How Microbiomes Can Help Us Deal with Climate Change | Steven Allison | TEDxUCIrvine

Summary

This script explores the vital role of microbes in maintaining planetary health and their potential in addressing climate change. Microbes, though often overlooked, are Earth's most adaptable inhabitants and can thrive in extreme conditions. They contribute to the human microbiome, aid in decomposition, and may offer solutions to agricultural challenges and carbon sequestration. The script highlights the resilience and adaptability of microbiomes, suggesting they could be key to mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Microbes are ubiquitous and play a crucial role in maintaining planetary chemical cycles.
• 🌡️ Bacterial mats in Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring demonstrate microbes' ability to thrive in extreme conditions like near-boiling temperatures.
• 🌱 Humans are impacting the climate by emitting greenhouse gases, but microbes could potentially mitigate this through their adaptability and diversity.
• 🤧 The majority of microbes are not harmful; in fact, most are beneficial to human health, forming the human microbiome.
• 🌊 Microbiomes, like those in the ocean performed by cyanobacteria, are essential for producing the planet's breathable oxygen.
• 🌱 Soil microbiomes are as important as those in the human body or the ocean, acting as the planet's 'skin' and supporting plant life.
• 🌾 Agricultural practices can leverage symbiotic fungi to help crops withstand climate stress and ensure food security.
• 🌿 Microbes are involved in decomposition, a vital recycling process that converts dead organic matter into nutrients for new life.
• 🚀 Researchers are exploring how to harness microbial decomposition to produce sustainable biofuels, contributing to climate solutions.
• 🔬 Microbes' rapid evolution and genetic diversity could help them adapt to climate change, maintaining their ecological functions.
• 🏺 Soil acts as a 'carbon bank,' with microbes playing a role in carbon sequestration, which can contribute to healthier soil and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Q & A

What role do microbes play in the environment, as discussed in the script?

Microbes are essential for maintaining planetary chemical cycles, supporting the health of ecosystems, and performing functions such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, and soil formation. They help balance the Earth's systems and contribute to climate regulation.

How do microbes contribute to the process of photosynthesis in the ocean?

Cyanobacteria, a type of microbe in the ocean, carry out photosynthesis and produce a large fraction of the planet's breathable oxygen. Their green color is so prominent that it can be seen from space via satellites.

What is the human microbiome, and why is it important?

The human microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living in and on our bodies. These microbes are crucial for digestion, disease prevention, and even influencing aspects like mate selection. Despite the common association of microbes with pathogens, less than 1% are harmful.

How do soil microbiomes contribute to agriculture, especially in the context of climate change?

Soil microbiomes, including symbiotic fungi like mycorrhizae, help plants cope with stress from climate change by providing essential water and nutrients. This relationship improves crop yields and supports food security, particularly in the face of heat waves and droughts.

What potential solutions are being explored to harness microbes for addressing climate change?

Researchers are exploring ways to use microbes for sustainable biofuel production, enhancing soil carbon sequestration, and supporting plant health under changing climate conditions. Microbes' ability to evolve and adapt quickly is seen as a key asset in mitigating climate change impacts.

What surprising result did the ecologist find when studying microbiomes' adaptability to different climates?

The ecologist found that microbiomes from cooler climates, when moved to warmer and drier environments, were almost unfazed by the dramatic climate differences. They continued to decompose dead grass effectively, suggesting that microbiomes can adapt to significant environmental changes.

How do soil microbes contribute to carbon sequestration, and why is this important?

Soil microbes contribute to carbon sequestration by producing biofilms that help stabilize soil and by decomposing organic matter into complex chemicals that can be stored in the soil for long periods. This process reduces greenhouse gas buildup in the atmosphere, making soil a critical component in combating climate change.

What are biofilms, and what role do they play in soil health?

Biofilms are sticky substances produced by soil bacteria and fungi that help bind soil particles together, preventing erosion and improving water retention. They also play a significant role in carbon sequestration, as the complex chemicals in biofilms can be stored in the soil for long periods.

Why is the study of microbial decomposition important for future sustainability?

Understanding microbial decomposition is crucial for developing sustainable biofuels and ensuring that nutrient recycling continues under changing climate conditions. By harnessing microbial processes, we can address issues like food security and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

What challenges do scientists face in understanding and leveraging microbiomes for environmental solutions?

The complexity of microbiomes, with their vast diversity and intricate interactions, presents a significant challenge for scientists. While they offer immense potential for solving global problems, fully understanding and harnessing this potential requires further research and advanced techniques like DNA sequencing.

