Race by other names: critiquing population categories in microbiome research

This minireview analyzes the social science literature on how categories of human difference are conceptualized and deployed in microbiome science, particularly in research conducted in Global South contexts. Through a systematic review of 180 microbiome studies (2014–2025) and analysis of social science critiques, it demonstrates how seemingly neutral terms like “population,” “lifestyle,” and “traditional” often imply racial meanings that echo colonial scientific frameworks. While microbiome science rarely uses explicit racial terminology, it frequently employs comparative frameworks that create hierarchical distinctions between Western and non-Western populations. The minireview argues that these categorizations stem not just from colonial legacies but from the comparative nature of scientific knowledge production itself. It traces the evolution of racial thinking in science from post-World War II genetics through contemporary microbiome research, showing how even as scientists reject biological racial determinism, race persists as an analytical category through various proxies. It concludes by examining recent efforts to develop more nuanced approaches to human categorization in microbiome science and calls for deeper integration of social science perspectives to avoid reproducing problematic categorizations while ensuring ethical and equitable research practices.