Microbial Ecotoxicology-40 Years on.

Although ecotoxicology was emerging as a field through the 1970s, the incorporation of microbial indicators into the framework has been slower to evolve. The exploration of microbes as sensitive toxicity tests began in the late 70s and early 80s (with the emergence of Microtox and other simple tests). However, the applications have been limited, beyond water and wastewater screening. This opinion piece reflects my own perspective on the field-from my early excitement in the 1990s for its possibilities, to a sense of frustration at the slow pace of new development and applications in the field-despite the surge of "omics" options. While microbiology still fails to lead the field of ecotoxicology, the potential remains.