ABOUT
The website's name is goodmicrobes.org for a couple of reasons:
- To connect to a mindset that microbes are actually beneficial and essential to life (that is, microbes are most always 'good').
It's estimated that only about 0.001% of all bacteria may be pathogenic and about less than 0.5% of all fungi may be pathogenic. See also pathogen (glossary). - This site is not associated with the EM Research Organization (EMRO) or with any other EM-named authorized entity, so this site should not have "EM" in its name anyway, otherwise, it may cause confusion (this site is done on a volunteer basis, independently and without oversight; certain information may be confirmed with one or more EM entities for accuracy, as well as, with other sources for content correctness; see Terms of Use, Disclaimers page).
goodmicrobes is about becoming aware of and using microorganisms. As such, one of the easiest way to do so is by utilizing Effective Microorganisms (EM)--see Why EM.
Without microbes, life would not be possible.
In actuality, there really is no clear line between 'good' and 'bad' microbes. Microbes can change functions under circumstances from being beneficial or passive to being problematic or as a pathogen, and vice versa.
So, the idea of goodmicrobes is to have us come to connect with the realization that microorganisms are 'good' for life, that they are essential for all of life. And that we need to stop seeing them as 'bad' and treating them, all of them, as enemies--we have been, subconsciously, at war with microorganisms. By using, especially excessively, chemicals, poisons, antibiotics and anti-microbial products, we not only kill the 'bad' microbes, we also kill the 'good' microbes which we need for healthy environments, healthy plants, healthy soils, healthy waters, healthy air, healthy animals, healthy insects, healthy microorganisms, and healthy humans, us.
See further explanations below.
This site is not affiliated with any organization, including those mentioned in the Directory, financially or otherwise.
This site is maintained and contributed by a volunteer(s).
Our scientific and research background is limited and this site is more of the layperson for the layperson. Most of what is here come from personal experiences and observations, first hand. Most of the science and research can be found elsewhere, more appropriately in accredited organizations, institutions, associations and groups (e.g., ASM, PNAS, IJSEM, NIH, .edu and university sites, etc.) Also, each species of microbes that's in EM-1 can be researched into. There are lots of information about each species separately. An assumption could be made that their separate analyses and researches can lend a possible understanding of how and why EM works the way it does. However, it is also known, and more recent research is bearing this out, that microbes will act and function differently when among different species of microbes than when they are only among their own kind. And EM is all about the combination of certain types of different species of microbes acting as a whole. In other words, EM should be seen as a whole unit, as an entity which can act on, transform and transform itself depending on the conditions of where it is being applied.
The main purpose of this site is educational with the objective of providing information that not only explains the uses and understanding of Effective Microorganisms (EM), but also to bring some level of awareness and understanding of microorganisms and the microbial world, in general.
Further regarding "good" microbes, in actuality, it is not as simple as good guys versus bad guys. Microbes that are considered 'bad' guys, such as, E. coli, especially the ones that live in our gut, under normal, healthy human conditions, are being good by producing vitamin K and where their secretions kill other pathogens.
However, by saying "good microbes," it may get people to think about microorganisms, especially 'bacteria', differently, that they serve a vital and essential part of life. We need microbes to digest, maintain our immune system and other vital bodily functions. We are 90% microbes by the number of human cells (about 10 trillion per person on average) to the number of microorganisms in our body (about 100 trillion per person on average).
So, reference to 'good' microbes could mean a couple of things: that microbes, in general, are necessary for life and the cycle of life, for example, even in the case of putrefactive microbes that decomposes dead organisms (where they may produce odors and pathogens); and more likely, in context of the discussion, reference to "good microbes" could mean those microbes that will tend towards a beneficial direction for other living organisms (such as, us humans and our pets), for example, microbes that will tend to produce organic acids, enzymes, antioxidants, etc. that not only create anti-pathogenic conditions, but also influence other microbes (most microbes tend to be neutral or opportunistic, rather than dominant) towards the same or similar direction or function in sync with creating a beneficial condition for life.
In contrast, the 'bad' microbes would mean those that tend to create conditions that may be problematic or harmful to life, such as, a dominant strain of E. coli that's given the opportunity to produce toxins in excess, especially with a critical mass of population of other E. coli in the area (a spoiled food or contaminated produce affecting other foods that come in contact with it).
We, society at large, have been anti-bacterial and anti-microbial to the detriment of our own personal health. We have excessively used and misused antibiotics, chemicals and toxins that kill not just the 'bad' microbes, but also the 'good' (beneficial) microbes. When wiping out an area of microorganisms, it creates a vacuum where the 'bad' guys have an equal opportunity to return and re-colonize that area first. But by utilizing the 'good' microbes to clean or treat an area (instead of using harsh chemicals), that space will be occupied by beneficial microbes, preventing or minimizing the 'bad' microbes from taking a foothold, at least, for the short-term.
The idea of "Good Microbes" is that microorganisms need to be considered and utilized in our lives and for all of life, that they are necessary, that they are beneficial, that they are good for a healthy life. All of life are dependent on, interdependent on, and have a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms, from other microbes, plants, insects, animals and all other organisms. The idea is to directly use microorganisms consciously, and some have already started doing so by fermenting foods, fermenting beverages, using fermented byproducts or the microorganisms directly, to clean, to bioremediate, to detoxify, to grow healthy organic foods, and so on and so forth.
Much of our awareness of the benefits and necessity of purposefully and directly using microorganisms, especially in sync with nature (not control over nature), come from the development and applications of Effective Microorganisms (EM) and the philosophy or principles developed by Teruo Higa (professor of agriculture at Meio University, Okinawa, Japan), who discovered EM in 1982, and continues to develop the uses and understanding of EM to this day, along with many other researchers and users throughout the world.
The philosophy or principles of EM as Higa developed based on what he observed in the activities and functions of the EM microbes, are as follows (interpreted from the Japanese):
To build a coexisting and co-properous society based on safety, convenience, low-cost, high quality, quality exchange of information and sustainability.
Higa helped to establish (though he is not a part of) the EM Research Organization (EMRO) in 1994, and their mission/vision statement consists of the philosophy/principles mentioned above.
See their site: emro.co.jp -Japanese | emrojapan.com -English.
This link is to a translation of emro.co.jp, however, since it's done by software-only (translate.google.com), parts of the translation may be incomprehensible.