While microbes have primarily been viewed as pathogens, contemporary microbiome science and microbial ecology increasingly emphasize their non-pathogenic and symbiotic roles in shaping ecosystems and the health of all life forms. In doing so, they advance more nuanced understandings of the complexity of inter-related biological worlds. Yet, as scientific conceptions shift toward relational, functional, and ecological approaches in microbiology, this transformation has yet to be reflected in international legal frameworks governing interactions among humans, microbes and their environments. In response, we propose two post-anthropocentric approaches to microbial rights: Rights to Microbes, advocating for the protection of microbial functions instrumental for the survival of all life forms; and Rights of Microbes, which calls for recognizing the intrinsic and relational values of microbes as integral to planetary processes, and as deserving of rights in and of themselves. We explore the respective potentials of both approaches as different ways of prioritizing microbial rights.
