This blog used the term “macrobiome” (to indicate animals and plants of the visible type, such as the Borneo pygmy elephants above) back in March 2013.

A quick google search reveals earlier uses of the term on the web. Some, though not all,  appearances of “macrobiome” were typographical errors. In those examples, the writer meant to type “microbiome”. Now, the term macrobiome has become mainstream. It appeared in PNAS a few months ago:

For macrobiome to become widespread, “microbiome” had to become mainstream first. And it has, judging from the volume of interesting results at this year’s gut microbiome themed Keystone conference in Keystone Colorado,  now ongoing.

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Joe Alcock

Emergency Physician, Educator, Researcher, interested in the microbiome, evolution, and medicine