Humans as "Walking Ecosystems" — Can Understanding Microbes Bring Us Closer to Nature?

We tend to think of nature as something "outside" of us.

Forests, rivers, soil, seas, animals, plants. Places we visit on weekends. Landscapes captured in photos. Objects to be protected. Or perhaps, spaces of "healing" left outside urban life.

But what if nature is not only "outside" but also already expanding inside us?

Our bodies host an enormous number of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and archaea. In our guts, skin, mouth, respiratory tract, and the air, soil, water, and plants we touch, the boundaries are not as rigid as we might think. Humans might not be independent entities but rather complex beings coexisting with countless forms of life.

The term that encapsulates this idea is "holobiont." A holobiont is a concept that views a host organism and its associated microorganisms as a single unit. In the case of humans, it suggests that the "self" is not just made up of human cells but is also constituted by symbiotic microorganisms.

Understanding this concept might not just increase biological knowledge. Recent research suggests that learning about holobionts could enhance people's sense of "connection with nature."

An article on Phys.org introduced research by Jake Robinson, a microbial ecologist at Flinders University, and his team. The study, published in the journal "Ambio," examined how viewing humans as part of nature, or holobiont literacy, affects our connection with nature.

The research team focused on a highly contemporary question.

When people learn that they are not "solitary beings" but "walking ecosystems," how does it reshape their relationship with nature?

This question is intriguing because natural experiences typically conjure images of walking in forests, spending time by the sea, gardening, or camping—direct interactions. Many studies have shown that such experiences positively impact mental and physical health. However, this research suggests that even without visiting a forest, simply learning that "our bodies are connected to nature through microorganisms" can reduce the psychological distance to nature.

The study was conducted as a randomized, blind online survey involving 190 participants. They were divided into a group that watched a short video and received additional information about holobionts and a control group that viewed neutral content. Changes in their sense of connection with nature were measured before and after.

The results showed that the group exposed to information about holobionts experienced a significant increase in their sense of connection with nature. In contrast, no similar change was observed in the control group. Additionally, those with higher prior knowledge of holobionts tended to feel a stronger connection to nature.

It's important to note that this study does not simply claim that "knowing about microorganisms will make you happy." The sample might have been biased toward those interested in nature and microorganisms, and whether the effects are long-lasting remains a topic for future research. Nonetheless, the results provide a new perspective on the human-nature relationship.

We are accustomed to viewing nature as an "external landscape." However, incorporating the perspective of microorganisms reveals that nature is present on our skin, in our guts, in the air we breathe, and in the soil we tread. Humans exist as part of nature before they visit it.

This idea also clashes with modern notions of cleanliness.

In urban life, microorganisms are often described as "dirty," "dangerous," or "to be eliminated." Words like sterilization, antibacterial, and disinfection are deeply ingrained in daily life. Of course, infection control and hygiene management are crucial. Protecting against pathogens is essential not only for individual health but also for society as a whole.

However, if the perception of all microorganisms as enemies becomes too strong, we may forget that we coexist with them. Touching soil, interacting with plants, feeling the wind outdoors, and sharing spaces with animals and others are not just mood enhancers but interactions with ecosystems that include microorganisms.

The research team suggested that understanding microorganisms as "invisible allies" rather than just "invisible enemies" might change our emotions and values towards nature.

Particularly striking is that the concept of holobionts did not limit the connection with nature to "plants and animals." The study also examined connections to multiple components of nature, including abiotic nature, animals, plants, and microorganisms. In the group exposed to holobiont information, connections to not only microorganisms but also animals, plants, and abiotic nature increased.

Thus, learning about microorganisms might not just end with "liking microorganisms." It could encourage a perspective that views nature as a web of relationships. Humans, gut bacteria, soil microbes, plants, air, water, and animals emerge not as isolated parts but as a system of mutual influence.

This aligns well with the emerging concepts of "One Health" and "Planetary Health." These perspectives view human health, animal health, and environmental health as interconnected rather than separate. Incorporating microorganisms into this view further broadens the meaning of health. Internal health is connected not only to diet and sleep but also to living environments, urban design, green spaces, soil, and biodiversity.

This research is also suggestive for environmental education.

Traditional environmental education often centers on messages like "Let's protect nature" or "Let's value biodiversity." However, such calls can sometimes be perceived as moral obligations. Some people may see them as issues distant from themselves.

On the other hand, conveying that "you are already an ecosystem coexisting with microorganisms and connected to the surrounding nature" can change the perception of environmental issues. Protecting nature is not just about preserving external landscapes or rare species but also about safeguarding the conditions of one's own existence. Soil, green spaces, water, air, and biodiversity are not abstract environmental resources but foundations connected to one's body and mind.

Of course, this perspective requires caution.

The relationship between microorganisms and health is complex and cannot be reduced to simple health practices. Extreme understandings like "touching soil will make you healthy," "just stop sterilizing," or "natural means safe" are dangerous. Pathogenic microorganisms exist, and appropriate hygiene levels vary depending on immune status and living conditions.

Moreover, as noted in the research paper, care is needed in how information about microorganisms is conveyed. For example, discussions about microorganisms related to childbirth, parenting, and illness can cause anxiety or guilt in recipients. Effective science communication should open curiosity and convey complexity without imposing fear or responsibility.

Reactions on social media also reflect how this research is perceived.

On LinkedIn, posts by the researchers themselves and collaborators have been shared, drawing attention to the expression "humans are not solitary beings but walking ecosystems." The posts highlighted that a brief intervention in learning about holobionts enhanced the connection with nature and that this effect might be similar to nature-based interventions.

