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Humans are yet to fully explore our blue planet
Microbe Universe
The study of Earth’s microbes provides a glimpse into a world brimming with diversity much beyond what we observe on the surface. A recent study shines light on this hidden cosmos, giving fascinating insights into the huge network of microbial life that supports much of our planet’s ecosystems.
According to the article, the Earth is home to around one trillion microbe species, a stunning figure that highlights the sheer diversity of microbial life.
Surprisingly, less than one-tenth of these species have been discovered.
This points to a big unknown domain in microbiology ripe for discovery.
Humans are living in a microbe universe, containing approximately 100 trillion of these species. With many bacteria interacting within it, this microbiome operates as an ecosystem. These microbes have a significant impact on our health, affecting everything from digestion to immunological function.
The research, which was supported by the National Science Foundation and published in mSystems, used a Microbiome Search Engine to build a worldwide microbiome transition network (MTN). This network links 177,022 microbiomes from 20 different ecosystems, ranging from human bodies to different environmental niches. The goal was to…
