We are an organization founded in 2020 and dedicated to fostering microbial discovery for a better tomorrow through interdisciplinary, and often participatory research, art, and education initiatives.

What we do: We create content related to democratizing microbial discovery, engaging people in microbial art, and inspiring people through microbial education. We frequently work with academic and industry collaborators to amplify the impact of mission-aligned projects— from growing citizen science projects into global interdisciplinary citizen art and citizen science projects to connecting artists with scientists to build new microbial creations. We work with specialists in education, art, and research. We amplify, we co-create, we connect, and we use evidence-based practices in education and science communication to assure the greatest impact possible. Visit our Initiatives page for a sample of some of our projects and our Resources page for material related to these projects.

Land Acknowledgment.

The Microbe Institute exists predominantly in the virtual realm as it ties together partners and participants across the globe; however, the leaders of the organization founded the organization while living and working in Everett, MA, USA, the ancestral unceded land of the Massachusett and Pawtucket peoples. We acknowledge these communities, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. The Microbe Institute also acknowledges that it was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples, including those on whose land the leaders of this institute are located. This acknowledgment demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.

We thank Native Land (native-land.ca), Felicia Garcia (Chumash) at landacknowledgements.org for creating resources and sample statements that were instrumental in helping us create this acknowledgment statement.

An Important Note About Our Language Choices:

We use the words “Discovery” and “Novelty” throughout our work and website to recognize the characterization and categorization of living organisms by the peer-reviewed scientific community for the first time. But we call out the implied fallacy that we—or the current peer-review community-- may be the first humans to understand and work with these organisms. Such fallacies have supported past atrocities committed as a part of the “Doctrine of Discovery.” In one form, this includes the unethical practices associated with bioprospecting, which have often been referred to as “biopiracy.” In another form, this includes erasing the knowledge of indigenous communities. We wish to counter these past exploitative practices and narratives. To such ends, our methods for microbial sampling seek to respect the land, people, and organisms who live on it in the present and future. The microbes collected, isolated, and characterized as part of our studies are to assist with conservation and accessibility. As such, all microbes are made available for other people to investigate and work with, and all data are collected with the intent to publish them for the public. We have made the decision to continue to use the words “discovery” and “novelty” as we, and the greater scientific community, continue to grapple with identifying terms that are more accurate and values-aligned. We urge audiences who use our materials in education and research to have discussions with stakeholders about the importance of the words we use in the field and the implied meanings as they relate to research and policy in the past, present, and future.

Diversity Statement.

At the Microbe Institute, we believe Black lives matter. We believe Trans lives matter. We believe Asian lives matter. We believe LGBTQIA+ lives matter. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusivity make our communities stronger and we do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of gender, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, gender identity, or cultural or educational background.

Climate Change Statement.

The Microbe Institute is a science-based organization and as such, we are clear the science of climate change is evident and that global warming caused by human practices is a threat to us all, but particularly to historically marginalized communities. In an effort to align our actions with our beliefs, we are mindful about reducing and reusing the waste from projects, purchasing locally, and when possible, purchasing carbon offsets for the shipping of participatory project elements (etc.).

Our commitments will be enduring, but our language will remain dynamic. We understand these documents will shift over time as we improve in the future. We thank the community for helping us do so. If you have ideas for how we can improve our language and actions, please reach out via our contact us page. Thank you!

Anne A. Madden, Ph.D.

Founder and Chief Scientific Officer