MICROBIAL HEALTH ECONOMY Over the next decade, humans will seek well-being at the scale of microbes. Forsaking germophobia for germophilia, we will invent new microbial products for everything from cosmetics and mood enhancement to soil maintenance. Environmental microbial science will open the door to the design of public and private spaces for microbial health. New biomolecular tools will seek to control the behavior of microbes in and around us. Although our inventive imagination will outpace microbial science, the next decade will lay the tracks for new microbiotic lifestyles and a new microbiotic medicine.

WHAT‘S DRIVING THIS FORECAST Rapidly declining costs for the genetic sequencing of the estimated tens of millions of bacterial species Rise of superbugs that are resistant to traditional antibiotic strategies Growing understanding of how and when communities of bacteria act in concert to benefit human well-being Growth of bioprinting technologies for inventing and producing new microbes or molecules that interact with microbes

MICROBIOTIC LIFESTYLES A backlash against anti-bacterial cleaning and personal care products spawns a lifestyle movement focused on cultivating healthy personal microbiomes SIGNAL: AOBiome’s AO+ mist claims to be the first live probiotic for the skin, promising to restore and maintain beneficial bacteria on the skin SO WHAT: A vanguard of offerings range from minimalist, do-no-harm products to personalized microbial solutions for individual health and well-being Image source: https://www.aobiome.com/  

PROBIOTIC MOOD MEDS Scientific links between personal microbial ecologies and psychological or behavioral problems establish new psychotherapies and cognitive augmentation strategies SIGNAL: Building on early studies that show probiotics can reduce anxiety, a 2014 Oxford study found that ingesting prebiotics can suppress stress and increase a positive focus on life Image source: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-014-3810-0 SO WHAT: The medical community and regulatory agencies collide with microbial entrepreneurs and early adopters as the basic premises of mental health begin to shift

ANTI-ANTI-MICROBIAL LAWS The simplicity of commercial sterilization is replaced by a more nuanced strategy of out-competing pathogens with helpful bacteria SIGNAL: In 2014, Minnesota became the first state to ban the anti-microbial ingredient triclosan, which is used in soaps, shampoos, and toothpastes SO WHAT: In supply chains, work environments, and homes, microbial diversity becomes a valued asset for both public health and economic growth Image source: http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2014/06/minnesota-ban-triclosan-may-have-broader-impact

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS A wave of disillusionment with initial microbial products and services gives rise to more scientifically grounded innovations Both corporate marketing and social movements such as integrative health and positive psychology will drive public debates as extreme as those over vaccination Personal microbial signatures emerge as a secure but ever- changing password for bio-identification Synthetic biology and biometric security entangles microbial health strategies in complex policy issues of IP, privacy, GMOs, and novel disease outbreaks

TEN-YEAR SCENARIO After a decade of early adopters and polarized debates, in 2025 microbiotic lifestyles have reached an inflection point where public health officials, regulatory agencies and consumer opinion all begin a rapid shift to embrace microbial diversity and reject germophobic strategies for health, disease, and overall well-being. The shift, however, extends well beyond replacing antibiotics with probiotics and prebiotics: we’re rethinking the basics of how our bodies do their work, with growing attention to the chronobiology of bacteria, to specific molecules that activate and block bacterial functions, and to synthetic versions of those molecules (or even entire bacteria), all of which are rapidly changing the landscape of health and well-being products.