On 17 September, International Microorganism Day is celebrated, an initiative of Portuguese origin that has rapidly reached a global scale. The day aims to raise awareness of the fascinating world of microorganisms, highlighting their fundamental role in life and ecosystem functioning, as well as their enormous potential for applications in health, biotechnology and sustainability.
Most microorganisms are invisible to the naked eye and represent the most abundant and oldest forms of life on the planet. Bacteria, fungi, microalgae and other microscopic organisms are present in virtually every environment on Earth, where they perform multiple essential functions in ecosystems, from the decomposition of organic matter to the complex interactions they establish with plants and animals, including humans. Directly or indirectly, all life on Earth depends on microorganisms. At the same time, microorganisms can be harnessed to develop new products and technologies with applications in the environmental, food and health sectors.
This diversity of functions makes microorganisms a cross-cutting field of research. At CESAM, research in this area reflects precisely this diversity, encompassing different environments, organisms and levels of organisation, from the study of the diversity and functioning of microbial communities to interactions between microorganisms and host organisms, as well as the development of biotechnological applications.
Research related to microorganisms spans all three Thematic Lines and most Research Clusters, with particularly strong representation in the clusters dedicated to environmental management, ecosystems, soils and agriculture, environmental monitoring and health, and the sustainable valorisation of resources (RC2, RC4, RC5 and RC6).
Many CESAM projects have contributed to improving our understanding of microorganisms and exploring their potential. Among the ongoing projects are LIFT, which explores the potential of wood-decay fungi for the rehabilitation of degraded soils; Next-Gen Larvae, which uses microbiome modulation to develop a new approach to improving the health and survival of fish larvae in aquaculture systems; AMRAMR, which aims to develop new approaches to combating antimicrobial resistance; and ALGAELICIOUS, which seeks to optimise the nutritional profile and functional and sensory properties of the microalga Chlorella, contributing to the development of new food ingredients and prototypes.
Research conducted at CESAM has also helped reveal hidden microbial diversity through the description of new genera and species of bacteria and fungi, particularly in marine and estuarine environments.
Talking about microorganisms means talking about biodiversity, soils, oceans, agriculture, pollution, health, biotechnology and sustainability. The microbial world encompasses different scales and environmental systems and therefore requires interdisciplinary approaches capable of understanding not only individual organisms, but also the complex networks of interactions in which they are embedded.
This perspective is aligned with CESAM’s mission to develop transdisciplinary and integrative research, contributing to addressing the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and sustainability.
On this International Microorganism Day, CESAM therefore celebrates the diversity and importance of this microscopic universe, as well as the contribution of scientific research to understanding it. From the depths of the ocean to agricultural soils, from contaminated environments to aquaculture systems, microorganisms perform essential functions and can contribute to building more sustainable solutions for the future.
Understanding the invisible world also means gaining a better understanding of the planet on which we depend.
Article by Artur Alves, CESAM researcher and professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Aveiro, and Vice-Coordinator of Research Cluster 5 – Environmental Monitoring, Health and Risk Assessment.