From Local Action to Global Collaboration: Promoting Microbial Literacy at IUMS 2026

Participating in the International Union of Microbiological Societies Congress (IUMS 2026) provided a valuable opportunity to share experiences, discuss educational strategies, and strengthen international collaboration in promoting microbial literacy.

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On November 5, I had the pleasure of participating as an invited speaker at the International Union of Microbiological Societies Congress (IUMS 2026), held at the Lisbon Congress Centre, Portugal.

I joined Rup Lal, Terence McGenity, and Sukanya Lal in the panel “Microbial Literacy – Educating Society for a Sustainable Future”, a session dedicated to sharing experiences and discussing strategies to promote microbial literacy through the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI).

Bringing Microbiology Closer to Schools and Society

In my presentation, entitled “Integrating Microbiology into Secondary School Education: Innovative Approaches to Building Scientific Literacy”, I highlighted the importance of integrating microbiology into secondary education, not simply as a collection of scientific concepts, but as an opportunity to better understand the world around us, develop critical thinking, and strengthen students’ ability to interpret evidence and make informed decisions.

In this context, I also presented EduBiota, the science education and outreach programme I am developing at the local level through hands-on learning experiences, teacher professional development, and community engagement activities.

EduBiota and IMiLI share a common vision: making knowledge about microorganisms more accessible, relevant, and meaningful. While IMiLI promotes international collaboration, resource sharing, and the development of microbial literacy initiatives across different regions of the world, EduBiota seeks to translate these goals into action within local schools and communities through educational approaches adapted to their specific contexts.

Sharing Experiences, Discussing Challenges, and Exploring New Opportunities

The panel provided a valuable opportunity for discussion on different ways of engaging young people with microbiology, from hands-on activities and school visits to the development of educational resources and strategies for collaboration between scientists and teachers.

And the conversations did not end with the panel! We had the opportunity to continue exchanging ideas about the challenges we face, particularly engaging teachers, the limited visibility of microbiology in school curricula, the need for funding to support educational activities, and the importance of evaluating the impact of our initiatives.

We also discussed ways to strengthen collaboration among IMiLI regional centres, share experiences and resources, and encourage the establishment of new centres, adapting strategies to the educational needs and contexts of different countries.

It was particularly encouraging to see that some participants expressed an interest in joining IMiLI and contributing to the expansion of this international network..

A Shared Commitment to Scientific Literacy

Participating in IUMS 2026 reinforced my belief that promoting microbial literacy is about much more than teaching students about microorganisms.

It is about helping young people recognise the importance of the microbial world for life, health, ecosystems, and sustainability. It is about creating opportunities to ask questions, experiment, interpret evidence, and understand how scientific knowledge is developed and how it relates to the challenges facing society.

Through IMiLI and EduBiota, we aim to contribute to this mission by connecting international collaboration with educational initiatives developed at the local level.

I came away from this meeting with new ideas, new connections, and, above all, an even stronger conviction that collaboration among microbiologists, educators, and communities is essential to making the microbial world more visible, understandable, and relevant to everyone.

Because understanding microorganisms also means gaining a better understanding of life and the world we live in.