With Microbes


Book Description

Without microbes, no other forms of life would be possible. But what does it mean to be with microbes? In this book, 24 contributors attune to microbes and describe their multiple relationships with humans and others.




Teaming with Microbes


Book Description

“A breakthrough book. No comprehensive horticultural library should be without it.” —American Gardener When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains plants, and then become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of toxic substances. Teaming with Microbes offers an alternative to this vicious circle, and details how to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web. You’ll discover that healthy soil is teeming with life—not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. This must-have guide is for everyone, from those devoted to organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy plants without resorting to chemicals.




Cheese and Microbes


Book Description

A scientific overview of the association of microbes with cheese, through the lens of select cheese varieties that result due to surface mold ripening, internal mold ripening, rind washing, cave aging, or surface smear rind development. Over the past decade, there has been explosive growth in the U.S. artisan cheese industry. The editor, Ms. Donnelly, was involved in developing a comprehensive education curriculum for those new to cheese making, which focused on the science of cheese, principally to promote cheese quality and safety. Many of the chapters in this book focus on aspects of that requisite knowledge. • Explains the process of transformation of milk to cheese and how sensory attributes of cheese are evaluated. • Provides an overview of cheese safety and regulations governing cheese making, both in the US and abroad, to ensure safety. • Explores how the tools of molecular biology provide new insights into the complexity of the microbial biodiversity of cheeses. • Examines the biodiversity of traditional cheeses as a result of traditional practices, and overviews research on the stability of the microbial consortium of select traditional cheese varieties. • Key text for cheese makers, scientists, students, and cheese enthusiasts who wish to expand their knowledge of cheeses and traditional foods.




In the Company of Microbes


Book Description

A look at the amazing, groovy world of microbes With more than 1,000 posts and 2 million views, the esteemed blog Small Things Considered has been sparking the imagination of microbiologists for an entire decade. Throughout the years, Elio Schaechter and his team of dedicated bloggers have shared exciting, unexpected, and unusual stories from the microbial world. In the Company of Microbes is a carefully selected treasure chest of wise, amusing, and even profound statements about the ubiquity and relevance of the microbial world. Schaechter, past ASM Presidents, and distinguished microbiologists from around the globe reflect on personal, sometimes historic interactions with microbes and unexpected discoveries, each essay conveying the excitement and sense of surprise that microbiology holds for them. This is the reason that Small Things Considered is a scientific and social media phenomenon that has impacted scientists at every stage of their careers and shared the magical of microbes with world. Join Schaechter in discovering a never-ending pageant of astounding variations on the theme of microbial life. Enjoy!




Microbes


Book Description

This is the only book that tells both sides of the story of germs: that they are critically important for our health and that the dangers of emerging pathogens continue to wreak havoc in our bodies and around the world. With straight-forward and engaging writing, infectious diseases physician Phillip Peterson surveys how our understanding of viruses has changed throughout history, from early plagues and pandemics to more recent outbreaks like HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Zika, and Coronavirus. Microbes also takes on contemporary issues like the importance of vaccinations in the face of the growing anti-vaxxer movement, as well as the rise of cutting-edge health treatments like fecal transplants. Peterson relays his first-hand experience dealing with an unprecedented emergence of new microbial threats. Yet at the same time he has witnessed the astounding recent discoveries of the crucial role of the microbes that colonize our body surfaces in human health. Microbes explains for general readers where these germs came from, what they do to and for us, and what can be done to stop the bad actors and foster the benefactors.




Tiny Creatures


Book Description

“Sutton’s large-scale illustrations help children to visualize microorganisms and processes that are too small to see. . . . A handsome and rewarding picture book.” — Booklist (starred review) All around the world—in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body—there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant’s antenna. They’re busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and helping to make the air we breathe.




Man and Microbes


Book Description

A noted medical historian places recent outbreaks of deadly diseases in historical perspective, with accounts of other alarming and recurring diseases throughout history and of the ways in which humans have adapted. Reprint. 17,500 first printing.




I Contain Multitudes


Book Description

New York Times Bestseller New York Times Notable Book of 2016 • NPR Great Read of 2016 • Named a Best Book of 2016 by The Economist, Smithsonian, NPR's Science Friday, MPR, Minnesota Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian, Times (London) From Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong, a groundbreaking, wondrously informative, and vastly entertaining examination of the most significant revolution in biology since Darwin—a “microbe’s-eye view” of the world that reveals a marvelous, radically reconceived picture of life on earth. Every animal, whether human, squid, or wasp, is home to millions of bacteria and other microbes. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ed Yong, whose humor is as evident as his erudition, prompts us to look at ourselves and our animal companions in a new light—less as individuals and more as the interconnected, interdependent multitudes we assuredly are. The microbes in our bodies are part of our immune systems and protect us from disease. In the deep oceans, mysterious creatures without mouths or guts depend on microbes for all their energy. Bacteria provide squid with invisibility cloaks, help beetles to bring down forests, and allow worms to cause diseases that afflict millions of people. Many people think of microbes as germs to be eradicated, but those that live with us—the microbiome—build our bodies, protect our health, shape our identities, and grant us incredible abilities. In this astonishing book, Ed Yong takes us on a grand tour through our microbial partners, and introduces us to the scientists on the front lines of discovery. It will change both our view of nature and our sense of where we belong in it.




Microbes and Evolution


Book Description

Explore the fundamental role of microbes in the natural history of our planet with 40 first-person essays written by microbiologists with a passion for evolutionary biology, whose thinking and career paths in science were influenced by Darwin's seminal work On the Origin of Species.




Thriving with Microbes


Book Description

From the remarkable minds of Sputnik Futures, this visually engaging exploration of the microbes that surround us and how these unseen powerhouses are shaping our future is perfect for readers of I Contain Multitudes and 10% Human. Let’s face it, microbes rule the world! Bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoa, algae, even viruses—these microorganisms may go unseen, but the impact they have on our lives is unmistakable. From panspermia (the bacteria dust from our galaxy) and the microbiomes of our homes and our environments, to emerging research on microbes’ role in our social emotions of love and empathy, and the realization that we are a superorganism, made up of trillions of bacteria that may be what makes us “human,” the authors take you through a fascinating revelation of how microbial populations play a crucial role in every aspect of our life. Breakthroughs in our understanding of microbes are shaping the frontier of medicine and health, technology, environmentalism, wellness, architecture, and more. Microbes are talking to us, and we are learning to speak to them in turn. For example, did you know: -That the mind and the gut talk to each other? -That your personality may be shaped by your microbiome? -That a lack of biodiversity can make you sick? -That microbes can reverse climate change and reduce plastic waste? -That our first microbes came from the universe, and we are taking our microorganisms back to space? In Thriving with Microbes, the brilliant minds of Sputnik Futures reveal cutting-edge discoveries from biologists, doctors, ecologists, technologists, and thought leaders as they explore the vast network of microorganisms around and within us. With expert voices, bold discoveries, and engaging visuals, this captivating addition to the Alice in Futureland® series is a must-read guide to the vibrant microbial world we inhabit, how it is shaping our individuality, and the miraculous future these microorganisms are showing us.