Micropia, Amsterdam

Micropia is a museum that brings the hidden world of microbes into public view, treating microscopic life as essential rather than simply threatening. It opened on 30 September 2014 and forms a separate museum within Artis Zoo. The museum presents itself as the world’s first devoted to microbes.

Its displays combine living organisms with virtual versions, showing how bacteria, viruses, algae and fungi take part in everyday life. The aim is to replace instinctive disgust with a more informed and positive understanding of these tiny forms of life. One especially engaging exhibit is the Kiss-O-Meter, which counts the microbes passed between people during a kiss. Micropia also works toward becoming an international meeting point for microbiology, bringing scientific interests and the wider public closer together.