Specialists from Flinders University are exploring evidence that microbes in the soil and in the environments around us can affect the human microbiota and the “gut-brain axis,” potentially shaping emotional states and relationship dynamics — including aspects of romantic love.
The biology researchers from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Jake Robinson, Ondi Crino and Associate Professor Martin Breed, together with British neuroscientist Araceli Camargo, describe the idea in a review article that proposes how the human gut microbiome may influence the hormonal pathways involved in emotions commonly associated with love.
“We are not claiming that microbes ‘cause’ love,” says Robinson. “Our aim is to map plausible biological routes, based on microbiology and endocrinology, that researchers can now evaluate with rigorous human studies.”
The mini-review, published in a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, synthesizes evidence that microbes can modulate important hormones and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.
“We are exploring how the evolutionary foundations of microbe-endocrine interactions may provide important insights into how microbes influence emotions beyond love, including hatred and aggression,” they explain.
“If these pathways are confirmed, the findings could open pathways to microbiome-based strategies to support mental health and relational well-being. For now, it provides a roadmap for careful, hypothesis-driven science,” they add.
As part of their investigation, Robinson and his colleagues are also mapping the complex network of interactions among biological, environmental and social systems, with a focus on the potentially powerful role of soils in this network.
“In addition to emitting important chemical and microbial signals, healthy soils support vegetation that improves air quality, dampens noise, and moderates temperature to create immersive environments that affect our nervous, endocrine and immune systems,” adds Associate Professor Breed.
“On the other hand, soil degradation can increase harmful particles carried by the air and reduce the richness of the aerobiome, with possible downstream effects on inflammation and mental well-being,” he notes.
Robinson, author of the natural ecology books Invisible Friends, Treewilding and the new Nature of Pandemics (with a release scheduled for October), is launching a new national initiative to raise awareness about the need for soil health and to change people’s perceptions and knowledge about food systems.
Next month, he will present a free online public seminar in the “Soil Yourself September” series, discussing whether or how soils influence our minds — “from the foods we eat and the air we breathe to the multisensory experiences that shape and sustain them.”
In his latest study, Robinson and Associate Professor Breed participated in a study in which soil biodiversity in urban green spaces was measured in 13 cities across China.
The study, published recently in Nature Cities, found that cities tend to increase local soil biodiversity, but make soils more homogeneous across regions, reducing diversity and stability on a large scale.
“In general, our research group calls for cross-sector collaboration in restoration, urban planning, and public health to design environments that are not only biodiverse but also biocompatible,” concludes Robinson.
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