REGISTRO DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11130671
Autor:
Tiago Negrão de Andrade
Context: This manuscript explores the vital intersection of microbiology and sustainable design, particularly focusing on the decomposition of waste and resource balance in the face of 21st-century environmental challenges. It delves into the role of microorganisms in various societal structures like food and drug production, and water treatment. The urgency of integrating microbiological understanding into societal functions is highlighted as crucial in global sustainable development agendas.
Gap: Despite advancements, a significant gap exists in the practical application of microbiological research in sustainable practices and public policy. The manuscript identifies a need for enhanced methodologies to incorporate microbial processes effectively into urban planning and design for better sustainability outcomes.
Purpose: The research conducted aims to innovate by integrating microbiological insights into sustainable design processes, thereby improving life quality and environmental resilience. It leverages the biogenic concept, focusing on the life-enhancing role of microbiology in society.
Methodology: The study employs a transdisciplinary approach, combining observational and experimental methods across microbiology and sustainability sectors. Techniques include DNA-based analysis, omics technologies, and robust computational tools for studying microbial communities.
Results: The findings underscore the critical role of microorganisms in maintaining ecosystem balance and highlight innovative microbial applications in bioremediation and waste reduction. Notably, the study of bacterial enzymes capable of degrading PET plastics marks a significant breakthrough.
Conclusions: The manuscript calls for a paradigm shift in how microbiological research is integrated into broader sustainability practices. It advocates for the incorporation of microbial systems thinking in education, policy-making, and urban development to foster a sustainable future.
Keywords: Microbiology, Sustainable Design, Bioremediation.
Resumo:
Contexto: Este manuscrito explora a interseção vital entre microbiologia e design sustentável, focando especialmente na decomposição de resíduos e no equilíbrio de recursos frente aos desafios ambientais do século 21. Investiga o papel dos microorganismos em diversas estruturas sociais como produção de alimentos e medicamentos, e tratamento de água. A urgência de integrar o entendimento microbiológico nas funções sociais é destacada como crucial nas agendas de desenvolvimento sustentável global.
Lacuna: Apesar dos avanços, existe uma lacuna significativa na aplicação prática das pesquisas microbiológicas em práticas sustentáveis e políticas públicas. O manuscrito identifica a necessidade de metodologias aprimoradas para incorporar efetivamente processos microbianos no planejamento urbano e design para melhores resultados de sustentabilidade.
Objetivo: A pesquisa realizada visa inovar integrando insights microbiológicos nos processos de design sustentável, melhorando assim a qualidade de vida e a resiliência ambiental. Aproveita o conceito biogênico, focando no papel enriquecedor de vida da microbiologia na sociedade.
Metodologia: O estudo emprega uma abordagem transdisciplinar, combinando métodos observacionais e experimentais entre os setores de microbiologia e sustentabilidade. Técnicas incluem análise baseada em DNA, tecnologias ômicas e ferramentas computacionais robustas para estudar comunidades microbianas.
Resultados: Os resultados sublinham o papel crítico dos microorganismos na manutenção do equilíbrio do ecossistema e destacam aplicações inovadoras de microbianas em biorremediação e redução de resíduos. Notavelmente, o estudo de enzimas bacterianas capazes de degradar plásticos PET marca um avanço significativo.
Conclusões: O manuscrito convoca uma mudança de paradigma em como a pesquisa microbiológica é integrada em práticas de sustentabilidade mais amplas. Advoga pela incorporação de sistemas de pensamento microbiano na educação, formulação de políticas e desenvolvimento urbano para fomentar um futuro sustentável.
Palavras-chave: Microbiologia, Design Sustentável, Biorremediação.
Introduction
Understanding microbiology deeply through the interfaces of sustainable design, aiming to comprehend waste decomposition within the current challenge of resource balance, is an increasingly urgent necessity in the 21st century. Understanding the role of microorganisms, the kingdom Monera, from the perspective of various sectors that constitute the structures of society, such as food and drug production, water and sewage treatment, waste management, and the distinctions and transdisciplinarity for the improvement of the quality of life of the entire ecosystem, is an urgent theme on global agendas. It is necessary to comprehend the human dimension and its relationship, as a society, with microbiology, as well as its definition, function, differentiation into pre-, pro-, and anti-life factors, as well as the genetic understanding of these beings that make up a large part of the volume of mass and energy on Earth. The sense in which the social, environmental, and economic dimensions in sustainability projects for urban planning, design, and engineering, and how such areas relate to life and living conditions. Thus, what relationship does the economic system, along with new pedagogical practices, understand in terms of programs, public and social policies for a culture of education of the population on the subject, in order to transform choices and practices that bring mutual benefits within the perspective and parameters that measure the quality of life, its innovative, renewable methods, and the balance of energy equilibrium on the planet, thus, microbiology inserted in teaching curricula and its possible correlations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global agendas. Thus, a review, within the microscopic universe of biology, understanding the relationship of cause and effect, from micro to macro, how a change of perspective and paradigm can shed light on the challenges that concern the security of human life in the coming decades.
