Streptomyces spp. are the main producers of antimicrobial and other bioactive compounds, which determined the interest of researchers in representatives of this genus. A hypothesis was proposed suggesting that the strain possessed a broad metabolite spectrum and a potential ability to synthesize diverse antibiotics, including those with larvicidal, anthelmintic, and antimicrobial properties. It exhibited antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic fungi and was considered promising for biotechnological applications in agriculture. The aim of this study was to perform whole-genome sequencing in order to determine the evolutionary relationships and biosynthetic potential of Streptomyces distallicus IMV Ac-5025, with particular emphasis on its capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using an Illumina NovaSeq 2 × 150 bp and assembled with the SPAdes v4.0.0 method and was annotated. The search for similar genomes and genomic phylogeny was conducted at the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Centre. Biochemical tests using minimal nutrient media were performed to determine phenotypic characteristics of the strain. Crude extracts were analyzed for the presence of antibiotics using Q Exactive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. The antibiotics susceptibility was assessed using a modified disk diffusion method, antifungal activity was determined using a dual-block confrontation assay. The genome assembly yielded 8 contigs, with a total length of 7,564,690 bp. Analysis of the biosynthetic gene clusters revealed a broad biosynthetic potential of the strain, notably including clusters associated with antibiotic production. The strain was found to synthesize aureothin and distamycin, which, in addition to its antifungal activity, broaden the spectrum of its bioactivity. Cultivation conditions affected aureothin production, with the highest yield (52.321 ± 0.957 ug/uL) obtained by ethanolic extraction from biomass when the producer grown in GYM nutrient medium. The results highlight the biotechnological potential of secondary metabolites from S. distallicus IMV Ac-5025, which combine strong antifungal activity with promising nematicidal properties, thereby supporting their relevance for integrated plant protection strategies.

Consortia of microbial isolates, also known as synthetic communities (SynComs), are increasingly used to study and harness microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. Since “synthetic” potentially evokes negative connotations, we propose adopting the term “Defined Microbial Community” for practical applications.

The soil microbiome is fundamental to soil health in agroecosystems, regulating primary productivity and nutrient cycling. Growing evidence indicates that it also mediates food quality traits, including sensory attributes, secondary metabolites, and nutritional content. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge on microbiome-mediated links between soil health and food quality and evaluate agricultural management strategies that can improve both simultaneously. We identify key research gaps and priorities needed to establish mechanistic pathways, improve field translation, and advance microbiome-informed approaches for sustainable agri-food systems. Collectively, the evidence supports a conceptual framework in which food quality is viewed as an ecological outcome of microbiome-mediated soil health and functioning. We propose that the soil microbiome acts as a mechanistic bridge linking agricultural management, soil health, and crop performance to food quality. We argue that food quality should be explicitly integrated into existing agri-food framework, focused on productivity, soil health, and greenhouse gas mitigation.

Digital sequence information governance has entered a high-stakes implementation era. The Convention on Biological Diversity's 'Cali Fund' is operationalised as the financial engine of its multilateral mechanism (MLM), with similar frameworks under negotiation across other international ocean and agricultural treaties. However, because microorganisms and their functional clusters transcend national borders, traditional bilateral mechanisms are difficult to implement. This policy briefing uses microbiomes as a stress test for these evolving MLMs, evaluating three primary challenges: the holobiont 'data sandwich', the 'oblivious user' awareness gap, and overlapping jurisdictions. By analysing these friction points, we discuss pathways to ensure global MLMs support both innovation and equitable benefit-sharing.

The microbiome is fundamental to plant performance in agroecosystems, influencing primary productivity and climate resilience. Microbiome modulation refers to the targeted manipulation (or steering) and optimization of microbiota features, including taxonomic structure, diversity, composition, assembly dynamics, stability, functional capacity, interactions, and network architecture. Here, we review the current state-of-the-art knowledge and strategies used for microbiome modulation, encompassing biological interventions such as bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes, and phages, as well metabolites, compounds, and nutrients derived from plants. We further discuss emerging tools and strategies for next-generation microbiome modulation, including function-oriented, multitrophic defined microbial communities assembled based on ecological traits and interactions across multiple trophic levels to enable their establishment and function within the phytobiome; temperate phages; microbiome transplantation and breeding; and functional synbiotics, defined as combinations of beneficial microorganisms and compounds that improve microbiome health and function. In addition, we highlight key knowledge gaps and research priorities for advancing precision microbiome modulation. Addressing current challenges will require integrated frameworks combining experimental validation in planta and reductionist approaches with in silico modeling and multiomics analyses to better predict, design, and sustain beneficial plant-microbiome outcomes. Overall, microbiome modulation represents a paradigm shift in advancing sustainable and climate-resilient agri-food systems.

