Reviews

The Human Microbiome: Ethical, Legal and Social Concerns

EDITED BY R. RHODES, N. GLIGOROV & A. P. SCHWAB
PUBLISHED BY OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS (2013)
£35.99 ISBN 978-0199829415

This book has resulted from several years of research as part of the National Institutes of Health’s investment in the Human Microbiome Project. Firstly, it deals with the microbiome itself; its potential impact for human health and recent advances in science. Particular strengths are the well-written text and good descriptions of how the latest technologies (e.g. metagenomics, high-throughput methods) have been applied to the research area.

From there, the book deals with more personalised issues such as property rights for the microbiome information, claims for health and societal rights. Initially, I thought that this text (which is the majority of the book) would be a struggle to read and tied up with impenetrable legislative jargon – long nights loomed ahead. This was far from the case, however, as the book is far more entertaining and informative than I had expected. The method used was to host a series of discussion groups that addressed ethical/legal stances in the context of the human microbiome, and how this differed from other comparative areas of science. Inevitably with this approach, there is much subjectivity in the conclusions. It is clear this will stimulate further debate and this is to be welcomed. I recognise, however, that readers may disagree with some portions of the text* but I actually liked the controversy that this might engender. How boring science would be if we all agreed!

 I did learn a lot from the book and I enjoyed reading it. For future editions maybe the publishers and editors could at least consider one or more tables or figures in 250+ pages of work?

GLENN GIBSON

University of Reading

*My own favourite was the extremely negative view of the probiotics area as ‘not been proven effective with a standard of evidence that is scientifically compelling’. Oh well … just off to fold the research group!

An Atlas of Biodeterioration

BY J. VERRAN
PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION AND BIODEGRADATION SOCIETY (2013)
£25.00 ISBN 978-0992649807

An Atlas of Biodeterioration is an anthology of information sheets that have previously been separately published by the International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Society. The volume is split into four sections: General principles, Organisms of relevance, Substrate, and Selected industrial aspects. Each article within the atlas gives a short introduction to a specific aspect of biodeterioration and/or biodegradation, and information on impact, prevention and control. The atlas gives a good indication of the complexity and breadth of the fields of biodeterioration and biodegradation and covers the impact that microbes can have on public monuments, artworks and on various manufacturing processes. Due to the broad scope of the book, articles are necessarily short and topics are not covered in detail, but one can still gain a perspective into the research field and the challenges currently faced. The contributions from different authors help to give a broad overview of the field, but the atlas does suffer from lack of consistency in referencing, layout and article subsections. This makes the book feel like a collection of separate articles rather than a single work. Each article also offers a ‘fascinating fact’ giving an interesting snapshot into the field. As a brief and concise introduction to the fields of biodeterioration and biodegradation this atlas is useful. It is a worthwhile resource for non-experts, and would be a good classroom teaching aid, allowing the general public and students to better understand the processes of biodeterioration and biodegradation and the role microbes can play in these fields.

HELEN BROWN

Institute of Food Research, Norwich

Microbes, Music and Me: A Life in Science

BY JOHN POSTGATE
PUBLISHED BY MEMOIRS BOOKS (2013)
£12.99 ISBN 978-1861511003

Microbes, Music and Me: A Life in Science is an autobiographical account of the life journey of Professor John Postgate FRS, microbiologist and jazz musician. The book is presented as ‘a book about doing science (though a lot of science creeps in)’. This describes the book well, although I would have rephrased it as a book about scientists, doing science (though a lot of science creeps in)’. This account traverses the 20th century and it dances its way through seminal historical landmarks, key scientific figures, jazz music and musicians, foreign climes, political landscapes and the emergence of microbiology as the scientific discipline that impacts our lives today. It describes the life of a scientific researcher that will be recognised and remembered with nostalgia by scientists with careers spanning the 20th century, but only imagined by the researchers of today.

It is a journey that takes the reader through a period of scientific discovery, progress and impact, but it also tells the personal story of the emergence and development of a world-renowned scientist. The descriptions of life in the laboratory are beautifully crafted and provide a vivid social account of 20th century science and scientific life in research laboratories (the authors memory for detail is to be particularly commended!). I especially enjoyed the description of life as a ‘civil scientist’ a concept that I had found slightly arcane. However, this book alludes to the historical importance of scientists employed to research; a completely different experience from scientists employed in academia. In addition, the characters that popped up through this account are familiar and recognisable, adding further interest and dimensions to a remarkable story.

I genuinely enjoyed this book: I rediscovered an interest in the scientific breakthroughs that contributed to our present day understanding of the sulfur cycle and nitrogen fixation. But this is also a tale of an epic career of a microbiologist who has shaped the scientific world today. I know I shall take on board his insights into scientific writing and editorial skills and I discovered that John Postgate had influenced my own scientific career (I worked in the Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory after it moved to Norwich and the John Innes Centre). Furthermore, I feel confident that any microbiologist reading this book will have a better understanding of microbiology, but will also recognise that John Postgate influenced their career too.

LAURA BOWATER

University of East Anglia