Therefore, it begins with the understanding of the word biogenic, which comes from the etymology bio (life) and genesis (generation), to generate life, and in Latin, it brings the meaning of biogenesis, that is, to generate life through forms of life and life processes. The observation of microorganisms involves microscopic, morphological, molecular, and cellular processes, semantics employed in health sciences. In Sustainable Design, the biogenic concept is employed in the role that microbiology assumes in relation to society, to improve life processes, promote environmental education, and enhance public health. Understanding that the cycle of life is to be born, gestate, multiply, live, and die, as well as to survive, mutate in inadequate environments, preserve the species, survive in the future, as it happens, namely, in the Monera kingdom with bacteria. These themes merge methodically to assess the quality of life and the environment. This field goes through management by public policies that determine the quality of life, namely, waste management and its reuse, selective waste collection, as well as water and sewage treatment in urban environments. This equation is responsible for mechanisms that equalize climate and global changes. Microbial life literally covers the planet. Incredibly diverse, microbial life blankets the planet. There are estimates that we know about 1% of the microbial species on the planet. Therefore, microorganisms survive in extreme environments of the planet, with certain microorganisms able to survive at high temperatures, often above 100°C, as they have been found in geysers, black smokers which are common hydrothermal vents at the bottom of lakes and hot lagoons and oceans, as well as in oil wells.
Some of these microorganisms are found in habitats of extreme cold, while others are found in reservoirs and saline, acidic, or alkaline waters. A curious fact is that a sample of soil grass can contain approximately one billion microbes, which harbor a biodiversity of thousands of species. Microorganisms impact the biosphere, being fundamental in some ecosystems, for example, in zones where light cannot reach, as well as where chemosynthetic bacteria are present, providing energy and carbon sources essential for the life of organisms. Decomposing microorganisms have the ability to recycle nutrients, assuming a role in biogeochemical cycles. The chemistry of bacterial reactions involves the breaking down of molecules and synthesis of new compounds. These effects relate to and bring about modifications in the environment, such as pollution and competition among microorganisms in a niche. There is also the relationship of survival within the host. But overall, bacteria play an essential role in symbiotic relationships (positive or negative) under the effects of the ecosystem.
Understanding the proportionality in which microorganisms assume in the environment, we see that the progress made within biological sciences to deepen the knowledge of microbial communities, the use of software, algorithms, and robust pipelines with high-capacity processing are part of the tools of molecular biology and techniques of DNA-based analysis and new methods for studying RNA, as well as proteins extracted from environmental samples, shedding light on the understanding of these beings. Currently, there is the application of “omics” approaches, namely genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, to bring the identities and functions of the environments in which microbes inhabit to light.
It is known that society is facing an environmental and social crisis resulting from an excess of waste and climate change, which afflict scientists, communities, and organizations for the coming years, as outlined by the World Health Organization’s Global Goals for 2030. Among these challenges, microbiology within the field of sustainability has undergone significant changes in quality of life due to genetic mutation of microorganisms arising from historical processes, technoscientific development, wars, revolutions, world overpopulation, metropolises, and globalization. In modern science, microbiology primarily occupies a space in areas of biotechnological product management that currently seek to reduce environmental impact, and in process engineering in the chemical sector, such as agricultural sciences, food science and technology, pharmaceutical sciences, and medical sciences. An important discovery was the recent study of two bacterial enzymes that specifically degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) residues and represent a promising solution. The first is Ideonella sakaiensisPETase, a well-characterized structurally conserved α/β-hydrolase fold enzyme that converts PET into mono-(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET) MHETase. The second key enzyme hydrolyzes MHET into PET terephthalate and ethylene glycol. It is estimated that plastic pollution in the world’s oceans exceeds 5 trillion pieces of plastic weighing more than 250,000 tons floating in the sea (ERIKSEN, 2014).
