Microbes: Tiny Collaborators

We rely heavily on our senses as a means of interpreting the world around us but oftentimes these senses mislead us in subtle ways we can’t always identify. For example, our interpretation of colors can be tweaked by the amount of sleep we have or our mind set at the time. Some individuals have a physiological condition, known as synesthesia, in which visual, tactile and auditory experiences can bleed together resulting in colors having tastes or sounds. A significant portion of the population is subject to color blindness and have trouble distinguishing red and green or blue and yellow. Perhaps it is better to think of these sensorial experiences as interpretive and ostensibly subject to change on a whim. From a philosophy-of-mind perspective these sensorial experiences could be regarded as collaborative interpretations of the world around us that are much less black and white (or red and green) as they appear. Fundamentally all of our sensorial experiences are received through the lens of biology; somewhere between our ears, nostrils and eyes. Consider that there are sounds beyond the frequency we can hear and radiant colors in the ultraviolet spectra beyond what we can visualize. In order to have a reliable sensory experience we maintain a fine balance with our own biology and the externalities of the world around us. But just as easily as a sensorial experience can become enlightening it can take a turn for the worse if we have not properly taken care of ourselves and others (i.e. some of the microbes) that make the experience meaningful. Consider that the average 90 kg (200 lbs) adult may have anywhere between 1 to 2.7 kg (2-6 lbs) of their body mass may be composed of microbes within their gut (~3%) (CITE). This gut microbiome is suspected to contribute to all varieties of physiological health ranging from our immune system to availability of neurotransmitters. The gut-brain axis indirectly controls how we feel and perceive our environment and has knock on effects for cognition. For instance, the starting chemicals for neurotransmitters, tokens of exchange within the brain, are sourced from our diets and microbes are often the intermediaries that make this process possible. Upon closer inspection you will find microbes are behind the scenes more than you would expect. Let's break down these senses of

taste, smell, sight, sound and

touch and how they can be subject to the vagaries of interpretation. Biology, or any living thing for that matter, can never be definitively nailed down without taking extraordinary measures. Our emphasis will revolve around ‘biocollaboration’ and really underscore the word ‘collaboration’ in the active sense. Microbes and living things are active partners to humans but require thoughtful engagement. How can bio-collaboration improve our experience of colors, smells and tastes? An equitable working relationship with our microbes will yield meaningful experiences in an entirely different realm. Taste - we typically experience taste within the dimensions of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory. It is the last flavor, savory, that is the most elusive to pin down. Let's think about taste in context to fermentation. The popular condiment soy-sauce is made from the fermentation of soybeans and roasted wheat exposed to spores of aspergillus. However, another such organism (Clostridium botulinum) might result in the production of potent toxic compounds as encountered in botulism. Furthermore, the preparation of Fugu or Japanese puffer fish might result in a sensation of tingling in your mouth due to mild exposure to tetrodotoxin, or it might be too much. Smell - Contemplating the sense of smell evokes the scent of freshly cut grass or the strong aroma of used gym socks. Smell is most strongly associated with overwhelming memories of longing or revulsion and acts as an ‘early warning system’ for taste. The aromas invoked are the result of aerosolized compounds biologically produced to let us know in advance how best to interpret our surroundings prior to making decisions we might otherwise regret. Sight - As mentioned previously there is an entire spectrum of colours in the infrared frequency (IR) that insects can see while we cannot. Additionally, our interpretation of colours is often regarded to be highly subjective to our mindset at the time. Feeling blue can result in your interpreting colours as more gray or muted than they would appear to your cheerful peers as a result of a complex interplay of neurotransmitters within the brain. Sound - It is a small miracle we can interpret sound at all as the result of three tiny bones in the ear called the incus, malleaus, and stapes that transmit membrane fluctuations into bioelectric frequencies to be interpreted by our brain. To think that many amphibians like frogs and crocodiles have a single drum known as a tympanum to interpret all varieties of sounds. Consider how a stuffy head cold dampens our hearing much of anything and you will understand how sound is intimately related to our biology. Touch - Through the lens of biology touch is more challenging to interpret. Let's consider the our skin as a vehicle by which we interpret the texture. The health of our skin, as a function of the microbes that inhabit it, is a good measure of how accurate that interpretation might be. The toe fungus that lives aboard my leathery feet might be a poor conduit for feeling the soft velvety texture of egyptian cotton nevertheless my socks are exclusively made of high end fabrics.

In taking all of the sensorial experiences summarized above one can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of interpretations to be had. For these reasons it is best to engage this flurry of sensorial experiences as a festive event or carnival. In doing so we are obligated to collect all of the microbes that change our sensorial experiences. A sensorial journey is a continuous feed of information mingled with noisy signals of tactile awareness pulling us in every direction. But biocollaboration pulls our sensory experience in a dramatic sense in which we otherwise could not experience. It’s as if we have been seeing the world in black and white only to suddenly begin seeing in full technicolor. Or say we’ve been experiencing bland taste only to garnish the most exquisite flavor. A proper bio-collaboration yields a refreshing break from normality as the result of attentiveness and hard work to establish an experience.

How can we ‘take care’ of our microbes so they can take care of

us? This is a big question and requires a scientific mindset to properly address. It starts with our awareness of the problem of how best to look after microbes. When we can establish what makes healthy and happy microbes we can tend to our own biological indirectly as well. Each of these microbes is a part of the diversity of life being collected to preserve its uniqueness. In something of narcissistic regard, we are preserving their uniqueness for our own selfish devices. As with some relationships they emerge from an ingrained need or desire and over time become more collaborative as the relationship develops. Maybe initially we think of a microbial collaborator in the context to what they can do for us but begin to appreciate their unique qualities; perhaps they are a particular hue of maroon or put off the smell of fresh rain known as petrichor.But imagine building this meaningful collaboration with several million microbes. The amount of work would be staggering to say the least. Each contingent of microbes can be placed in a small vial no larger than your pinky finger to be either frozen in liquid nitrogen or desiccated to be resuspended and summoned back to life at a later time. Many microbes have a remarkable ability to recover from stasis in which they emerge from deep freeze to lazily, haltingly come back to life. These small efficiencies are what make our microbe collaboration possible and rewarding.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Will Collins, Phd. Bioinnovation E ngineer

Brilliant labs has provided me with a unique opportunity to redefine Education. One of the unique challenges I encountered in my own

Education was finding what skills I had interest and aptitude for. To some extent I wished that the sorting hat, which determines which house a student will join in the Harry Potter series, was a real device for establishing our nascent capabilities. Despite that fantasy I hope I can make some students see potential future realities.

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