How can microbiologists create a positive impact on society? It’s as simple as building with Lego©: brick by brick. A march for science that changes a country’s conditions for scientists, a local event that helps parents avoid misuse of antibiotics, a citizen science project providing insights you would never see from a clinical setting. Each initiative, each story, each brick helps create awareness, influence policy and develop the conditions to develop and promote our microbiological knowledge, now and for future generations.

In 2019, to name only a few, FEMS Member Societies were active in:

• providing generic education resources and aiding with influenza surveillance
• promoting microbiology, for instance at the Garden of Experiments and via International Microorganism Day
• advocating for microbiology research through the Consensus Statement Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change and by publishing The urgent need for microbiology literacy in society

Storytelling contest

This month, we have challenged you to share your success story, your ‘brick’ with us. Your stories ranged from public awareness campaigns to science communication and applied microbiology. We’re thankful for these inspirational stories that were highlighted here and on Twitter earlier this week.

The story of Pankaj Chaudhary immediately caught our attention, showing the direct impact of a microbiology lab in an eye hospital for people in India and Nepal. We are therefore happy to announce that Pankaj Chaudhary is the winner of our contest ‘Building Impact – Brick by Brick’. A FEMS hooded sweater will be on its way shortly!

Selected stories