Thus, environmental quality has increasingly been associated with microorganisms due to their role in maintaining ecosystems and sensitivity to environmental variations and factors. In agroecology, the concept of soil microbiota, the habitat of microorganisms via molecular methods and soil samples, highlights the role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, which in turn present significant results for soil regeneration, syntropy, and succession that has been deteriorated by fire, drought, and agriculture. In this way, evaluating and combining plants, native forests, and environments devastated by human actions is also considered a way to measure quality of life. In this dilemma, soil microorganisms and plants assume the importance and function of nitrogen fixation in the soil as one of the main method parameters in agricultural sciences to measure soil pollution, as well as water quality, environment, and contained waste (DA SILVEIRA & DOS SANTOS FREITAS 2007).
Public Health, Additives, and Contaminants: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the United Nations International Agency for Research on Cancer organizes monographs on the identification of carcinogenic risks to humans. It identifies environmental factors related to microbiology that may increase the risk of cancer in humans. These factors include chemical compounds, complex mixtures (environmental pollution), occupational exposure (coke production), physical agents (solar radiation), biological agents (hepatitis B virus), and lifestyle factors (smoking tobacco) (SAMET, 2020). Among the microcontaminants of the environment, inorganic contaminants stand out, which belong to the group of elements that do not confer beneficial or essential characteristics to the organism and produce harmful effects on normal metabolic functions, although present in trace amounts, as in the case of toxic metals (Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, and Nickel) that have atomic characteristics and reactivity similar to essential elements and compete for binding sites with essential elements, being easily absorbed and distributed in the body, inhibiting the functions of essential elements and causing undesirable changes to the biological system, as they do not have a defined biological function, bringing toxicity to humans. Among the macrocontaminants are products derived from molecules originating from synthetic polymers (plastics) and non-renewable energies (petroleum), which are flammable, corrosive, reactive, toxic, pathogenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic, found in industrial products as well as in social environments, contaminated areas, and terrestrial biomes near large metropolises. Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is a serious public health problem. There are more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic weighing more than 250,000 tons floating in the sea (ERIKSEN, 2014). Still in the field of microbiology for sustainability, within health sciences, both in medicine and nutrition, the term intestinal microbiota has been used to assess the quantity and quality of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) within the gastrointestinal tract, as well as their biomodulatory function in quality of life (fiber fermentation and production of secondary metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial to health). In diet therapy, the quality of the diet and the choice of whole and natural foods or food products from the industry with additives for preservation influence the population of bacteria and the microbiome. The term intestinal microbiota, in nutrition, has been extensively reviewed and addressed by the health community as it brings studies on diet quality, lifestyle, and drug consumption that are strongly linked to health (LYNCH, PEDERSEN, 2016). But an important fact is that the excretion of metabolites from additives and contaminants from industrialized foods and fast food by an imbalanced intestinal microbiota – dysbiosis – also poses a risk of environmental contamination from sewage discharged into watersheds, rivers, and water sources, affecting the life of marine flora of cellular beings, cyanobacteria, fish, algae, affecting, due to microbiological mutation and contamination, the microorganisms of marine life.
In the contemporary context, a Historical Milestone of Microbiology: Scientists from various fields are observing a revision and paradigm shift in terminology from antibiotic to prebiotic and probiotics. This revision involves techniques for analyzing microorganisms, their habitats, and their function in this biological environment, leading to a paradigm shift in how we perceive, accept, and operate our relationships with the microorganisms that compose the environment. From the old view of attack (sterilization and extermination of microorganisms), through theories and scientific advances in molecular biology and microbiology, there is an urgent need for a vision of synergism (cooperation and mutualism of systems) between macro and microscopic life in environmental balance in pursuit of quality of life and sustainability. In this perspective, the famous phrase by Pasteur in Latin, Omne vivum ex vivo, meaning “all life comes from life,” gains space in the scenario of microbiology and sustainability. Throughout history, the antagonisms of theories about microorganisms (beneficial symbiotics vs. harmful pathogens) are being revisited in studies and articles on sustainability, a theme so emerging and current. In the 18th century, a controversial scenario of discoveries involving three great scientists, Louis Pasteur (theory of pasteurization), in contrast to Pierre Jacques Antoine Bechamp and Claude Bernard (theory of the biological terrain and the germ), sparked discussions about the function of these microorganisms in the generation of diseases, pasteurization, and sterilization versus symbiosis and cooperation between the environment and microorganisms, as at that time, advanced molecular biology techniques did not exist, but the progress of techniques for identifying morphological and biological activity of these microscopic beings was just beginning (SINDING, 1999).
