Overview
- The Microbial Conservation Specialist Group released the roadmap in Sustainable Microbiology on Nov. 20 under lead author Jack Gilbert.
- Formally launched in July 2025 within IUCN’s Species Survival Commission, the group is co-chaired by Gilbert and Raquel Peixoto.
- The roadmap defines five workstreams across the Species Conservation Cycle: assessment, planning, action, networking, and communication and policy.
- Near-term goals include a Microbial Red List framework by 2027, global hotspot maps, and pilot interventions such as coral probiotics and soil carbon restoration.
- Early work is backed by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation plus in-kind support from AMI and ISME to develop indices and link microbial biobanks, while addressing scientific and ethical hurdles such as species definitions and sample stewardship.