Microbial siderophores for One Health

One Health is an integrative concept striving for healthy environments, animals, and humans. Microbes play a fundamental role for this concept as they are key drivers of ecosystem stability and host health. A central microbial feature across various environments is the secretion of siderophores, low-molecular-weight metabolites that chelate ferric iron (Fe³⁺) with high affinity. We propose that, by steering iron and metal availability, siderophores can be important for One Health in four key areas via: (i) enhancing crop yield, (ii) mitigating heavy metal pollution, (iii) preventing pathogen colonization, and (iv) serving as potential treatments for established infections. Collectively, siderophores are attractive molecules to complement our efforts in increasing human, animal, and environmental health.