Explore the bacterial world with vivid stories and players

Microbes might just be the unseen heroes of sustainability! They impact everything from food production and healthcare to waste management and renewable energy. From producing eco-friendly materials and cleaning up pollution to helping fight climate change, microbes are essential in achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Read on to learn how they help us create a greener future.
Like all organisms, plants need nitrogen to grow and produce crops. But since they cannot directly use nitrogen from the atmosphere, they rely on bacteria to fix the nitrogen for them. In exchange, plants provide them with sugars, energy and protection from their surroundings. Read on to learn more about the nitrogen-fixing superpower of bacteria and why it is crucial for our global food production.
Bacteria create various smells in our world, from pleasant aromas like freshly baked bread to the less appealing ones like body odour. As bacteria produce volatile organic compounds as part of their metabolism, these contribute to the scents we encounter in our environment, food and even on our bodies. Learn about smelly examples such as the earthy scent of geosmin produced by soil bacteria, the unique aromas in fermented foods and the role of skin bacteria in creating our body odour and smelly feet.
Your immune system is constantly patrolling your body, ensuring that it stays clean and free of disease. Every single day, every hour, every minute, pathogens are pouring in, attempting to call your body their home and cause disease. But your immune system has specialised drones who bring the fight directly to the intruders. These drones are the so-called complement system. They keep bacterial pathogens at bay to ensure that we stay healthy.

Learn about microbes, bacteria and their superpowers

Why we love talking about bacteria

Explore our resources on bacteria

Do you want to spread your love for bacteria?