In this timeline, the paradigms showed that both Louis Pasteur and his scientific counterpart, Béchamp, were successful in their applications. Louis Pasteur laid the groundwork for scientific advances against microbiological forms, with chemical defenses in the First and Second World Wars being used as chemical weapons. Then, the organic compound DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) was synthesized in 1874 by Othomar Zeidler, but it was not until 1939 that Paul Muller discovered its insecticidal properties for the agricultural industry. Advances from the theory of Pasteurization contributed to the advancement of vaccines, sterilization of food, antibiotics, and pesticides. On the other hand, his rival in science, Béchamp (October 16, 1816 – April 15, 1908), a chemist and biologist, along with Claude Bernard, defended the Theory of the Biological Terrain, making a significant contribution to the field of microbiology, biotechnology, and advances in medicine, nutrition, pharmacology, and health with their famous phrase “The terrain is everything; the germ is nothing,” implying that the biological terrain is all that matters, that the environment determines the conditions of life and the processes and maintenance of life, and that it is not the germs themselves that create the conditions; the germ is nothing, it has no significance in this sense, but rather the environment, the Terrain. The ideas of Béchamp and Bernard are very relevant in the current concept of microbiology and sustainability. Although at the time, there were certainly interests of bankers in Pasteur’s theory. Thus, in this historical debate, Louis Pasteur himself, on his deathbed, said: “Bernard was right, the microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.” Claude Bernard (1813-1878) was a famous French physician who laid many of the foundations of modern physiology. He postulated that the health of the organism depends on its own internal environment. These three scientists formed a historical path in the science framework, an evolutionary process where, in microbiology and sustainability, the invention of Penicillin (antibiotics) in 1928 by the Scottish physician and professor Alexander Fleming marked the history of viral epidemiological studies. In 2003, the Genome Project, through advanced molecular biology techniques, the Sanger sequencing method, unraveled the genetic code, which definitively contributed through the genetic code to determining the classification of microorganisms into classes and families within biology (animal and plant cells, fungi, bacteria, or viruses) and their functions in biological environments (COLLINS, MORGAN, PATRINOS, 2003).
These historical and complementary antagonistic views currently reflect the advancement of science, microbiology, sustainability, and quality of life, relating to such relevant topics for the formulation and revision of public policies regarding soil quality, food, atmospheric air, the scenario of viral pandemics of many diseases related to bacterial resistance, non-communicable chronic diseases, and exposure to xenobiotics (chemical compounds foreign to the human body) categorized in various categories, such as agricultural pesticides, insecticides, plastics, cleaning products, and pharmaceuticals.
Environmental Microbiology and Omics Sciences: Environmental microbiology is the study of the genetics, physiology, interactions, and functions of microorganisms in the environment. In this case, it includes soil, water, air, and sediments covering the planet, which may also include the animals and plants inhabiting these areas. Environmental microbiology also studies microorganisms existing in artificial environments, such as bioreactors. Microorganisms exhibit a biochemical diversity, making this group complex and diverse. A bacterial species may have various strains with different chemical and enzymatic metabolisms. The aim of environmental microbiology is to use this knowledge to maintain environmental quality and contribute to the sustainable development of modern society. Genomics involves obtaining data related to the genome, the complete sequence of genetic material – DNA of an organism. The characteristic of data generated by next-generation sequencers (NGS) is crucial when dealing with the enormous amounts of data generated. Each platform has its own systematic deviations that need to be accounted for in project design and data analysis.
Transcriptomics – RNAs) is the knowledge required by cells. RNAs determine which genes are being expressed and how the level of expression can change during the organism’s life, unlike DNA, which remains static, showing significant variations between the cells of organisms, known as differential expression.
Larger datasets will allow for more precise determination of transcription levels and associated statistics but will increase the risk of data flooding. Ultimately, visualization, analysis, and interpretation will require significant levels of expertise and also demand programming skills.
