Read the full report: https://asm.org/Reports/Microbial-Solutions-for-Climate-Change
Read the Nature article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00875-w
It is a pleasure to announce that the new report “Microbial Solutions for Climate Change: Toward an Economically Resilient Future” has been released by the International Union for Microbiological Societies (IUMS) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), convened by ASM and IUMS, worked alongside leading global experts to identify microbial innovations that can play a critical role in mitigating climate change.
The report evaluates both the technical and economic feasibility of microbial innovations, emphasizing solutions that prioritize human health and safety, reduce social inequities and promote economic well-being for the global population. It highlights 3 key microbial-based solutions to address climate change:
• Microbes for a non-fossil carbon economy.
• Microbes for food security and ecosystem resilience.
• Microbes for urgent methane mitigation.
Coinciding with the report’s release, the SAG also published an article in Nature, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing and implementing microbial solutions. This framework ensures that microbial innovations are not only technically viable, but also economically sustainable, safe and capable of delivering tangible societal benefits. Both the report and framework underscore the urgent need for global collaboration among scientists, industry partners, scientific societies and governments to drive meaningful action.
“The growing climate crisis demands innovative, science-driven solutions and microbes offer a powerful but often underutilized tool,” said Nguyen Nguyen, Ph.D., Director of ASM’s American Academy for Microbiology. “By fostering global collaboration, we can harness the potential of microbial solutions to build a more sustainable and resilient future.”
“We believe microbes hold the missing ingredient needed for the next climate breakthroughs,” said Rino Rappuoli, Ph.D., IUMS President. “We encourage leaders of climate initiatives across all sectors to incorporate microbial processes into climate research and sustainable solutions. We are ready to partner with you to address this climate challenge.”
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The American Society for Microbiology is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of over 37,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings.
Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to all audiences.
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Founded in 1927, IUMS is a prestigious Union that has been serving microbiology for nearly a century. IUMS brings together the microbiological societies of the planet, facilitates scientific interactions, fostering and promoting international exchange, dialogue, and collaboration amongst the international community of microbiologists involved in the discovery and applied sciences as well as in development of policy. IUMS uses the input from microbiological societies to generate a vision and shape the future.
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