Stewards of a Changing Planet: Commentaries from ISME13 Plenary Lecturers

Microorganisms are increasingly recognized as key stewards of life on Earth. Their roles range from maintenance of human health to global nutrient cycling. They are also key responders or contributors to disease and to changing climate.

To highlight aspects of the importance of microorganisms for our health and the environment, the ISME13 Symposium (August 22-27, 2010, Seattle, WA, USA) invited leading experts to provide plenary lectures on current topics in microbial ecology. The plenary lecturers were also invited to contribute commentaries to the The ISME Journal that reflect the content of their lectures.

The commentary topics include discussions at the microscopic scale, such as biofilms, mycorrhizae and ecological strategies of big sulfur bacteria, to macroscale discussions of impacts of a changing climate on the microbial communities in oceans and the Arctic. Processes of interest include bacterial and archaeal contributions to ammonia oxidation as well as model systems to study host microbe interactions in the gut. In summary, this unique collection of commentaries describes examples of current trends in the field of microbial ecology and provides important guidance for future research.