Small Things Considered

An Enlightening Evening to Remember

by David Westenberg | Each summer, the Microbial Diversity course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA is the place for exploring the incredible beauty and diversity of the microbial world. Read more →

Putting Life on Earth in Perspective

by Roberto | Last week I was very fortunate. I had the opportunity to focus my attention on putting life on Earth in perspective. It was a welcome respite considering these trying times. Almost one year ago, thanks to Nassos Typas, I received an invitation to speak on microbial diversity at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg... Read more →

Elio's Memoirs

by Roberto
This sepia toned photograph was taken on January 6, 1950. That's Elio in the light toned overcoat, looking over his right shoulder and standing on the first step of the ladder and about to enter a Panagra DC-3. Read more →

Teachers Corner: Where have all the protons gone?

by Roberto | Learning is complicated. To anyone involved in teaching, it is apparent that students learn in diverse and often mysterious ways. It has even been said that one never really learns something until one has to teach it! Read more →

Of Terms in Biology: Dysbiosis

by Elio | Dysbiosis is a fairly old term but one that seems to have gained con­si­der­able cur­ren­cy lately. Its ori­gin is from the Greek dys (bad, difficult) + biōsis (mode of life, from: bios life).  It is used to de­note an im­bal­ance in some­one's mi­cro­biome, human, animal, or plant. Read more →

Remembering a Remarkable Man

by Roberto | Outdoors the air was crisp, as it should be for a late Oc­to­ber even­ing in Maine. In­doors, with lit logs crack­ling in the fire­place, the twelve of us sat fully ab­sorbed in the nar­ra­tive spok­en by our spe­cial guest. The soft tone of his voice, the sparkle in his eyes, and his joy­ful smile framed the story­telling per­fect­ly. That even­ing, this gentle man... Read more →

A Change in the Plan of Construction

by Roberto | On occasion you might come across an odd-look­ing plant where the flower or­gan has been re­placed by a leafy struc­ture. To the ama­teur gar­dener this will seem a re­mark­able cur­iosi­ty, to the pro­fes­sio­nal plant grower it will sig­ni­fy sub­stan­tial eco­no­mic los­ses. To Jo­hann Wolf­gang von Goethe such sights meant the... Read more →

The Dead Sea Scrolls come under the Genomic ’Scope

by Elio | In this blog, we usually stick to mi­cro­bio­lo­gi­cal to­pics, but when one of bib­li­cal pro­por­tions comes along, we do not fight it. We are in fact plea­sed to con­si­der news about the Dead Sea Scrolls, the 1000 or so frag­ments of an­cient do­cu­ments found in ca­ves and else­where in the Ju­de­an De­sert. Their dis­co­ve­ry is thought to be... Read more →

Wonders Of A Stagnant Pool

by Tuffen West (1823−1891)
After long confinement to the house, whether from ill­ness or an un­usu­al pres­sure of en­gage­ments, how de­light­ful to turn out for a stroll in the fresh pure air ! Un­heed­ed­whether it rain or shine, if a na­tu­ra­list of the true stamp, all around seems to wel­come him, and care and trouble for the time fly... Read more →

The ASM President Speaks: "ASM Touches So Many, At So Many Levels"

by Robin Patel | I have been touched with the way ASM unites microbiologists, elevating microbiology for scientists and the communities in which we live. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve as ASM President over the past year, a year which could reasonably be considered, the year everyone was a microbiologist. Read more →