Plant growth–promoting bacteria (PGPB) are widely investigated as tools to mitigate the effects of abiotic stresses in crops; however, their effectiveness under field conditions is still highly variable and sometimes controversial. Consequently, systematic reviews represent a valuable tool for addressing scientific and biotechnological questions. Here, we used the PRISMA guidelines and Scopus database to formulate and answer four relevant questions concerning methodologies and modes of action of PGPB on plants under abiotic stresses. Based on a set of 212 PGPB articles published between 2017 and 2023, our results revealed that PGPB are mostly applied single strain liquid inoculants on seeds (particularly cereals) and typically tested under controlled conditions (growth chamber and greenhouse). Our results also revealed that plant parameters (e.g., physiology and photosynthetic pigments) were typically measured as indicators of the effectiveness of PGPB. In contrast, few studies have investigated the application of PGPB in planta (e.g., germination or flowering stage) under field conditions. The most representative genera of PGPB studied are Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Enterobacter; however, a wide diversity of PGPB taxa (∼60) were also identified as potential PGPB. The main stress conditions to be alleviated by PGPB include drought, salinity and metal toxicity, using diverse action mechanisms, including 1–aminocyclopropane–1–carboxylic acid deaminase activity, tryptophane-induced auxin production, and phosphorus solubilization. In general, our review points to gaps in the adoption of standardized protocols for testing PGPB, universal indicators of efficiency, and the validation of application of a high diversity of PGPB taxa particularly at field level.

Plant disease outbreaks pose severe risks to global food security. Due to climate change, new diseases are expected to emerge, and the current use of chemical pesticides poses risks to environmental and human health. In the last decade, alternative plant protection agents of microbial origin have been developed, which also raise great expectations in the industry. Current products primarily represent individual microbial strains, either fungi or bacteria, which occasionally fail under field conditions due to various factors while their regulatory status differs globally. Recently, more diverse applications have started to emerge, ranging from microbial consortia, phages and protists to microbiome modulation or soil translocation. Integrated solutions, incorporating artificial intelligence are also proposed. In this review, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of these solutions, providing specific examples and discuss the regulatory needs for their market entry as well as their relevance for improving food security and planetary health.

Bacillus (such as Bacillus velezensis) are marketed as plant growth–promoting bacteria (PGPB). The β–propeller phytase (BPP)–carrying Bacillus can release inorganic phosphate from phytate hydrolysis and thereby improve the plant growth in P deficient soils. However, our knowledge on BPP–carrying Bacillus during germination and the early stages of plants is still limited. Here, we quantified the abundance of Bacillus BPP genes in seeds of tomato inoculated with a seed–endophytic Bacillus and germinated on agar with and without P. The specificity of chosen primer set was first confirmed for the detection of the Bacillus BPP gene in seed–endophytic Bacillus velezensis–like strains (Bacillus sp. S–30, S–23 and P–28) by digital PCR (dPCR). Tomato seeds were inoculated with Bacillus sp. S–30, germinated and grown on agar supplemented with insoluble phosphate and phytate. Seedlings were harvested at 11 and 21 days and the presence of Bacillus BPP gene in gDNA extracts and cDNA was determined by dPCR. Both at days 11 and 21 post–germination, the inoculation of strain Bacillus sp. S–30 resulted in greater biomass of the inoculated seedlings. In general, dPCR revealed a significant (p < 0.05) greater abundance of the BPP gene in DNA extracts and cDNA from inoculated seedlings with Bacillus sp. S–30 in both sampling days. Overall, a higher expression of BPP was observed in inoculated seedlings, particularly in phytate–supplemented agar. Bacillus BPP gene was successfully used to quantify by dPCR inoculated Bacillus sp. S–30 and BPP–carrying Bacillus in tomato seedlings post–germination.

