We the people of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, will take our cue from Bacillus subtilis.
B. subtilis is considered a model citizen, astronaut, city-planner, and yes, organism. It is found in soil and the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants and humans. It even holds the record for surviving in space for the longest duration, six years on a NASA satellite.
There’s a lot we can learn from bacteria like B. subtilis. When they find a suitable surface, they form a biofilm. While we recognize this as slime buildup on counters, or that film that forms on our teeth, they are something akin to bacterial ‘cities.’ Biofilms are industrious Earthly communities, shaping the soil ecosystem and interacting with neighboring bacterial species. Some bacteria within biofilms are socially altruistic—B. subtilis uses electric and chemical signals (quorum sensing) to send messages to individuals in mixed populations to synchronize growth so that the innermost cells do not starve. [1]
When we think of biofilms as analogous to cities that have emerged through the collective behavior of millions of cells, we recognize an altruism and cooperation that humans can only dream of (lately). Like a family, different cells may perform different roles or duties for the unit, some storing reserves for future stressors, a practice known as biological bet-hedging, which helps the overall population survive when threatened. [2]
For the last 26+ years, the two of us have been working with organizations to navigate a future where change is the only constant. What we are witnessing is that the American dogma of rugged individualism has collapsed upon itself. Its weight has become too great to withstand the need for connection—especially during the Covid zeitgeist.
A fresh narrative is needed for the American public. The narratives we tell ourselves about growth and prosperity need to be rewritten. Growth for growth’s sake is no longer viable. The great expense to biodiversity and the environment, and imbalance of wealth is an unbearable load weakening both civil society and each of us individually. We are all interconnected, but we have not been living, learning, or innovating in that way.
With the new presidency, we would like to rethink how we belong in a world of “others.” Biologically, we have never been just individuals. Humans are complex organisms, a mesh of human cells covered with billions of bacteria living on us, within us, and among us. “If we destroy the environment, pollute it, and drive out microorganisms, we then destroy the source of new income, new products, and a continuing stabilization of our social system,” Rita Colwell, former director of the National Science Foundation and a microbiologist, told us.
We must learn from our forebears on this planet. While humans coined the term “consensus,” bacteria have been practicing it for millennia. By understanding the varied functions and the methods of bacteria’s self-organization, adaptation, and co-evolution, we are better able to understand our human potential.
[1] Beagle, Sarah D.; Lockless, Steve W. (5 November 2015). “Microbiology: Electrical signaling goes bacterial”. Nature. 527 (7576): 44- 45. Bibcode:2015Natur.527...44B.
[2] Matthias Bauer, Johannes Knebel, Matthias Lechner, Peter Pickl, Erwin Frey, “Ecological feedback in quorum-sensing microbial populations can induce heterogeneous production of autoinducers,” eLife 2017;6:e25773
Joanne De Luca and Janine Lopiano are the cofounders of Sputnik Futures and Alice in Futureland. Sputnik Futures interconnects emergent ideas in the arts, sciences, and technology to deliver transformative business growth that anticipate tomorrow’s agenda. Joanne and Janine have been futures strategists and cultural analysts for 26 years. They are coauthors of the new Alice in Futureland book series and podcast.
Cite This Essay
Deluca, Joanne and Janine Lopiano. “Bacteria: A New American Zeitgeist.” Biodesigned: Issue 4, 23 November, 2020. Accessed [month, day, year].