Original article: “Es tan corto el amor y tan larga la persistencia bacteriana”: La evidencia de los millones de microrganismos que intercambian las parejas
Cristina Dorador and «Microbial Love»: The Invisible Mark of Every Kiss
On Valentine’s Day, Antofagasta scientist Cristina Dorador shared on X the insights from her research «Microbial Love», highlighting the theme: «Love is Short but Bacterial Persistence is Long«.
The accompanying graphics stress that love is not merely an abstract emotion; it also has a «concrete biological expression through our microbiome,» the collection of microorganisms residing in the human body.
The publication notes that every time we hug, hold hands, or kiss someone, we exchange millions of microorganisms. In fact, it warns that in a ten-second kiss, up to 80 million bacteria can be shared, some of which may remain. Over time, cohabiting couples begin to resemble one another in their microbiome, first increasing microbial diversity, followed by a natural selection where some bacteria thrive while others fade away.
The illustrated materials pose a provocative question: What happens when love ends? The response suggests that the microbiome reconfigures, but akin to memory, a small trace of the other person may linger. This microbial exchange leaves a biological imprint, an invisible legacy that can endure beyond the emotional bond.
View the thread posted by Cristina Dorador
The Microbial Love:
A publication from Explora in August 2019, regarding Cristina Dorador’s research on microorganisms, emphasizes that they are everywhere, including inside us: the human body hosts more than 48 trillion bacteria, 60 trillion viruses, and billions of fungi. They are essential for life, supporting the nitrogen cycle and enabling digestive processes like fiber degradation. Dorador has stated that understanding this dimension requires a radical shift in perspective: «I find it hard to look at the world without thinking about microorganisms. It’s like The Matrix.»
Explora details that the microbiologist, an expert in extremophilic bacteria from the Atacama Desert, coined the term «bacterial love» while reflecting on how the microbiomes of two people communicate and evolve together.
Dorador explains: «During a ten-second kiss, up to 80 million bacteria can be shared,» adding that after a breakup, the microbiome undergoes a gradual recovery, although a challenging-to-eradicate legacy may remain. Hence her concluding remark, now revitalized on social media: love may be fleeting, but bacterial influence is deep and enduring.