Food system microbiomes include complex microbial networks that range from soil and marine environments to primary agriculture, farming, food processing, and distribution, and which influence human and environmental health. Advances in “omics” technologies, such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, metabolomics, and culturomics, and their integration have deepened our understanding of microbiome dynamics and interactions. This growing knowledge is being leveraged to develop microbiome-based solutions enabling more sustainable food systems. This review explores microbiome interconnections along the food system and how this and other knowledge relating to microbiomes can be harnessed to, among other things, enhance crop resilience and productivity, improve animal health and performance, refine management practices in fishing and aquaculture, or prolong shelf life and reduce food spoilage during distribution. The often-overlooked role of bacteriophages on shaping microbiomes is discussed, as is the impact of diet on the human gut microbiota and, in turn, health. Despite advances, knowledge remains incomplete in particular areas and targeted experimental approaches are necessary to fill these gaps—going beyond merely predicting microbiome functionality. Ultimately, the ideal development of microbiome-based innovations in food systems will require collaboration between stakeholders and regulators to ensure safety, efficacy, and widespread adoption, unlocking its full potential to improve the health of animals, humans and the environment globally.

Winter wheat is an important global cereal crop. However, conventional farming practices, characterised by intensive tillage and high fertilizer inputs, pose significant threats to the environment. In response, more conservative management practices are being applied aiming to maintain wheat production while promoting a beneficial microbiome. Here, we evaluated the suitability of three different wheat varieties for less intensive agricultural systems, focusing on reduced tillage and fertilizer intensity. The study was conducted over two consecutive years in a Swiss long-term field experiment comparing conventional versus reduced tillage and full fertilization versus half fertilization. In addition, we investigated the composition of plant-associated microbial communities using amplicon sequencing of phylogenetic marker genes, specifically targeting bacteria and fungi in rhizosphere samples and fungi in root samples. Our results revealed that in our study wheat variety most strongly predicted grain yield and quality, independent of tillage and fertilization intensity. Specifically, wheat varieties demonstrated higher yields and N uptake in plots subjected to conventional ploughing and full fertilization compared to those under reduced tillage and half fertilization. We found no significant effect of wheat variety on the composition of microbial communities. However, tillage emerged as the primary factor influencing microbial community composition in the rhizosphere, while fertilization intensity significantly impacted fungal communities in the root system. These findings underscore the complex interplay between agronomic practices, plant genetics, and microbial dynamics in agroecosystems, emphasizing the need for holistic and adaptive approaches and their further development to ensure sustainable crop production.

The application of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as bioinoculants is widely recognized for improving crop yields and soil fertility. However, the precise mechanisms underlying their impact on rhizosphere soil quality and crop productivity remain insufficiently understood. This study elucidates how a solid bioinoculant, comprising Bacillus velezensis FZB42 and attapulgite clay, enhances rhizosphere soil quality and maize (Zea mays) growth in nutrient-deficient alkaline calcareous soils. Pot experiments reveal that bioinoculant application promotes extensive root colonization under nitrogen-deficient conditions, with significantly higher colonization rates observed in the half-nitrogen (HN) and zero-nitrogen (ZN) treatments compared to full-nitrogen conditions. Notably, bioinoculant application in ZN and HN significantly increases phosphorus availability and soil quality in the rhizosphere. Furthermore, maize growth parameters, including plant height, stem diameter, and kernel yield, are markedly enhanced, with optimal biomass accumulation achieved under HN conditions. High-throughput sequencing of rhizosphere microbiomes uncovers significant shifts in microbial community composition, with enrichment of key taxa involved in nutrient cycling and plant-microbe interactions. Transcriptomic analysis of maize tissues demonstrates the upregulation of genes associated with nutrient transport, photosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and kernel development, with a pronounced enrichment in metabolic pathways linked to growth and productivity. Structural equation modeling indicates that increased microbial diversity and gene expression collectively account for 69 % of the variance in the soil quality index and 45 % of the variance in maize yield. These findings provide critical mechanistic insights into the role of solid bioinoculant in enhancing soil fertility and crop performance, highlighting their potential as a sustainable agricultural strategy for improving productivity in low-fertility alkaline soils.

