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Experts build database of “salutogenic potential” revealing how hidden microbes and natural compounds help keep us healthy.
Viruses and bacteria are often viewed as harmful, but researchers at Flinders University are drawing attention to the overlooked ways microbes can support and enhance human health.
In a newly published article in Microbial Biotechnology, Flinders microbial ecologist Dr. Jake Robinson and his colleagues highlight these so-called “invisible friends,” encouraging a shift away from seeing microbes and biogenic compounds only as dangers. Instead, their work emphasizes the value of understanding how many microorganisms play beneficial roles.
The researchers also introduce the ‘Database of Salutogenic Potential’, a first-of-its-kind open-access prototype that brings together evidence on microbes and natural compounds associated with positive health outcomes.
Rethinking Microbes and Health
“Emerging evidence shows that exposure to diverse environmental microbiomes and natural biochemical products also promotes health and resilience,” says Dr. Robinson.
“Rather than viewing biodiversity as something to be eliminated, contemporary approaches recognise the vital role of diverse ecosystems in creating salutogenic, or health-promoting, environments. By consolidating this data, we aim to rebalance the story of microbes – highlighting not only what makes us sick, but also what keeps us well. After all, health is not merely the absence of disease.”
The researchers argue that this shift in perspective has implications well beyond medicine.
“The implications are far-reaching – from designing healthier cities and schoolyards to guiding ecosystem restoration and rethinking green infrastructure,” says Dr. Robinson.
The Overlooked Role of Salutogenic Microbes
Salutogenic microbes – those that promote health – and beneficial biochemical compounds have received comparatively little attention despite their important roles in regulating immune function and metabolic processes, suppressing disease, mitigating stress, and supporting ecosystem resilience.
“For well over a century, microbes and chemicals in the air have mainly been studied as threats – causes of infection, disease, and contamination. While this pathogen-centric lens has saved countless lives, it also risks overlooking the invisible biodiversity that actively supports human and planetary health,” says Dr. Robinson.
“Just as biodiversity loss threatens our health, restoring microbial and biochemical richness could be a key to healthier futures.”
Building a New Evidence Base
The researchers have identified 124 potentially salutogenic microbial taxa and 14 biochemical compounds (from soil bacteria to plant-derived phytoncides) associated with benefits ranging from immune regulation to stress reduction.
“We aim to shift the balance between pathogen-centric and salutogenic perspectives, potentially enabling future applications in public health, urban planning, and ecosystem restoration,” says Dr. Robinson.
“While the current iteration of the database primarily centers on human health outcomes, it is designed to expand into ecosystem health domains, embedding salutogenic thinking into One Health frameworks.”
A Foundation for Future Research
The team emphasizes that the database is only the beginning.
“We’re not viewing this database as a finished tool. It’s a foundation – an invitation for scientists, practitioners, and communities to co-create a fuller picture of how invisible biodiversity sustains our lives,” says Dr. Robinson.
He continues, “However, even in its early form, this resource rebalances the traditional pathogen focus by consolidating data on salutogenic taxa, their benefits and environmental origins – and it will advance holistic approaches to environmental and human health.”
Reference: “Mapping and Cataloguing Microbial and Biochemical Determinants of Health: Towards a ‘Database of Salutogenic Potential’” by Jake M. Robinson, Joel Brame, Christian Cando-Dumancela, Sonali Deshmukh, Nicole W. Fickling, Scott Hawken, Claire Hayward, Emma Kuhn, Kevin Lee, Craig Liddicoat, Sunita Ramesh, Kate Robinson, Xin Sun and Martin F. Breed, 1 October 2025, Microbial Biotechnology.
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.70243
Dr. Robinson also has recently joined researchers in China to reveal that urban soils harbor more pathogens than forest, with a several-fold increase in the pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae. The study in Communications Earth and Environment (Nature Springer) highlights the need to understand the risk to human health and soil biodiversity of bacterial zoonotic pathogens buildup in densely populated cities around the world.
This study was supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP), National Natural Science Foundation of China, New Zealand Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Key Research and Development Program of China.
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