Outlines

00:00

🌡️ Microbes: Earth's Adaptable Inhabitants

This paragraph introduces the ubiquitous presence of microbes in various environments, including extreme conditions like Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring. It emphasizes the importance of microbes in maintaining planetary chemical cycles and their potential role in addressing climate change. The paragraph also dispels common misconceptions about microbes being solely pathogenic, highlighting the vast majority's beneficial nature to human health and the environment. The human microbiome is mentioned as an example of how these microorganisms aid in digestion, disease protection, and even mate selection. The concept of microbiomes in different environments, such as oceans and soils, is introduced, underscoring their critical role in planetary health.

05:01

🌱 Harnessing Microbes for Climate Resilience

The second paragraph delves into the adaptability of microbes and their evolutionary capabilities, which could be harnessed to mitigate the effects of climate change. It discusses the role of microbes in agricultural resilience, particularly through symbiotic relationships with fungi like mycorrhizae, which can help plants withstand heat waves and droughts. The paragraph also touches on the importance of soil microbes in decomposition and nutrient recycling, which is vital for sustaining life on Earth. The potential of microbes in producing sustainable biofuels and their role in soil carbon sequestration are highlighted as part of the climate solution. The adaptability of microbes is further explored through experiments showing their ability to survive in drastically different climates, suggesting their potential in evolving to cope with climate change.

10:03

🌿 The Role of Microbes in a Sustainable Future

The final paragraph focuses on the broader implications of microbes in building a sustainable future. It discusses the role of microbes in creating healthy soil through biofilm formation, which helps in soil erosion resistance and water retention for plants. The significance of microbes in carbon sequestration is emphasized, as their cellular structures can store carbon for extended periods, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The paragraph concludes by acknowledging the challenges of understanding complex microbiomes and the need for further research to leverage their potential in addressing climate change. It ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that with the right research, microbiomes could become a significant part of the solution to climate change.

Keywords

💡Microbes

Microbes are microscopic organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that are essential to life on Earth. They are the main theme of the video, which discusses their omnipresence and crucial roles in maintaining planetary health and chemical cycles. The script highlights their presence in various environments, such as the air, ocean, soil, and on our bodies, and their potential to help with climate change.

💡Grand Prismatic Spring

The Grand Prismatic Spring is a large hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, known for its vibrant colors created by bacterial mats. The video uses this as an example to showcase the adaptability of microbes, which can thrive in extreme conditions like near-boiling temperatures, and to illustrate the beauty and importance of microbial life.

💡Human Microbiome

The human microbiome refers to the collection of trillions of microbes that live in and on the human body. The video explains that these microbes are mostly beneficial, aiding in digestion, disease protection, and even mate selection. The concept is used to emphasize the symbiotic relationship between humans and microbes and their contribution to our health.

💡Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are a type of bacteria that perform photosynthesis and are responsible for a significant portion of the planet's breathable oxygen. The script mentions them as an example of how microbes contribute to planetary health, with their green color visible from space, indicating their abundance and ecological significance.

💡Mycorrhizae

Mycorrhizae are symbiotic fungi that form a relationship with plant roots, aiding in the collection of water and nutrients from the soil. The video discusses how these fungi can help plants withstand the stress of climate change, such as heat waves and droughts, by providing them with essential resources in exchange for sugars from photosynthesis.

💡Decomposition

Decomposition is the process by which organic matter is broken down into simpler nutrients by microbes, which is vital for the recycling of nutrients in ecosystems. The script explains that without microbial decomposition, life on Earth would be unsustainable due to the accumulation of dead organic matter.

💡Biofuels

Biofuels are fuels derived from biological materials, such as plant matter. The video mentions that researchers are exploring the use of microbial decomposition to produce sustainable biofuels, which could be part of the solution to climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is the long-term alteration of weather patterns, primarily due to human activities such as the emission of greenhouse gases. The video discusses the impact of climate change on microbial ecosystems and how microbes could potentially help mitigate its effects, such as by adapting to new conditions and aiding in soil carbon sequestration.

💡Biofilms

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that adhere to surfaces and are encased in a protective matrix. The script explains that biofilms formed by soil microbes help to hold soil particles together, resist erosion, and play a role in soil carbon sequestration, contributing to healthier soil and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

💡Genome

A genome is the complete set of genetic material of an organism. The video discusses how microbial genomes contain genes that provide instructions for growth and survival, and how researchers are studying these to understand how microbes can adapt to climate change and contribute to solutions like drought resistance and decomposition.

💡Adaptability

Adaptability refers to the ability of an organism to adjust to new environmental conditions. The video emphasizes the adaptability of microbes, highlighting their capacity to evolve quickly and survive in a range of conditions, which is crucial for their potential role in addressing climate change.

Highlights

Microbes are present everywhere, including air, oceans, soil, and our bodies, and play a crucial role in maintaining planetary chemical cycles.

Bacterial mats in Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring demonstrate microbes' ability to thrive in extreme conditions like near-boiling temperatures.

