Microbes are "good guys", even in the movies

What is it about?

Positive microbiology in movies showcases microbes as beneficial allies, seen in films like The Martian, Avatar, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, highlighting their roles in food production, bioremediation, and symbiosis. While cinema often focuses on pathogens, these positive portrayals can educate the public, counter germophobia, and promote a more balanced understanding of microbiology's essential contributions to life, technology, and human well-being

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Photo by Lusia Komala Widiastuti on Unsplash

Photo by Lusia Komala Widiastuti on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The article is crucial because it counters germophobia and the cliché that 'microbes are bad' fixed in the public's imagination. Its aim is to promote 'positive microbiology' by emphasizing the essential, beneficial roles of microorganisms in areas like food production, drug development, and environmental sustainability. It provides commercial films and TV series as engaging educational tools for science communication, supporting the goal of developing a microbiology-literate society