BACKGROUND:Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) can be produced de novo only by certain bacteria and archaea. It plays a crucial role in the health of animals and humans, which obtain it only through diet, mainly from animal products. This study aimed to identify endophytic bacterial strains capable of synthesizing vitamin B12 and enriching edible plants with it as a potential solution for vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarians, vegans, and people with poor diets. RESULTS:An in silico genome analysis was performed on 66 bacterial genomes, including the reference strain Pseudomonas denitrificans ATCC 13867, a known vitamin B12 producer. The genomes were analyzed using the Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology (RAST) server and the MetaCyc database to verify the presence and completeness of the vitamin B12 metabolic pathway. The ability of the strains to produce vitamin B12 was confirmed with a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) analysis of pure culture extracts. Eleven strains produced detectable amounts of vitamin B12 under tested conditions. The best performing candidates were further tested for their efficacy in producing vitamin B12 in lettuce grown under sterile conditions on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with or without CoCl2 supplementation. Methylobacterium sp. strain P1-11 produced detectable amounts of vitamin B12 in planta: 1.654 and 2.559 μg per g of dry weight without and with CoCl2 supplementation, respectively. CONCLUSION:This is the first time a bacterial endophyte was used to produce vitamin B12 in planta, suggesting that bacterial endophytes could be utilized to enhance the nutraceutical values of plant-based foods. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

AbstractIn recent years, microbiomes and their potential applications for human, animal or plant health, food production and environmental management came into the spotlight of major national and international policies and strategies. This has been accompanied by substantial R&D investments in both public and private sectors, with an increasing number of products entering the market. Despite widespread agreement on the potential of microbiomes and their uses across disciplines, stakeholders and countries, there is no consensus on what defines a microbiome application. This often results in non‐comprehensive communication or insufficient documentation making commercialisation and acceptance of the novel products challenging. To showcase the complexity of this issue we discuss two selected, well‐established applications and propose criteria defining a microbiome application and their conditions of use for clear communication, facilitating suitable regulatory frameworks and building trust among stakeholders.

Improved understanding of the complex interaction between plant metabolism, environmental conditions and the plant-associated microbiome requires an interdisciplinary approach: Our hypothesis in our multiomics study posited that several environmental and biotic factors have modulating effects on the microbiome and metabolome of the roots of wild Echium vulgare plants. Furthermore, we postulated reciprocal interactions between the root metabolome and microbiome. We investigated the metabolic content, the genetic variability, and the prokaryotic microbiome in the root systems of wild E. vulgare plants at rosette and flowering stages across six distinct locations. We incorporated the assessment of soil microbiomes and the measurement of selected soil chemical composition factors. Two distinct genetic clusters were determined based on microsatellite analysis without a consistent alignment with the geographical proximity between the locations. The microbial diversity of both the roots of E. vulgare and the surrounding bulk soil exhibited significant divergence across locations, varying soil pH characteristics, and within the identified plant genetic clusters. Notably, acidophilic bacteria were characteristic inhabitants of both soil and roots under acidic soil conditions, emphasizing the close interconnectedness between these compartments. The metabolome of E. vulgare significantly differed between root samples from different developmental stages, geographical locations, and soil pH levels. The developmental stage was the dominant driver of metabolome changes, with significantly higher concentrations of sugars, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and some of their precursors in rosette stage plant roots. Our study featured the complex dynamics between soil pH, plant development, geographical locations, plant genetics, plant metabolome and microbiome, shedding light on existing knowledge gaps.

Nitrogen (N) is a vital nutrient and an essential component of biological macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins. Microorganisms are major drivers of N-cycling processes in all ecosystems, including the soil and plant environment. The availability of N is a major growth-limiting factor for plants and it is significantly affected by the plant microbiome. Plants and microorganisms form complex interaction networks resulting in molecular signaling, nutrient exchange, and other distinct metabolic responses. In these networks, microbial partners influence growth and N use efficiency of plants either positively or negatively. Harnessing the beneficial effects of specific players within crop microbiomes is a promising strategy to counteract the emerging threats to human and planetary health due to the overuse of industrial N fertilizers. However, in addition to N-providing activities (e.g. the well-known symbiosis of legumes and Rhizobium spp.), other plant-microorganism interactions must be considered to obtain a complete picture of how microbial-driven N transformations might affect plant nutrition. For this, we review recent insights into the tight interplay between plants and N-cycling microorganisms, focusing on microbial N-transformation processes representing N sources and sinks that ultimately shape plant N acquisition. Nitrogen (N) availability limits plant growth. In the soil and plant environment, microorganisms transform different N compounds and thus determine the presence and quantity of N available for plant nutrition via cooperative or competitive interactions.

