The signs of climate change are undeniable, and the inevitable impact for Earth and all its inhabitants is a serious concern. Ice is melting, sea levels are rising, biodiversity is declining, precipitation has increased, atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases are alarmingly high, and extreme weather conditions are becoming increasingly common. But what role do microorganisms have in this global challenge? In this Viewpoint article, several experts in the field discuss the microbial contributions to climate change and consider the effects of global warming, extreme weather, flooding and other consequences of climate change on microbial communities in the ocean and soil, on host-microbiota interactions and on the global burden of infectious diseases and ecosystem processes, and they explore open questions and research needs.
1.Univ Southern Calif, Dept Biol Sci, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA 2.Pacific Northwest Natl Lab, Earth & Biol Sci Directorate, Biol Sci Div, Richland, WA 99352 USA 3.Univ Calif Berkeley, Sch Publ Hlth, Environm Hlth Sci, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA 4.Ohio State Univ, Dept Microbiol, 105 Biol Sci Bldg, Columbus, OH 43210 USA 5.Western Sydney Univ, Hawkesbury Inst Environm, Penrith, NSW, Australia 6.Colorado State Univ, Coll Agr, Dept Bioagr Sci & Pest Management, Ft Collins, CO 80523 USA
Recommended Citation:
Hutchins, David A.,Jansson, Janet K.,Remais, Justin V.,et al. Climate change microbiology - problems and perspectives[J]. NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY,2019-01-01,17(6):391-396