The war beneath our feet: Harnessing the microbial forever war

In the soil beneath our feet, microbes battle for the resources to survive. To win, they must employ a diverse arsenal of weaponry.

Meanwhile, scientists harness these weapons to produce new technology for medicine and agriculture. One example is the antibiotic penicillin, that we have used in the clinic for over eighty years. 

The talk tells the long and exciting story of how Danish scientists have used the concept of microbial warfare to produce new medicine and sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, I will challenge this concept and ask: How does society shape our scientists and our own views of the natural world?

(Photo: Shutterstock)