Growing microbiology literacy through interdisciplinary approaches to food fermentations and an Indigenous peoples' rights framework

Aviaja Lyberth Hauptmann; Stephanie Maroney; Jessica Bissett Perea; Maria L Marco

doi:10.1128/jmbe.00152-24

Growing microbiology literacy through interdisciplinary approaches to food fermentations and an Indigenous peoples' rights framework

J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2025 Jan 23:e0015224. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.00152-24. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Aviaja Lyberth Hauptmann^{1

2}, Stephanie Maroney³, Jessica Bissett Perea⁴, Maria L Marco⁵

Affiliations

¹ SILA Department, Ilisimatusarfik - University of Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland.
² Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life, University of California, Davis, California, USA.
⁴ Department of American Indian Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
⁵ Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, California, USA.

PMID: 39846751
DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00152-24

Abstract

New approaches to microbiology education are needed to ensure equitable representation in microbiology and to build literacy in microbiology and science broadly. To address this goal, we developed a course held at the collegiate level that uniquely integrated microbiology, Indigenous studies, science and technology studies, and arts and performance. The course participants included students in 12 majors across science, engineering, humanities, and arts. The different disciplines of the course intersected around Inuit fermented foods as the basis for discussions on fundamental microbiological principles, the scientific method, food sovereignty, and Indigenous peoples' rights. A diverse array of activities was included, ranging from lectures in microbiology and fermentation, a sauerkraut-making lab, a walk through the Native American contemplative garden, a workshop on Inuit drum making and dance, as well as a performance by Inuit-soul group Pamyua. We propose that a radically interdisciplinary approach and a human rights framework in microbiology education can be a way to enhance microbiology and science literacy for a diverse group of students.

Keywords: Indigenous studies; Inuit; arts and performance; fermented foods; human rights; interdisciplinary; microbiology literacy; science and technology studies.