Despite the climate impact of human activities, microbes have the potential to assist in climate change mitigation due to their adaptability.

The majority of microbes are not pathogenic; instead, they are beneficial, with more microbes than human cells in our bodies aiding digestion and disease protection.

The human microbiome is a critical assemblage of microbes that contribute to our health, similar to microbiomes in other environments.

Cyanobacteria in the ocean perform photosynthesis, providing a significant portion of the planet's oxygen and being visible from space.

Soil microbiomes are as important as human or ocean microbiomes, acting as the planet's skin and providing nutrients for plant growth.

Soil microbiomes' diversity, revealed through DNA sequencing, offers potential solutions to global issues like climate change and food insecurity.

Mycorrhizal fungi can be used to alleviate stress on crops from climate change by enhancing water and nutrient uptake.

Beneficial fungi can also aid in the restoration of degraded soil and the recolonization of native plants.

Soil microbes are essential for decomposition, a biological recycling process that converts dead organic matter into nutrients.

Researchers are exploring the use of microbial decomposition to produce sustainable biofuels from plant materials.

Climate change may affect microbial recycling, potentially altering decomposition rates and greenhouse gas emissions.

Microbes' rapid evolution and adaptability could help them adjust to climate change, maintaining essential ecological functions.

Experiments with microbiomes from various habitats show their resilience and ability to adapt to different climate conditions.

Soil microbiomes contribute to soil health by forming biofilms that improve soil structure and carbon sequestration.

Microbes can sequester carbon in their cell walls, effectively locking away carbon for long periods, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The potential of microbiomes to address climate change is significant, though understanding their complexity remains a scientific challenge.

Despite the challenges, leveraging microbiome diversity could be key to developing solutions for climate change mitigation.

Transcripts

microbes

are everywhere they live in the air the

ocean

the soil and on our bodies lots of them

but before you reach for the hand

sanitizer take a look

at these beautiful bacterial mats in

yellowstone's grand prismatic spring

they're absolutely amazing because

they've somehow figured out how to grow

happily

at near boiling temperatures ever since

life on earth began

probably in a place like this microbes

have kept planetary chemical cycles in

balance

today humans are altering that balance

and changing the climate

by emitting greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere but microbes might be able to

