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Aim of the IMiLI

Microbes and their activities are the life support systems of us, all other members of the biosphere, and the planet itself. They influence our lives and impact our decisions in countless ways. They are fascinating, exciting subjects to explore.

The International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI) is an educational outreach program for students of all ages, from preschool to high school, but also for adult learners – at university and among the general public - aimed at promoting microbiology literacy and knowledge in society. The overarching aim of the IMiLI is to popularize knowledge of microbiology, promote the improvement of human well-being and the well-being of the Earth, and advance sustainable development.

Through the work of the IMiLI, people will understand microbial activities, microbial technologies, and the close relationship between microbes and human activities. At the same time, through the study of relevant knowledge, people will develop critical and systems thinking which are key to objective, evidence-based opinion building and decisioning.

Prof. Kenneth Timmis

The goal of the IMiLI is to provide the teaching resources needed to improve the human, biosphere and planetary condition through microbiology knowledge and understanding of microbial processes. Its vision is that schools worldwide teach societally-relevant microbiology, that children worldwide learn how microbes play key roles in their own lives and health, and those of the biosphere and planet, and that children worldwide become adults worldwide that take informed decisions on issues in which microbes play a role, at the level of the individual/family/community/nation/planet/planet.

Prof. Wei Huang

Microbes are pivotal to ecosystems, health, and sustainability. The International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI) promotes understanding of microbes as vital to life support on Earth and urges early education in microbiology. Aiming to foster worldwide microbial awareness, the IMiLI stresses the importance of microbial processes for youth education. The IMiLI covers a broad range of topics on microbiology, elucidating how microbial communities interact with human and animal health, and microbial roles in creating fermented foods, pharmaceuticals, and waste decomposition. The IMiLI also explores the potential of microbes in addressing 'Grand Challenges' like inequality in agriculture, renewable resources, environment, biomedicine and in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Prof. Kenneth Timmis

Prof. Wei Huang

About Us

The International Microbiology Literacy Initiative East Asia Headquarters (IMiLI-EAH) is established at the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) located in the Suzhou Industrial Park, China. OSCAR is the first and only engineering and physical sciences research institute established by the University of Oxford in China in its over 850 years of history. OSCAR houses a specialized Biotechnology and Single Cell Biology Research Center. The IMiLI-EAH will carry out microbiology education outreach in the East Asia region, striving to achieve IMiLI objectives in this region. It will coordinate the activities of regional Centres and provide guidance for the promotion of the IMiLI curriculum in diverse countries. Professor Wei Huang, an eminent scientist in the field of biology, leads IMiLI-EAH. Professor Wei Huang is a professor in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford and PI of OSCAR. The research team led by him will contribute to the development of IMiLI-EAH.