In the sweeping history of life on Earth, microbes have always played a foundational role as ecosystem engineers, atmospheric regulators, and engines of biological resilience. These microscopic life forms built the biosphere long before plants and animals evolved. Yet today, in the pursuit of industrial growth and technological advancement, we are steadily erasing them from our planet, often without recognition or alarm.

While the global public mourns the loss of elephants, rhinos, or coral reefs, a far more widespread and silent extinction is occurring in soils, oceans, forests, and even within our own bodies. Microbial ecosystems are under siege from pollution, habitat destruction, excessive chemical use, climate extremes, and monoculture farming. This is not merely a loss of biodiversity; it is the weakening of Earth’s life-support infrastructure.

When microbial networks collapse, the consequences cascade through every major system. Soil microbes, for example, play critical roles in nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and plant health. Yet

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