausages, salami and recent probiotic dairy products (Bernardeau, et al., 2006). Whereas the well-known Saccharomyces is known to be found in the brewing and distilling industries as well as bread and probiotics production (Johnson and Echavarri-Erasun, 2011). Acetobacter is known to oxidize ethyl alcohol to acid, a process used in the production of vinegar, they are also found as a biofilm on beer wort, pickle brine and fruit juices (Trček, et al., 1997). Another alternative way to prevent food waste is by using a microbiological procedure by which excess food material and industrial or house waist are converted into edible form. One such an example is Tempe-bongkrek, produced by fermenting coconut pulp and peanut press cake after the oil extraction (Nout and Kiers, 2005). Microorganisms thus have potential in the production and preservation of food to reduce world hunger, but for this potential to be achieved one must be educated about these organisms as well as have the necessary resources to make use of these organisms.

Another well-known problem is the constant incline of pollution levels worldwide. Pollution can be classified in different types with air, water and soil pollution as the main problems as they influence bigger groups of people as well as bigger environmental areas. Microorganisms therefore play a pivotal role in controlling pollution, pollution related diseases and their morality rate as they are abundant in these mandatory resources for life on earth. One way in which microbes are used to control pollution in a green and ecological compatible way is by bioremediation for decontamination of water and soil. Microbes use processes where biosorption and bioaccumulation remediates heavy metals and other pollutants from contaminated water and soil. Furthermore, microbes also degrade hydrocarbons that contaminates both the sea and the soil (Das, et al., 2011; Zabochnicka- Swiatek and Kryzwonos, 2014). Air pollution is combated in various ways one of which is by means of biofiltration. These filtration mechanisms utilize the metabolic reactions of microbes to restore contaminated air. This application is economical and effective for large quantities of air that contain low concentrations of contaminants. These contaminants are absorbed as gas where microbial interaction occurs. Contaminants are broken down to water vapour, carbon dioxide, and organic biomass trough oxidative and occasional reductive reactions. Air pollutants can be inorganic or organic vapours that are used as an energy and occasionally as a carbon source for the growth and maintenance of microbe populations (Leson and Winer, 2012). Recent studies also identified microbes, that can break down certain plastics (Shah, et al., 2008). This is an important field as plastics are of the biggest contributors to various types of pollution and take a long time to degrade. The presence of plastic in ecosystems also gives rise to various health problems being caused by animals dying and degrading in water sources due to the intake of plastic. This in turn causes higher presence of microbes that are responsible for decomposing or diseases being present in these water resources and infecting the population using the water. However, if the contaminated water is run through a sewage or water treatment plant the contaminant organisms would be reduced or eliminated due to the competition of the microorganisms being used in these treatment plants. Therefore, it is clear that microbes can help with the control and reduction of pollution- related diseases which is commonly found in communities with inadequate or no water and sanitation plants. This makes microbes crucial role players when attempting to reach SDG 15 and 7.

As can be seen the overarchingly presence and functions of Microbes make them essential allies if we want to save the planet. The examples listed highlight the importance and potential microbes have, to reach the sustainability development goals in the areas of medical, educational, agricultural and environmental sectors. If given the right resources and making use of the research we have and research still to be done on microbes, the sustainability development goals can be achieved directly and facilitated in its achievement indirectly. However, the listed sustainability development goals are not the only ones that can be achieved using microbes but are easier and faster to achieve as there are already research done in these field, that must just be furthered to make it applicable to all countries and communities. Whereas more research still needs to be done as to how microbes can specifically or directly change, impact and improve for example the sustainability development goals regarding gender equalities and justice. It is important to remember that even though Louis Pasteur (Lanska, 2014) said that it is microbes that will have the last word, it is in our power to decide what last words they have.