Adenike Akinsemolu: Pioneering Green Microbiology for a Changing Planet

Ugo Aliogo

Subheading: In her Founding Public Lecture at FUTA, the Nigerian sustainability scientist presented a new vision of microbiology—one that places microorganisms at the centre of climate action, sustainable development and human progress

Dr Adenike A. Akinsemolu, pioneer of Green Microbiology and founder of the Society for Green Microbiology, delivered the movement’s Founding Public Lecture at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), on Thursday, 16 July 2026.

The lecture, titled “Green Microbiology: The Microbial Blueprint for a Changing Planet,” was a major highlight of the Society for Green Microbiology Global Summit, held from 15 to 18 July 2026.

Addressing scientists, government representatives, industry professionals, educators, researchers and students, Akinsemolu presented Green Microbiology as an emerging interdisciplinary field connecting microbial science with sustainability, climate action, innovation, ethics and social impact.
Her presentation traced humanity’s relationship with microorganisms—from the historical association of microbes with epidemics and disease to their indispensable roles in human health, agriculture, food production, environmental restoration and climate regulation.

“Microorganisms are not strangers living somewhere outside us—they are part of us,” she told the audience, explaining that trillions of microbes live on and within the human body, supporting digestion, immunity and general health.

Akinsemolu argued that microbiology must move beyond its traditional boundaries to respond more directly to contemporary environmental and developmental challenges.

“Could microbiology move beyond its traditional boundaries?” she asked. “Could we develop a framework that would bring microbial science, sustainability, climate action, innovation, ethics and social impact into one intellectual space?”
These questions, she explained, shaped years of research, teaching, writing and collaboration that eventually led to the development of Green Microbiology.

Her intellectual journey gained momentum following the adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While governments, businesses, institutions and communities discussed their responsibilities for achieving the goals, Akinsemolu began examining the largely overlooked contribution of microorganisms.

This resulted in her research on the role of microorganisms in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, followed by the publication of the Principles of Green Microbiology in 2023. In 2025, the field was further advanced through the Elsevier book Green Microbiology: Sustainability, Climate Change, Food and Water, co-edited with Dr Helen N. Onyeaka.

During the FUTA lecture, Akinsemolu outlined the central principles of Green Microbiology, including sustainability, renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, diversity, multifunctionality and collaboration.

She demonstrated how microorganisms could be responsibly applied to improve soil fertility, strengthen food systems, treat wastewater, restore polluted environments, generate renewable energy, capture carbon and transform waste into valuable products.

The lecture also explored emerging areas such as plastic-degrading microbial enzymes, self-healing construction materials, artificial intelligence-assisted microbial discovery, sustainable biomanufacturing and the possible contribution of microorganisms to space exploration.

However, Akinsemolu stressed that scientific discoveries would have limited impact unless translated into education, policy and practical innovation. She called for the introduction of Green Microbiology into university curricula, the establishment of specialised postgraduate programmes and research laboratories, and stronger partnerships among academia, government, industry and communities.

She also challenged laboratories to organise their research around urgent societal questions: How can microbes help reduce pollution? How can they support food security? How can microbial technologies strengthen climate resilience and create sustainable industries?

The lecture represented both a professional milestone and a symbolic homecoming for Akinsemolu, who returned to FUTA with a scientific idea that had developed into an international platform. Her journey—from postgraduate conversations about sustainability and microbiology to convening a Global Summit—demonstrated how an idea originating in Africa could contribute to global scientific thought.

Concluding her address, Akinsemolu offered a statement that captured the central philosophy of the emerging field:
“If the 20th century taught fear of microbes, the 21st must teach us to work with them wisely.”

Through her scholarship, advocacy and institution-building, Adenike Akinsemolu is advancing a new understanding of the microbial world—not simply as a source of disease, but as a vital partner in building a healthier, more equitable and sustainable planet.