The SymbioSphere is a miniature ecosystem, powered by nothing but light. Inside, billions of microbes live, grow, and reproduce. Together they quietly run the chemical cycles that keep Earth alive.
Why should I care? Microbes have a PR problem. They’re invisible to the naked eye, so most people only notice them when they make us sick or spoil our food. But without microbes, you wouldn’t be here. They’re the reason there’s oxygen in the air, life in the oceans and soil for crops to grow in. Without microbes, the planet would be a dead rock.
What’s going on inside? The green cells are cyanobacteria. They team up with other microbes to form visible clumps called granules. Amazingly, those granules can move as a collective. They also breathe — as a community. By day, cyanobacteria use light to turn CO2 into sugar, exhaling oxygen. Round the clock, the community uses that oxygen to burn sugar, releasing CO2. Again and again, one cell’s waste becomes another’s fuel. The whole system can sustain itself for months on end.
Get involved! We’re building the SymbioSphere so that everyone can see what invisible microbes do. Watch the timelapse videos, see oxygen rise and fall, or just sit, look and enjoy the microbes. Click the QR code
Intro to SymbioSphere — 4min video.
A poem inspired by SymbioSphere — 1min video.
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