The Epistemic Revolution Induced by Microbiome Studies: An Interdisciplinary View

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Ecology
• Interdisciplinary Studies

Background:

• Microbes are increasingly recognized across various scientific disciplines.
• Microbiome research acts as a unifying force, bridging disparate fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the emerging role of microbiomes as significant biological players.
• To explore the interdisciplinary impact of microbiome studies on arts, medicine, law, and philosophy.
• To identify convergent themes and challenges in microbiome research.

Main Methods:

• Literature synthesis and thematic analysis across diverse disciplines.
• Identification of emerging trends in microbiome research.
• Analysis of conceptual shifts induced by microbiome studies.

Main Results:

• Microbiome studies are driving an 'epistemic revolution' with five key features.
• These features include ecologization of concepts, systemic analyses, focus on interactions, multi-scalar networks, and de-anthropocentrification.
• Convergent themes span ecosystem studies, ecology, arts, medicine, forensics, law, and philosophy.

Conclusions:

• Microbiome research is fundamentally altering scientific perspectives and methodologies.
• It promotes a more integrated, interaction-focused, and less human-centric view of the world.
• The ongoing revolution necessitates reconceptualizing existing frameworks and definitions within scientific disciplines.