The Global Microbiome Conservancy (www.microbiomeconservancy.org) is on a mission to create a long-term vault of microorganisms reflecting the full diversity of human gut bacterial communities, including rare and disappearing strains found only in traditional, non-industrialized societies.

 

These microbes represent a living legacy of shared evolutionary history and cultural heritage.

 

Together, communities around the world are working with scientists in a race to safeguard against future bacterial extinctions caused by rapidly changing lifestyles.

 

Conserving Cultures is a photojournalism and social media campaign illustrating the process and promise of groundbreaking research, while raising awareness of the threats of industrialization and urbanization to biodiversity, health and the environments of human populations worldwide.