Abstract

As the planet undergoes what many scientists term the sixth mass extinction, attention often centers on the visible loss of species such as insects and birds. Yet, an equally critical but less visible crisis is unfolding—the decline of microbial biodiversity [2]. A recent state-of-the-science review published in Environmental Health Perspectives sheds light on how diminishing microbial diversity, both in natural environments and within the human body, may be contributing to the global rise in asthma, allergies, and related inflammatory conditions [3].