Toward Meta-Omics Governance of the Urban Microbiome Commons

Area of Science:

• Urban ecology
• Microbiome research
• Environmental science

Background:

• Urban microbial communities are experiencing homogenization across diverse environments.
• A lack of monitoring frameworks hinders the understanding and governance of urban microbial resources.
• Probiotic city interventions are increasing without ecological oversight or resistance gene screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the urban microbiome as a measurable

Main Methods:

• Proposing five monitoring priorities and six deployable indicators for urban microbial communities.
• Leveraging meta-omics tools for microbial community analysis.
• Adapting governance structures from conservation biology for urban microbiome management.

Main Results:

• The urban microbiome is an "invisible commons"—a shared, depletable resource.
• Existing meta-omics technologies can quantify microbial loss and homogenization.
• Conservation biology offers applicable governance models for urban microbiome management.

Conclusions:

• A decision to apply existing scientific tools and governance frameworks is needed to manage urban microbial resources.
• Monitoring the urban microbiome is crucial for public health, especially concerning antibiotic resistance.
• Implementing oversight for probiotic city interventions is urgently required.