Proteomics refers to the systematic analysis of proteins. It complements other “omics” technologies in elucidating the identity of an organism’s proteins and understanding their functions. Computational challenges form a clear message emerging from recent proteomic literature: the need for robust software tools for data processing, the development of which lags behind substantial advances in instrumentation and methodologies.
In metabolomics, quantitative and qualitative unbiased analysis of the complete set of metabolites present in cells, fluids, and body tissues (the metabolome) is involved. Metabolomics deals with large datasets; therefore, sophisticated computational tools are vital for efficient and high-throughput analysis, to eliminate systematic distortion and explore biologically significant results.
More than ever, Environmental Microbiology is now part of the global scientific landscape as a fundamental area of study inserted into various topics of great importance, such as bioremediation, biocatalysis, biofuels, biological control, fertilizers, among others.
Agricultural Microbiology encompasses areas such as foliar phytopathology, root phytopathology, seed quality/sanitation, beneficial microorganisms, and microbial collections. For example, it can diagnose diseases related to rice or beans using traditional and molecular tools. Identification of pathotypes and the study of populations of phytopathogens, support in identifying sources of resistance, selection, and characterization of natural enemies of these phytopathogens, as well as the selection and characterization of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms.
In bioremediation, many compounds that are proven to be toxic have been introduced into the environment by human activity. Exposure to these contaminants poses risks to both the environment and human health. Therefore, understanding these risks and developing remediation techniques becomes extremely important. In this context, bioremediation is a biological process that occurs naturally through the action of bacteria, fungi, and plants, which serves to degrade, transform, and/or remove synthetic organic compounds from an environmental matrix, such as water or soil. For the correct assessment of these processes, a combination of chemical and biological methods is usually used. Natural attenuation processes can be initiated or accelerated by manipulating environmental conditions to make them favorable for the microbial community present at the site to degrade the pollutant, either through the addition of specific nutrients or the addition of specific microbial communities.
Microbiological analysis of water is undoubtedly very important, as it identifies the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. The presence of bacteria can indicate fecal contamination, either from human or animal feces. It is often an indication of contamination by sewage. The major concern is that they can cause various diseases, such as diarrhea, typhoid fever, and intestinal infection, even leading to death. Consumption of contaminated water or its use in food preparation can result in new infection cases. One of the main public health issues is the quality of water offered to consumers. Worldwide, contaminated water, associated with a lack of basic sanitation, kills about 1.6 million people per year. According to the Ministry of Health, the cost of treating diseases transmitted by contaminated water in Brazil amounts to US$ 2.7 billion per year (BRASIL, 2005).
Biocatalysis is a multidisciplinary field, and its importance is increasing every day. We can find examples of biocatalysis applications in the manufacture of fertilizers and agricultural pesticides, pharmaceuticals (fine chemicals), in the food processing and petroleum industries, and so on. It is easy to see the importance this area has and that its development is extremely important for the production of new materials and process improvement.
The use of biological catalysts dates back a long time; however, with new molecular biology techniques, methodologies for selecting biocatalysts, and new research approaches, developments have been made to obtain catalysts with altered specificities, as well as to explore biodiversity. Native biological catalysts currently available mostly have limitations when it comes to use in industrial processes, which is the major challenge in the field. Limitations found in the synthetic application of enzymes in their native form are currently being addressed by altering stereospecificity, thermostability, and activity through site-directed or random mutagenesis techniques (BRASIL, 2005).
The scenario of the 21st century demonstrates primarily the quality of life and the environment in large cities, where factors such as air, water, and soil toxicity, the availability of food contaminated by agricultural pesticides, herbicides, larvicides, fungicides, detergents, bleach, toxic solvents, and contaminated organic matter in animal tissues are prevalent. What is the scenario of this model of environment and life? Viral pandemics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, hospital environments contaminated by harmful gram-negative bacteria, autoimmune diseases, cancer, etc. There is a culture of death and attack on microorganisms to control multiplication, through chemical industry technologies, which involve water treatment (chlorine and fluoride), monoculture farming (pesticides), food products with additives and preservatives, and the supply of a variety of drugs and highly toxic chemical molecules (side effects), among many prophylactic measures for public health that have brought about high levels of toxicity and damage to mental health (CHAE, 2018).
In addition to polluted environments, we also have the model of a food culture based on the consumption of fast foods, leading to sedentary lifestyles, overweight, and obesity – such as the habit of eating processed, cooked, pasteurized, and irradiated foods with high glycemic and insulin levels, low in fiber, consisting of meats with saturated fats that increase cholesterol and other contaminants.
