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Q&A: New Jersey chooses a state microbe
The New Jersey state legislature voted unanimously to approve a bill that would name Streptomyces griseus as the official state microbe, and the legislation has been sent to Gov. Phil Murphy for consideration.
If he signs, New Jersey would become just the second state to recognize a state microbe, following Oregon, which adopted Saccharomyces cerevisiae — or Brewer’s yeast — in 2013.
Infectious Disease News reached out to Rutgers University experts Max Häggblom, PhD, Jeffrey M. Boyd, PhD, Douglas E. Eveleigh, PhD, and John G. Warhol, PhD, to get some insight on the process. – by Marley Ghizzone
Why name a state microbe?
Many states officially recognize a variety of visible symbols, such as flowers, plants, birds, and fruits. In New Jersey, we are proud of our state flower, the common meadow violet (Viola sororia), the state bird, the American goldfinch (Spinus tristis), and the delicious state fruit, the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Few states, however, have sought to recognize their ubiquitous, yet invisible, microbial residents. In fact, almost everyone lives in a state devoid of an official microbe! This cultural deficit is an opportunity for intrepid microbiologists to secure official acknowledgement of these essential participants in planetary and human ecosystems, as well as global health care.
We live in a microbial world. Microbes have ruled Earth for billions of years. They are the smallest living things, the oldest form of life and account for the greatest diversity in the biosphere. They also perform diverse metabolic functions and ecosystem services that are essential for life on Earth. Microbes occupy every possible environmental niche, including frozen Arctic tundra, deep sea hydrothermal vents, hazardous waste sites and the human body. Microbes have been used to discover novel bioactive compounds, to characterize metabolic traits for degradation of hazardous chemicals, to develop new biofuel production methods and, in the case of Streptomyces griseus, to promote human health. The formal designation of a New Jersey state microbe will shine a light on the power of microbes and how the diversity of microbial activities can be used.
Antibiotics, nature’s microbial wonder drugs, are produced by microbes. Moreover, the field of microbiology is a major contributor to improvements to human health, industrial development, environmental integrity and agricultural productivity. To cite the late Professor Selman Waksman: "There is no field of human endeavor, whether it be in industry or in agriculture, or in the preparation of food or in connection with problems of shelter or clothing, or in the conservation of human and animal health and the combating of disease, where the microbe does not play an important and often dominant role."
Why was Streptomyces griseus chosen?
Filamentous bacteria (Streptomyces) give the soil that wonderful earthy aroma (geosmin), they metabolize organic materials to maintain soil fertility and are also a major source of antibiotics. The actinomycete bacterium Streptomyces griseus, discovered in New Jersey, has dramatically advanced world health and thus merits state recognition. Antibiotics revolutionized medicine in the 20th century, with New Jersey as the center of this revolution. Designating Streptomyces griseus as the official New Jersey state microbe is an excellent opportunity to showcase New Jersey's leading role in microbiological research and the importance of the pharmaceutical industry to New Jersey’s economy.
Streptomycin, the antibiotic made by Streptomyces griseus, was discovered by Albert Schatz, Elizabeth Bugie and Waksman at the New Jersey Agricultural School in 1944 at the dawn of the antibiotic era. It was truly remarkable in the breadth of pathogens that it attacked, including Vibrio cholerae (cholera) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). Penicillin, the only other antibiotic at that time, had no effect on these bacteria. Streptomycin saved millions of lives, extended the human life span and dramatically improved the course of world health. It has been a major weapon in the war against morbidity and mortality from bacterial infections. Streptomycin shortened and prevented illness, alleviated suffering and helped avert premature death. The recognition of the importance of streptomycin is clear from the 1952 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Waksman, for his “... ingenious, systematic and successful studies of the soil microbes that have led to the discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy against tuberculosis.” Waksman and his teams began their quest in 1937 and achieved success in 1943.
Streptomyces griseus was isolated from New Jersey soil and also from the gullet of a healthy New Jersey chicken by scientists in the (now) Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers. These scientists also discovered streptomycin’s remarkable antibiotic properties. Streptomyces griseus was used in the development of large-scale fermentation, which was a novel concept at that time. Thus, streptomycin joined penicillin in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in New Jersey and around the world. Within 4 years of its discovery, the initial few milligrams of laboratory-produced streptomycin were ramped up to 3,000 kilograms per month. This skillful fermentation science made it possible for Drs. William Feldman and Corwin Hinshaw to conduct animal and human trials at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The development and testing of streptomycin were high priorities; within 2 years it was in clinical use.
Hence, this soil microbe, which took the world medical stage in 1944 at the birth of antibiotic development, strongly merits recognition. The formal designation of Streptomyces griseus as the official New Jersey state microbe is an excellent opportunity to showcase New Jersey's leading role in microbiological research and the importance of the pharmaceutical industry.
Were other microbes considered?
Yes, there were other candidates, and we actually ran a straw poll for several years that allowed the public to weigh in on the candidates. Two other nominations for a New Jersey state microbe stood out:
Azotobacter vinelandii, discovered by Jacob Lipman in 1903 in Vineland, New Jersey, soil; and
Thiobacillus thiooxidans (or the updated name, Acidithiobacillus), discovered by Jacob Jaffe and Waksman in 1922 in acid mine waste and associated transformations from New Jersey.
Streptomyces griseus clearly emerged as the winner. In brief: It saved millions of lives; it created jobs — the development of the pharmaceutical industry in the 1950s was based in New Jersey; and it helped Waksman win the Nobel Prize. Although our state has many Jersey-proud microbes, the case for Streptomyces griseus as the state microbe was overwhelming.
Can legislation like this impact public health and improve science literacy?
Yes. Formally designating state microbes is not only fun, but it plays important roles in educating the public about the power of microbes. Naming Streptomyces griseus as a state microbe increases awareness of the positive, as well as the negative, roles that microbes play in our lives. A few bad germs have given microbes a bad name. But these germs are the exceptions, and in fact, out of microbes have come the cures for many aliments, including microbial infections. We believe that righting these scientific misconceptions can be achieved by having a public discourse, which this legislation aids.
Microbiology is sadly under-represented in K-to-12 science education. Having a state microbe provides the opportunity to introduce basic microbiology in social studies or civics class when students learn about the history of their state. A state microbe also provides the impetus for microbiologists to tell the state microbe story to nonscientists and nonmicrobiologists.
Did Oregon’s naming of a state microbe influence the New Jersey bill?
No, this initiative was started much earlier. Rutgers’ Doug Eveleigh had initiated discussion with other members of the American Society for Microbiology over a decade ago. Unfortunately, it has taken time for this to get on the formal agenda. We actually tried to contact the Oregon legislature and the Oregon Brewers Association for advice, but they never returned our calls. So, we did this entirely on our own.
What advice would you give to scientists in other states that may consider getting their own s tate m icrobe?
Getting an official state microbe is a lot of work, and not just work, but teamwork. Advocates need to understand that they are asking their elected representatives to stake their reputations on something that they cannot see and have probably never heard of. Be persuasive, creative, confident and persistent, and use all resources available to get your microbial message across. Be patient and keep your sense of humor.
Disclosures: Boyd, Eveleigh, Häggblom and Warhol report no relevant financial disclosures.