Endophytes isolated from extremophile plants are interesting microbes for improving the stress tolerance of agricultural plants. Here, we isolated and characterized endophytic bacteria showing plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits from plants in two extreme Chilean biomes (Atacama Desert and Chilean Patagonia). Forty-two isolates were characterized as both halotolerant auxin producers (2–51 mg L−1) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-degrading bacteria (15–28 µmol αKB mg protein−1 h−1). The most efficient isolates were tested as single strains, in dual and triple consortia, or in combination with previously reported PGP rhizobacteria (Klebsiella sp. 27IJA and 8LJA) for their impact on the germination of salt-exposed (0.15 M and 0.25 M NaCl) wheat seeds. Interestingly, strain P1R9, identified as Variovorax sp., enhanced wheat germination under salt stress conditions when applied individually or as part of bacterial consortia. Under salt stress, plants inoculated with dual consortia containing the strain Variovorax sp. P1R9 showed higher biomass (41%) and reduced lipid peroxidation (33–56%) than uninoculated plants. Although the underlying mechanisms remain elusive, our data suggest that the application of Variovorax sp. P1R9, alone or as a member of PGP consortia, may improve the salt stress tolerance of wheat plants.

The strength of the microbial biogeographic patterns decreased along the increasing gradient of habitat specificity (from sediment to gut tissue) provided by a benthic sea urchin in the Southern Ocean.

Plant-microbe interaction research has had a transformative trajectory, from individual microbial isolate studies to comprehensive analyses of plant microbiomes within the broader phytobiome framework. Acknowledging the indispensable role of plant microbiomes in shaping plant health, agriculture, and ecosystem resilience, we underscore the urgent need for sustainable crop production strategies in the face of contemporary challenges. We discuss how the synergies between advancements in 'omics technologies and artificial intelligence can help advance the profound potential of plant microbiomes. Furthermore, we propose a multifaceted approach encompassing translational considerations, transdisciplinary research initiatives, public-private partnerships, regulatory policy development, and pragmatic expectations for the practical application of plant microbiome knowledge across diverse agricultural landscapes. We advocate for strategic collaboration and intentional transdisciplinary efforts to unlock the benefits offered by plant microbiomes and address pressing global issues in food security. By emphasizing a nuanced understanding of plant microbiome complexities and fostering realistic expectations, we encourage the scientific community to navigate the transformative journey from discoveries in the laboratory to field applications. As companies specializing in agricultural microbes and microbiomes undergo shifts, we highlight the necessity of understanding how to approach sustainable agriculture with site-specific management solutions. While cautioning against overpromising, we underscore the excitement of exploring the many impacts of microbiome-plant interactions. We emphasize the importance of collaborative endeavors with societal partners to accelerate our collective capacity to harness the diverse and yet-to-be-discovered beneficial activities of plant microbiomes.

