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A relational framework for microbiome research with Indigenous communities

Nature Microbiology volume 8, pages 1768–1776 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Ethical practices in human microbiome research have failed to keep pace with scientific advances in the field. Researchers seeking to ‘preserve’ microbial species associated with Indigenous groups, but absent from industrialized populations, have largely failed to include Indigenous people in knowledge co-production or benefit, perpetuating a legacy of intellectual and material extraction. We propose a framework centred on relationality among Indigenous peoples, researchers and microbes, to guide ethical microbiome research. Our framework centres accountability to flatten historical power imbalances that favour researcher perspectives and interests to provide space for Indigenous worldviews in pursuit of Indigenous research sovereignty. Ethical inclusion of Indigenous communities in microbiome research can provide health benefits for all populations and reinforce mutually beneficial partnerships between researchers and the public.

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Fig. 1: Map of relationality concepts in the context of microbiome research with Indigenous peoples.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Muller for her time and technical expertise in designing the figure. We also thank the numerous Indigenous communities, colleagues, friends and relatives who have helped shape our ideas and understanding to form the foundation for this framework. Funding for M.Z.A. was supported through NSF CAREER Award 2046863 and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science Diversity Leadership Award. A.C.B. was supported through NSF SPRF Award 1911813.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Matthew Z. Anderson

    Present address: Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Alyssa C. Bader

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin North, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Essie M. Van Zuylen

  3. School of Product Design, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Essie M. Van Zuylen

  4. School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Matilda Handsley-Davis & Laura S. Weyrich

  5. ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

    Matilda Handsley-Davis & Laura S. Weyrich

  6. Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai’i Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Rosanna A. Alegado

  7. Department of Science and Technology Studies, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA

    Amber Benezra

  8. Department of Chemistry, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA

    Rebecca M. Pollet

  9. Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA

    Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu

  10. Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA

    Laura S. Weyrich

  11. Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Matthew Z. Anderson

  12. Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Matthew Z. Anderson

  13. Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Matthew Z. Anderson

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Contributions

A.C.B. and M.Z.A. wrote the initial manuscript. All authors provided edits and approved the final version.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Alyssa C. Bader or Matthew Z. Anderson.

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Competing interests

M.Z.A. is a board member of the Native BioData Consortium. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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Bader, A.C., Van Zuylen, E.M., Handsley-Davis, M. et al. A relational framework for microbiome research with Indigenous communities. Nat Microbiol 8, 1768–1776 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01471-2

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