help us with our climate problem after

all

microbes are earth's original and most

adaptable inhabitants

now i know that not everyone is so

enamored with microbes

my biology students tell me that they

usually think of pathogen when they hear

the word microbe

and i know we're in the middle of a

global viral pandemic

but you should keep in mind that far

less than one percent of microbial

diversity

is actually pathogenic to humans in fact

most of the microbes we encounter are

beneficial

there are trillions of bacteria fungi

and viruses living

in and on us right now more of them than

human cells in the body

they help us digest our food protect us

from disease

and maybe even choose our mates

microbiologists call this assemblage of

tiny interlopers

the human microbiome we now know

that there are microbiomes in basically

every environment

in the same way that they help our human

bodies stay healthy

microbiomes in water soil and air are

critical for planetary health

for example cyanobacteria in the ocean

carry out photosynthesis and provide a

large fraction of the planet's

breathable oxygen

even though they're tiny their green

color can be seen from outer space

with satellites they may be harder to

see

but microbiomes in the soil are just as

important as the human or ocean

microbiome

i think about soil as a skin for the

planet that provides nutrients to

sustain crops and other plants

as an ecologist and climate scientist

i've been studying the microbes that

live in soil for 20 years now

just like we've seen with the human

microbiome cutting edge techniques in

molecular biology

especially dna sequencing show that soil

microbiomes are extremely diverse in

their genes

and life cycles scientists are starting

to figure

out how we can harness the diversity of

these often invisible

organisms to solve global problems like

climate change and food insecurity

take agricultural crops for example with

climate change causing more frequent

heat waves and droughts

crop plants may become stressed reducing

yields and threatening food security

but microbes can help there are

symbiotic

fungi called mycorrhizae that grow out

from plant roots

and into the soil where they collect

water and nutrients

then the plant and its symbiotic fungus

make a trade

the fungus sends water and nutrients

into the plant roots

and the plant pays back the fungus with

sugars from photosynthesis

to reduce stress on plants from climate

change farmers can inoculate the soil

with these beneficial fungi

land managers are also starting to use

the same approach

to help native plants recolonize

degraded soil during habitat restoration

so the next time you support an

environmental cause

maybe through a non-profit donation or

volunteer work remember

soil microbes need conservation too

the planet also relies on soil

microbiomes for other essential services

have you ever thought about what happens

to living things like these leaves

mosses and mushrooms when they die i'm

not talking about an existential crisis

i'm talking about microbial

decomposition

think about it like a type of biological

recycling practiced by very diligent

microbes

they take dead bodies and turn them into

useful nutrients

without this essential service life on

earth would grind

to a halt because dead stuff would pile

up depriving the next generation of life

forms

of the raw materials needed for growth

hundreds of researchers funded by the us

department of energy

are even trying to figure out how to

co-opt microbial decomposition

to produce sustainable biofuels from

wood grasses and other plant materials

fuels derived from plants and microbes

are part of the climate solution

because they don't rely on fossil carbon

sources like coal and oil

at the same time ecologists like me are

very concerned about how climate change

might affect microbial recycling in the

environment

a warming climate might speed up the

process and release more greenhouse

gases into the atmosphere

a drier climate might slow down the

microbes and leave plants starved for

essential nutrients

fortunately there is reason for hope

microbes are

super adaptable because they can evolve

very quickly

for example you may have heard of

pathogenic bacteria like staph

evolving antibiotic resistance of course

that's bad for us

but the same evolutionary process could

also help microbes adapt to

climate change which is good after all

microbes evolved

long ago to survive extreme conditions

like the hot springs of yellowstone

just like our human cells each microbial

cell contains a genome

and just like our genomes microbial

genomes contain

genes or dna sequences with instructions

for growth and survival

my colleagues and i have identified

genes that allow bacteria and fungi to

survive drought

and decompose dead plant material we're

currently doing experiments to see how

fast these genes evolve

and what kinds of genetic changes make

bacteria and fungi

more resistant to drought some of our

prior research

shows that microbes have the potential

to deal with climate change

microbiomes and the services they

provide could cope not just by evolving

but also by shifting around the dominant

species of microbes

microbiomes are so diverse that even if

some of the species die out with climate

change

others might survive and take their

place allowing nature's recycling to

continue

to test this idea my colleagues and i

designed special cages to contain

microbiomes from different habitats in

southern california

we sampled microbiomes from places

ranging from forested mountain tops

to hot deserts each cage contained a

microbiome from one of these places

along with sterilized dead grass for the

microbes to use as a food source

we then put the cages back into the

different habitats

so that the microbiomes experienced

pretty dramatic changes in climate

we expected that the microbes from the

cooler places would die out

when we moved them to the warm places

like the hot desert

and they would lose their ability to

consume and recycle the nutrients in the

dead grass material

but when we looked at the results i was

really shocked

the microbiomes were almost unfazed by

this massive climate difference

there were some changes in the dominant

species but mountaintop microbes

decomposed dead grass just as well as

desert microbiomes

in the hot dry climate this result tells

us that microbiomes have the ability to

evolve

and shift to deal with really dramatic

climate changes

another way that soil microbiomes can be

part of the climate change solution

is by building healthy soil many soil

bacteria and fungi

ooze out sticky chemicals to glue

themselves onto soil surfaces

the glue and the microbes form these

biofilms that hold soil particles

together

this helps the soil resist erosion and

hold more water that's available for

plants

microbes in their biofilms also play a

big role in soil carbon sequestration

many forms of carbon from plants like

sugars don't last long in the soil

because they're food for many organisms

including the microbes

but micro bodies and biofilms are made

up of complex chemicals

for example many microbes build cell

walls for protection

so the wall material has to be resistant

to biochemical attack

when the microbes die their corpses

especially those cell walls

can stick around for a really long time

maybe even

thousands of years in this way

soil acts a lot like a bank vault for

carbon

more carbon in the bank means healthier

soil and

less greenhouse gas buildup in the

atmosphere

microbes are sort of like the federal

reserve they can take cash

off the street in the form of these

plant sugars and lock it away in a

chemical vault

for long-term storage with the signs of

climate change becoming more and more

obvious

every day we need to figure out how to

adapt for sure some scary outcomes like

emerging microbial diseases

are definitely something we need to plan

for but microbes can be a part of the

climate solution

if we figure out how to leverage all

that microbiome diversity

to be honest though making sense out of

complex microbiomes is still a

big scientific challenge their

complexity is both a blessing

and a curse we're only beginning to

understand all the strange and wonderful

microbial lifestyles

that have been evolving since the

origins of life on earth

this digital artwork called microbes

reimagined

does a great job of capturing that sense

of mystery

but one thing we do know for sure is

that microbes are

not just pathogens our lives literally

depend on them

so next time you take a breath outside

imagine

all those oxygen spewing cyanobacteria

floating around in the ocean

and when the time comes and you draw in

that last and final breath

take comfort in knowing that soil

microbes will be there

to turn your body into useful nutrients

even as we enjoy these benefits of

microbiomes climate

change remains a potentially existential

threat to our well-being

but dangerous climate change is not

inevitable at least not yet

with the right cutting edge research

diverse microbiomes could become a big

part of the solution to our climate

problem

thank you