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Microbiome stewardship: definition and guiding principles for implementation
Kieran C O'Doherty1, Mikaela Beijbom1, Emma Allen-Vercoe2
1Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Sustainable Microbiology
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Microbiome stewardship is a new concept to protect essential microbial communities and their functions. This article defines microbiome stewardship and provides principles for its implementation across various policy domains.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Microbiomes are critical for ecosystem, plant, animal, and human health.
- Anthropogenic activities disrupt microbiomes, leading to adverse health outcomes.
- Existing oversight mechanisms to protect microbiomes are insufficient due to definitional and implementation challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a working definition of microbiome stewardship.
- To develop guiding principles for implementing microbiome stewardship.
- To establish a framework for protecting microbial communities and their functions.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis and literature review.
- Development of a working definition for microbiome stewardship.
- Formulation of guiding principles for implementation.
Main Results:
- Microbiome stewardship is defined as a foundational concept to ensure the presence of key microbial communities and functions.
- Guiding principles address habitat, objectives, and intervention opportunities for stewardship.
- Implementation requires context-specific alignment of stewardship responsibility with governance mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Microbiome stewardship is a versatile concept applicable to public health, clinical care, environmental protection, food production, and agriculture.
- Effective implementation necessitates tailored approaches based on specific microbial habitats and stewardship goals.
- Further development is needed to integrate microbiome stewardship into existing policy and governance structures.
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