Interdisciplinary research on social justice for underserved communities is often neglected, but important to ensure that healthy microbiomes are accessible to everyone.

The human microbiome has captured public interest in the last few decades. Yet little is known about what exactly a 'healthy' microbiome is, beyond broad strokes like bacterial diversity or capacity for fiber fermentation.

Microbes affect the structure and function of cities and the health of their residents. A better understanding of urban microbiomes could inform the design of cities with microbes, and their impact on city and citizen well-being, in mind.