Bringing microbiology into the classroom: practical, safe and sustainable solutions

The new article published in Microbial Biotechnology presents a frugal-circular framework to support experimental microbiology activities in primary and secondary education.

Entitled “Eco-Microbiology: A Frugal-Circular Framework for Biosafe, Low-Cost Practical Microbiology in Secondary Education”, the article was developed within EduBiota’s lines of work on microbiology, science education, biosafety and sustainability.

Why rethink experimental microbiology in schools?

Microbiology allows students to explore key issues related to health, food, the environment and sustainability. However, in many schools, practical activities involving microorganisms remain difficult to implement due to several factors: lack of specific laboratory equipment, cost of materials, challenges in managing biological waste, biosafety requirements and teachers’ lack of confidence in carrying out these practices.

This article addresses precisely this challenge: how can we make experimental microbiology more accessible, safe and sustainable in school contexts?

A frugal-circular approach

The article proposes an eco-microbiology approach based on a frugal-circular logic. In this context, “frugal” does not simply mean “cheap”: it means using resources responsibly, reducing waste, reusing materials whenever possible and planning laboratory activities with a lower environmental impact.

The framework includes alternatives to conventional equipment and consumables, such as reusable materials, accessible sources of microorganisms and solutions adapted to school contexts with limited resources. Examples discussed in the article include the use of pressure cookers for sterilisation, improvised incubators, reusable glass jars and microorganisms from fermented foods, probiotics or baker’s yeast.

Safety first

One of the central principles of the article is that accessibility must never compromise biosafety. All activities should respect clear safety boundaries, including the appropriate selection of microorganisms, containment of cultures, disinfection of materials and correct management of waste.

The article also reinforces an essential rule for working with environmental or unknown materials: “unknown = potentially pathogenic”. Therefore, samples such as soil, moulds or other environmental materials should be handled with particular caution, preferably in teacher-led demonstrations, with sealed observation and no reopening of cultures after incubation..

Supporting teachers in planning practical activities

Rather than presenting isolated solutions, the article proposes criteria to support teachers’ decision-making. Before adapting materials or procedures, it is necessary to ensure that the activity maintains its educational value, respects safety requirements, allows interpretable observations and can realistically be carried out in the school context.

In this way, the article aims to support primary and secondary school teachers in integrating practical microbiology activities that are scientifically rigorous, pedagogically relevant and environmentally responsible.

Microbiology for scientific citizenship

By bringing students closer to the microbial world through practical activities, this approach also helps challenge overly negative views of microorganisms, which are often associated only with disease. School microbiology can help students understand the essential roles of microorganisms in ecosystems, food, health, biotechnology and contemporary global challenges.

The article therefore reinforces the importance of microbiology education that goes beyond content transmission, promoting scientific literacy, critical thinking, environmental responsibility and informed decision-making.

Read the article

The article is available open access in Microbial Biotechnology:

Amorim, L., Timmis, K., Lopes, B. da S., Ribeiro, R., & Santos, C. (2026). Eco-Microbiology: A Frugal-Circular Framework for Biosafe, Low-Cost Practical Microbiology in Secondary Education. Microbial Biotechnology, 19, e70343.

At EduBiota, this work reinforces our commitment to bringing microbiology closer to schools, teachers and students — in ways that are practical, safe, sustainable and relevant for understanding the world around us.