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Microbial communities: big society on a small scale

01 November 2010 publication

Only when people and communities are given more power and take more responsibility can we achieve fairness and opportunity for all.

Much has been made in the British media recently of the Government’s ‘big society’ concept to help remedy some of the our current social problems. But even at a microbial level, it is now increasingly being realized that bacteria communicate and co-operate to perform a wide range of social behaviours. From infection to bioremediation, bacteria do not act in isolation.

The lead articles of the November 2010 issue of Microbiology Today are on community chat; social interactions; next-generation sequencing; oil-spill clean-up; and microbes in the gut.

Microbial community chat (p. 216)

Bacterial communities often synthesize and embed themselves in a sticky polymer matrix known as a biofilm which provides a safe environment protected from many environmental stresses. As Steve Atkinson describes, for this mode of living to be successful, the members of the community need to communicate.

Social interactions in a unicellular world (p. 220)

Traditionally, research in bacterial communication and co-operation has been performed at the molecular level and less attention has been paid to evolutionary and ecological factors which govern such actions. But Steve Diggle and Roman Popat ask what is the relevance of social evolution for microbes?

Covering all the bases with next-generation sequencing (p. 224)

Ed Feil describes how we must brace ourselves for the next wave of data as new sequencing techniques become available to determine and compare many sequences at once. The enormous amount of data soon to be generated will bring exciting new insights into how micro-organisms within communities evolve and interact.

A natural solution: how bacterial communities can help clean up oil spills (p. 228)

Recent events have highlighted the damage our dependence on oil can wreak on the natural world. However, as Lena Ciric discusses, communities of bacteria have evolved over billions of years to be rather better than we are at breaking down the complex hydrocarbons that are found in oil. How we can exploit this ability to improve our future clean-up strategies?

Bacterial communities in the gut (and the consequences of upsetting them) (p. 232)

Most of us know how it feels to have an upset stomach. Ian Poxton informs us how the enormous number of microbes that live in our gut usually get on very well together, living in relative harmony with one another, but disturb the balance and...

Schoolzone (p. 236)

Dariel Burdass and Vicki Symington describe how drama can be used as a vehicle to communicate scientific ideas, and Catherine Buckley encourages teachers to use the resources provided by the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre.

Gradline (p. 242)

Vitae is a national organization that champions researcher career development at all levels, as Karen McGregor discusses. Interested in a job in media relations? See what former SGM employee Lucy Goodchild has to say.

Microbiology Awareness Campaign (p. 246)

Many members may have heard about the Society’s Microbiology Awareness Campaign, but may not be sure what it’s all about. Here, Laura Udakis explains how SGM promotes the understanding of microbiology and the important role of microbiologists to parliamentarians, opinion-formers and policy-makers.

Going Public (p. 248)

The microbiology of vampires? Let Jo Verran enlighten you.

Letters (p. 256)

Paul Hoskisson’s Comment article on the status and long-term future of UK and European culture collections in the August 2010 issue of Microbiology Today (see original article) has prompted some correspondence.

Comment: EFSA – Why we should be worried (p. 260)

Bob Rastall asks how effective is the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA ) in reviewing the science behind EU legislation covering pre- and probiotics in food, and could EFSA claims be damaging the functional food industry in Europe?