Executive summary Microbes are all pervasive in their distribution and influence on the functioning and well‐being of humans, life in general and the planet. Microbially‐based technologies contribute hugely to the supply of important goods and services we depend upon, such as the provision of food, medicines and clean water. They also offer mechanisms and strategies to mitigate and solve a wide range of problems and crises facing humanity at all levels, including those encapsulated in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations. For example, microbial technologies can contribute in multiple ways to decarbonisation and hence confronting global warming, provide sanitation and clean water to the billions of people lacking them, improve soil fertility and hence food production and develop vaccines and other medicines to reduce and in some cases eliminate deadly infections. They are the foundation of biotechnology, an increasingly important and growing business sector and source of employment, and the centre of the bioeconomy, Green Deal, etc. But, because microbes are largely invisible, they are not familiar to most people, so opportunities they offer to effectively prevent and solve problems are often missed by decision‐makers, with the negative consequences this entrains. To correct this lack of vital knowledge, the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative–the IMiLI–is recruiting from the global microbiology community and making freely available, teaching resources for a curriculum in societally relevant microbiology that can be used at all levels of learning. Its goal is the development of a society that is literate in relevant microbiology and, as a consequence, able to take full advantage of the potential of microbes and minimise the consequences of their negative activities. In addition to teaching about microbes, almost every lesson discusses the influence they have on sustainability and the SDGs and their ability to solve pressing problems of societal inequalities. The curriculum thus teaches about sustainability, societal needs and global citizenship. The lessons also reveal the impacts microbes and their activities have on our daily lives at the personal, family, community, national and global levels and their relevance for decisions at all levels. And, because effective, evidence‐based decisions require not only relevant information but also critical and systems thinking, the resources also teach about these key generic aspects of deliberation. The IMiLI teaching resources are learner‐centric, not academic microbiology‐centric and deal with the microbiology of everyday issues. These span topics as diverse as owning and caring for a companion animal, the vast range of everyday foods that are produced via microbial processes, impressive geological formations created by microbes, childhood illnesses and how they are managed and how to reduce waste and pollution. They also leverage the exceptional excitement of exploration and discovery that typifies much progress in microbiology to capture the interest, inspire and motivate educators and learners alike. The IMiLI is establishing Regional Centres to translate the teaching resources into regional languages and adapt them to regional cultures, and to promote their use and assist educators employing them. Two of these are now operational. The Regional Centres constitute the interface between resource creators and educators–learners. As such, they will collect and analyse feedback from the end‐users and transmit this to the resource creators so that teaching materials can be improved and refined, and new resources added in response to demand: educators and learners will thereby be directly involved in evolution of the teaching resources. The interactions between educators–learners and resource creators mediated by the Regional Centres will establish dynamic and synergistic relationships–a global societally relevant microbiology education ecosystem–in which creators also become learners, teaching resources are optimised and all players/stakeholders are empowered and their motivation increased. The IMiLI concept thus embraces the principle of teaching societally relevant microbiology embedded in the wider context of societal, biosphere and planetary needs, inequalities, the range of crises that confront us and the need for improved decisioning, which should ultimately lead to better citizenship and a humanity that is more sustainable and resilient. Abstract The biosphere of planet Earth is a microbial world: a vast reactor of countless microbially driven chemical transformations and energy transfers that push and pull many planetary geochemical processes, including the cycling of the elements of life, mitigate or amplify climate change (e.g., Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2019, 17, 569) and impact the well‐being and activities of all organisms, including humans. Microbes are both our ancestors and creators of the planetary chemistry that allowed us to evolve (e.g., Life's engines: How microbes made earth habitable, 2023). To understand how the biosphere functions, how humans can influence its development and live more sustainably with the other organisms sharing it, we need to understand the microbes. In a recent editorial (Environmental Microbiology, 2019, 21, 1513), we advocated for improved microbiology literacy in society. Our concept of microbiology literacy is not based on knowledge of the academic subject of microbiology, with its multitude of component topics, plus the growing number of additional topics from other disciplines that become vitally important elements of current microbiology. Rather it is focused on microbial activities that impact us–individuals/communities/nations/the human world–and the biosphere and that are key to reaching informed decisions on a multitude of issues that regularly confront us, ranging from personal issues to crises of global importance. In other words, it is knowledge and understanding essential for adulthood and the transition to it, knowledge and understanding that must be acquired early in life in school. The 2019 Editorial marked the launch of the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative, the IMiLI. Here, we present our concept of how microbiology literacy may be achieved and the rationale underpinning it; the type of teaching resources being created to realise the concept and the framing of microbial activities treated in these resources in the context of sustainability, societal needs and responsibilities and decision‐making; and the key role of Regional Centres that will translate the teaching resources into local languages, adapt them according to local cultural needs, interface with regional educators and develop and serve as hubs of microbiology literacy education networks. The topics featuring in teaching resources are learner‐centric and have been selected for their inherent relevance, interest and ability to excite and engage. Importantly, the resources coherently integrate and emphasise the overarching issues of sustainability, stewardship and critical thinking and the pervasive interdependencies of processes. More broadly, the concept emphasises how the multifarious applications of microbial activities can be leveraged to promote human/animal, plant, environmental and planetary health, improve social equity, alleviate humanitarian deficits and causes of conflicts among peoples and increase understanding between peoples (Microbial Biotechnology, 2023, 16(6), 1091–1111). Importantly, although the primary target of the freely available (CC BY‐NC 4.0) IMiLI teaching resources is schoolchildren and their educators, they and the teaching philosophy are intended for all ages, abilities and cultural spectra of learners worldwide: in university education, lifelong learning, curiosity‐driven, web‐based knowledge acquisition and public outreach. The IMiLI teaching resources aim to promote development of a global microbiology education ecosystem that democratises microbiology knowledge.