https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:5614 Charting a path for microbial conservation in the IUCN: report on “Conservation in a Microbial World” meeting in San Diego, CA, May 2025 Kunselman, Emily Emily Kunselman Minnis, Vanessa Vanessa Minnis Kodera, Sho Sho Kodera 0000-0003-0451-0297 Buschmann, Mary M Mary M Buschmann Jones, Adam Adam Jones Dehgan, Alexander Alexander Dehgan 0000-0001-8372-6437 Scholz, Amber Hartman Amber Hartman Scholz 0000-0002-3461-0881 Boetius, Antje Antje Boetius Hochkirch, Axel Axel Hochkirch Dupont, Chris Chris Dupont Walzer, Chris Chris Walzer 0000-0002-0437-5147 University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology Averill, Colin Colin Averill Endy, Drew Drew Endy Stephenson, Fabrice Fabrice Stephenson Wang, Fengping Fengping Wang 0000-0002-3429-8410 Mueller, Gregory Gregory Mueller Jansson, Janet K Janet K Jansson Rodríguez, Jon Paul Jon Paul Rodríguez Zengler, Karsten Karsten Zengler 0000-0002-8062-3296 Redford, Kent H Kent H Redford Haraoui, Louis-Patrick Louis-Patrick Haraoui Dominguez Bello, Maria Gloria Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello Lurgi, Miguel Miguel Lurgi Lamberski, Nadine Nadine Lamberski Cox, Neil Neil Cox Peixoto, Raquel Raquel Peixoto 0000-0002-9536-3132 Knight, Rob Rob Knight Friedman, Robert Robert Friedman Phelan, Ryan Ryan Phelan Gibbons, Sean M Sean M Gibbons 0000-0002-8724-7916 Ishaq, Suzanne Lynn Suzanne Lynn Ishaq Brooks, Thomas Thomas Brooks Souza, Valeria Valeria Souza 0000-0002-2992-4229 Gilbert, Jack Jack Gilbert 0000-0001-7920-7001 Allard, Sarah Michelle Sarah Michelle Allard 0000-0001-7626-0472 Oxford University Press journal article open access eng In May 2025, the “Conservation in a Microbial World” conference was hosted at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography to address the lack of microbial representation in international conservation frameworks (i.e. International Union for Conservation of Nature—IUCN). Organized by Drs. Redford, Gilbert, Friedman, and Rodríguez, the meeting explored the importance of the microbial world in conservation and what can be done to include microbes in global conservation. The meeting gathered together experts in fungi, bacteria, and viruses with backgrounds in climate science, genomics, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and human health, spanning research, industry, conservation, and policy. Key themes included: how to communicate the importance of microbes, how to conserve microbes themselves, and how microbes could be integrated into existing conservation. The primary outcome was the launch of the IUCN Species Survival Commission—Microbial Conservation Specialist Group. This initiative marks a pivotal step toward incorporating microbial life into global biodiversity conservation policy and practice. Bacteria Climate Ecosystem functioning Environmental microbiology Archaea http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/api/object/o:5614/download 10.1093/sumbio/qvaf026 https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:605 application/pdf Sustainable Microbiology issn:2755-1970 VoR Sustainable Microbiology 2 4 795.59 kB 2025