Responses mainly came from those interested in science, environmental education, well-being, and One Health. One user expressed sympathy for the view that "a healthy ecosystem = healthy humans" from the perspective that a healthy ecosystem supports the human microbiome. Another user appreciated this research as a post-human perspective, transcending anthropocentrism and viewing humans as multi-species coexisting entities.

There were also comments about feeling a "unity with nature and the universe" and linking it to an ecological perspective of gratitude. Some posts even related the concept to the health of astronauts and their microbiomes, indicating that the idea of holobionts could extend beyond Earthly nature education to understanding humans in extreme environments.

However, the reactions observed on social media are currently centered on platforms like LinkedIn, which lean towards experts and researchers, rather than a widespread buzz. There is no evidence of broad discussion on platforms like X or general social media, at least within the scope of public searches. Thus, this topic is likely still in the phase of gradual sharing among researchers and environmental education professionals rather than a mainstream trend.

Nonetheless, there is significant potential for this theme to spread to the general public.

The idea that "I am not a solitary entity but a community living with microorganisms" carries an intuitive surprise. Interest in gut health, fermented foods, and probiotics is already high. Adding perspectives on connection with nature and environmental conservation could turn this into a major theme crossing health, education, urban planning, and well-being.

For example, in urban design, parks, street trees, school gardens, rooftop greenery, and playgrounds where one can touch the soil might be reevaluated not just for aesthetics or recreation but as points of contact between humans and environmental microorganisms. In educational settings, lessons on observing microorganisms through microscopes could be linked to discussions on connection with nature and biodiversity. In healthcare and public health, the question of how to balance excessive cleanliness with necessary hygiene management becomes more critical.

The intrigue of this research lies in rethinking "oneness with nature" not just romantically but from the concrete science of microbiology.

Connection with nature is not just an emotion. In research fields, it has been reported that people with a high sense of connection with nature are more likely to engage in environmentally considerate behaviors and have better psychological well-being. Therefore, how to nurture this sense becomes important in the context of environmental issues and mental health.

Until now, methods such as natural experiences, forest walks, gardening, outdoor education, and mindfulness have been considered. This study adds a new entry point: "microbial literacy." While going out into nature is important, understanding that one's body is already in a relationship with nature can also be a trigger to change one's view of nature.

We often think of our bodies as "our own." However, in reality, countless others reside within us. They may be involved in our digestion, immunity, metabolism, skin environment, and even our mental and physical states. Of course, microorganisms do not determine everything about humans. But it is becoming clear that humans are not isolated entities separate from other forms of life.

In this light, nature becomes not a "place to visit" but a "relationship already involved."

Touching garden soil. Eating fermented foods. Opening windows to let in outside air. Walking in parks. Growing plants. Children playing in the mud. These everyday small acts also become interactions with a world that includes microorganisms.

This perspective also leads to human humility.

For a long time, we have viewed nature as something to manage, control, and utilize. But the concept of holobionts teaches that "humans are not entities that handle nature from outside." We are not only in nature but also constituted by it. The contours of our bodies are not as closed as we think.

That said, human agency is not lost. Rather, knowing that we are constituted by relationships with many forms of life helps us consider more realistically the impact of our actions on surrounding ecosystems. The use of antibiotics, diet, urban greenery, soil management, agriculture, architecture, and education—all choices are connected to the invisible network of microorganisms.

This research is just the beginning.

With 190 participants, the cultural and regional diversity is limited. It is also unknown how long the effects of short online information provision will last. Reactions to the concept of holobionts may vary depending on age, culture, religious views, cleanliness perceptions, and health status. Future research is expected to advance verification in various settings, such as education for children, VR and experiential exhibits, school gardens, urban green spaces, and medical communication.

Still, the hypothesis that "knowing about microorganisms changes the connection with nature" is compelling enough.

In urban societies where disconnection from nature is said to be advancing, people are losing touchpoints with nature. However, they are not completely lost. They exist invisibly on the skin, in the gut, and in the breath. The question is how we understand, feel, and incorporate them into our lives.

The word holobiont might be a bit complex, but its core is simple.

Humans do not live alone.
Humans do not stand outside of nature.
We are walking ecosystems living with microorganisms.

If this recognition spreads, nature conservation will not just be about "protecting distant forests." Health will not just be about "maintaining one's own body." Considering the body, mind, city, soil, water, plants, animals, and microorganisms as interconnected might become a new foundation for well-being and environmental education.

Knowing the invisible microorganisms is also about reclaiming the connection with the invisible nature.

And this realization quietly changes how we see ourselves. We are not closed entities but collections of relationships. Nature is not an external landscape but a network of life flowing inward.

From an era of fearing microorganisms to an era of understanding living with them. This research points to that small entryway.

Source URL

Refer to Phys.org for an overview of the research content, researcher comments, publication date, and background explanation of the research.
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-microbes-health-nature.html

Original paper in Ambio: "Viewing ourselves as nature: Holobiont literacy influences nature connectedness." Refer to the research design, number of participants, results, discussion, and limitations.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-026-02414-x

LinkedIn posts by Alexia Barrable and Jake M. Robinson. Refer to the sharing status on social media, reactions from the expert and researcher community, and trends in reactions and comments within the posts.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexia-barrable-phd-a14a6154_natureconnection-holobiont-activity-7458250304665501696-pRi_

LinkedIn post by Jake M. Robinson. Refer to the sharing, comments, and related professional reactions to the holobiont research on social media.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jake-m-robinson-b9855289_holobiont-microbiome-literacy-activity-7457911288749350912-umXg

LinkedIn post by Yari Or. Refer to the post-human perspective and the reception of "humans as part of nature," and reactions in the comments section.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yarior_i-love-this-spin-on-the-posthuman-perspective-activity-7458530876314857472-n6m6