This working paper explores the emerging discourse on the legal rights of microbes in light of recent advances in microbiome science. Moving beyond the traditional view of microbes as pathogens or resources, the authors examine how microbiota are essential to life, ecosystems, and planetary health. Drawing on the concept of the holobiont—a biological unit composed of a multicellular host and its symbiotic microbes—the paper challenges anthropocentric assumptions in global health and international law. It interrogates whether existing legal frameworks can account for the complexity and relational nature of microbial life. Rather than proposing the extension of Rights of Nature (RoN) to microbes, the paper introduces the idea of Rights of Microbes (RoM) as a conceptual tool to provoke legal and ethical debate. Two key challenges are raised: whether international law can recognize the complexity of biological organization exemplified by microbial communities, and whether legal protections should focus on microbial functions rather than species composition. The authors argue that acknowledging the symbiotic and foundational roles of microbes could require rethinking international legal norms, particularly in health, biodiversity, and conservation. The paper concludes by suggesting that microbial ecosystems may warrant legal attention not only for preservation, but also for enabling microbial flourishing.