We are more obsessed with cleanliness than ever: we use antibacterial cleansers, we keep our children away from dirt, and we give out antibiotics with little regard for long-term effects. But in the process we are altering our microbiota, the microbes that live on and inside us. And it’s causing us to be more sick.

Claire M. Fraser, PhD, is a world-renowned scientist who launched a new field of study – microbial genomics and, through her ground-breaking research and pioneering leadership in this field, has fundamentally changed our understanding of the diversity and evolution of microbial life on Earth. Her collective work over two decades, has made sustained and transformational changes to our understanding of microbial biology.