Epidemiological and biostatistical data point to a crisis in the health model, as large parts of the world’s populations have an unfavorable health profile, with high levels of blood cholesterol, stressful lifestyles, and hypertension, candidiasis, depression, metabolic syndrome (syndrome X), heavy metal poisoning from water, vaccines, alcoholism, and smoking (COUSENS, 2007).
We have reached a point in history where the paradigm shift presents new advances for science, namely, the expansion of the organic food concept, renewable energy, cell cultures of microorganisms, the role of prebiotics, probiotics, and neurobiotics in human gut flora health. Systems thinking gains ground as well as Systems Theory, aiming to analyze the nature of systems and the interrelationship between their parts, as well as the interrelationship between these systems in different spaces, as well as their fundamental laws. A system is understood as a network of interdependent components that work together to achieve a common goal. A system must have a goal. Without a goal, there is no system. Interdependence is the interdisciplinary study of systems. … In terms of its effects, a system can be more than the sum of its parts if it expresses synergy or emergent behavior. Changing one part of the system usually affects other parts and the entire system, with predictable patterns of behavior. Everything that happens at the micro level impacts the macro environment (VON BERTALANFFY, 1956).
Culture of Life: A Perspective on Design Education and Sustainability
There exists a culture of life that fosters the processes of life and cultivation of living microorganisms that nurture life, initially conceived by researcher Metchhnikoff at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, termed the “Theory of Longevity,” associated with the fermentation culture of foods among Bulgarian peoples (VASILJEVIC, 2008). Microorganisms promote homeostasis – balance – among the processes triggering modern autoimmune and neurological diseases, with the intestine and bacterial flora seen as the governing organ and great metabolic conductor of health within systems in anatomy, physiology, and pathology.
In a parenthesis between medicine, health, food, and the environment, the role of microbiology in agriculture, soil quality, water, and air is reflected. In the field of agriculture, in Brazil, there is Syntropic Agriculture, a planting model that carries out the natural succession of plants capable of regenerating agricultural data. It is understood, in this view, that the soil performs fundamental functions in terrestrial ecosystems such as nutrient cycling (DORAN & PARKIN, 1994). This cycle depends on microbial populations that can be monitored through microbiological attributes indicating variability in nutrient concentration and soil properties, which in turn support these living organisms. Understanding the microclimatology associated with soil microbial biomass is essential for understanding quantitative variations in microorganism populations on a seasonal scale and of great importance for the establishment of species and maintenance of soil microfauna in the ecosystem.
Agroforestry systems constitute an alternative agricultural production that minimizes the effect of human intervention. By mimicking the natural environment through the intercropping of various species within an area, ecosystem diversity is increased, and beneficial interactions between plants of different cycles, sizes, and functions are utilized.
Syntropy is directly related to natural succession and, thus, Syntropic Agriculture is based on the natural processes of forest formation. The goal is to bring agricultural systems closer to natural ecosystems. This is only possible with increased resources and available energy, such as the increased quantity and quality of consolidated life, both locally and globally, as Götsch often says. For Götsch, Earth (or life on planet Earth) organizes itself analogously to a living organism (GUIMARÃES, 2019).
Götsch’s system, despite all the philosophical and scientific framework, did not arise in academia. Götsch conducts his experiments detached from research institutions. His work is still poorly framed, measured, or explained by science and experimental research (GUIMARÃES, 2019).
This model is capable of producing 80 tons of fruits, nuts, and woods. Regarding public policies, laws, and actions with governments, in Brazil, this could be a model of Sustainable Social Design regeneration that promotes a new health model, where the supply of healthy, organic foods with the vital energy of new microorganisms, in addition to all nutrients, antioxidants, natural dyes from nature, and the entire natural diversity of flavors, textures, and aromas.
In design, eco-efficiency, and sustainability, there is a global need for a new education regarding health and human relations with living ecosystems, above all, promoting agroecology, knowledge, and valorization of farmers and awareness of environmental impacts, climate change, and changes in consumption habits that impact microbial mutation.
In Brazil, at PUC-Rio, the Department of Arts & Design, with the Biochip project, created in 1988, conducts experiments on the influence of environmental intersections and cyclical variations in the learning process. It is an open group for study, research, and design that investigates colors and the retrieval of information present in living models: vegetables, seeds, and fruits. The Biochip research finds resonance and analogy with the practice of Ecological Agriculture in relation to the Earth. Seeds, vegetables, and fruits in their raw state, as found in nature, are concentrated living stores of stored information – “biochips.”
