bugs get everywhere
01 may 2008 publication
the lead articles of the may 2008 issue of microbiology today are on space bugs; life on mars; antarctica: the last frontier; lichens in the freezer; and how microbes travel the world.
microshorts (p. 60)
lucy goodchild takes a look at some stories that have hit the headlines recently.
space bugs! (p. 62)
lewis dartnell asks are there microbes outside our planet? if so, how do they get around?
is microbial life on mars possible? (p. 66)
charles cockell is curious about micro-organisms on the red planet - do they exist? - could they exist?
antarctica: a last frontier for microbial exploration (p. 70)
deep below the antarctic ice lie microbial ecosystems waiting to be explored, as pointed out by brent christner an john priscu.
antarctic lichens: life in the freezer (p. 74)
paul dyer and peter crittenden reveal how lichens can survive and grow in the most harsh and inhospitable conditions.
ship ballast tanks: how microbes travel the world (p. 78)
as the world's shipping fleets travel across the oceans, fred dobbs speculates about what unseen microbial cargo they transport.
schoolzone (p. 84)
microbiology in schools advisory committee (misac) run an annual competition and this year it was sponsored by the british mycological society, with the theme 'medicines from fungi'. gemma sims describes her experience at the judging of the ever-popular competition.
gradline (p. 88)
a lot of early career microbiologists are often in two minds about trying to get published. charles penn offers his advice on the process of getting published from start to finish and gives his rules for publication success.
going public (p. 94)
lucy goodchild describes her experience at the latest society meeting in edinburgh as press officer for the event.
obituary - professor sir howard dalton frs (p. 100)
former president howard dalton has passed away at the age of 63. colin murrell describes his eminent contributions to science and his inspirational attitude.
comment: fungi as biological controls of insect disease vectors (p.104)
as our climate warms up, nancy beckage asks can fungi be used to prevent the spread of insect-borne disease?