Recognizing that this information can be decoded from direct contact with living models and that the colors generated by Earth’s life retrieve matristic information in our bodies, directly related to our origin as mammals, the proposal of Biochip was organized, seeking a revitalization of human relations with living nature. In the project, each participant, through contact with the earth, living models, and the processes of collection, washing, and investigation of the formal possibilities that each model awakens, organizes individual compositions with living matter on flat supports. The materials for the Investigation Drawing can be radishes, carrots, beets, broccoli, okra, kale, tomatoes, etc. Living foods, considered as pigments for compositions, are collected from organic cultivation gardens where Biochip activities take place.
Another school, also in Rio de Janeiro, that has been working in this direction is the Terrapia Association for Living Food and Health Promotion, at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation – Fiocruz, which offers free courses and workshops inclusively and driven by voluntary service for a dietary education that promotes health with modules on Brazilian cuisine without cooking the food and a way of looking at the body itself as an ecosystem and a means of participating in environmental preservation.
Major epidemics in the public health system are linked to the population’s lifestyle and food system, including nutritional epidemics such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus. The largest clinical study in the field of nutrition, known as the China Study, compared oriental populations living on a plant-based diet with American populations following a diet based on meat, dairy, and processed foods. When these data were analyzed, variations in laboratory tests were shown according to reference values for healthy individuals (CAMPBELL, 2004). Thus, it is believed that the formula to correct the deteriorating health of the country is a complete change in lifestyle practices, but generally, this involves a significant percentage in food choices because food is consumed three to four times a day, seven days a week, and 30 days a month. It is what each individual eats every day, and having the availability and time to cook that can lead to significant health changes.
Although Brazil’s Basic Health System is ideologically well-structured, the reality in hospitals does not match efficiency. The x-ray of health in Brazil is the lack of beds, overcrowding, shortage of health professionals, inequality in the distribution of doctors, lack of medications and hospital supplies, inadequate facilities, and lack of hospital resources (Court of Accounts, 2014). The population seeks hospitals for problems that require basic guidance when, in fact, hospitals should be dealing with more serious cases, such as births, transplants, and high-complexity surgeries. Therefore, the National Policy for Integrative and Complementary Practices of the Ministry of Health (Pics) becomes strategies for revitalizing the health system and changing the biologizing and medicalizing pattern of care and health promotion.
In conclusion, it is understood that a new Design in Health and Sustainability goes through educational, agrarian, and food system foundations, through collective health measures, and through political bases, laws, and agendas that demand values for life processes that prioritize the health of the planet’s ecosystem as a whole.
Conclusion
In concluding this extensive manuscript, it becomes evident that the intertwining of microbiology with sustainable design is not only innovative but also essential for addressing the pressing environmental and public health challenges of the 21st century. The exploration of microorganisms through the lens of sustainability reveals a profound potential for transformative impacts on waste management, public health, and environmental resilience. Microorganisms, with their versatile applications in bioremediation, agricultural improvement, and pollution reduction, exemplify nature’s ingenuity in sustaining life through complex biological processes. The call to integrate microbiological insights into urban planning, policy-making, and educational frameworks resonates with a global urgency to adopt more holistic and sustainable living practices.
Reflecting on the manifold implications presented in this manuscript, it is clear that the role of microorganisms extends beyond their ecological functions. They are pivotal in forging a path towards sustainability that respects and harnesses biological processes for societal benefit. As we move forward, it will be crucial to foster a biogenic perspective in design and policy—a perspective that appreciates and utilizes the life-generating capabilities of microorganisms. This approach not only promises to enhance the quality of life but also ensures the longevity of our ecosystems.
In fostering this biogenic approach, the integration of cutting-edge scientific research and innovative design principles in education, public policy, and industrial practices can catalyze a shift towards more sustainable and life-affirming technologies. Thus, embracing the microscopic intricacies of microbiology within the macroscopic goals of sustainability offers a promising avenue for addressing the environmental crises of our time, ultimately leading to a healthier, more resilient planet.
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Tiago Negrão de Andrade
Nutricionista e Farmacêutico, Mestre em Ciência de Alimentos – ITAL
Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos – ITAL E-mail: tiagonandr@gmail.com