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Society member, Naomi Chant, has written an e-Book to introduce the public to the world of microbiology and the microbes that surround us. In this article, in her words, she tells us about the book and how she came to develop such an interesting resource.

Bioinformatics is the method of using computer programming to interpret biological data. The teaching of bioinformatics in schools is becoming an integral part of the curriculum and understanding the evolutionary relationships between species at the genomic level is an important skill. However, the basic process of how these relationships are determined is fundamental in understanding all of these relationships.

Concepts around when life evolved, and how life is formed, can be complex for students to understand. These examples of practical activities can be done with students to demonstrate how long microbes have been in existence, and also show how cells assemble, giving both large-scale and small-scale demonstrations of where life comes from.

Ten years ago, Moore et al. (2005) concluded that the most likely answer to the question “how much are your children taught about fungi in schools?” was “very little or nothing at all”. They remarked that the word ‘fungus’ did not appear in the then current National Curriculum for England Programme of Study for Science, and although fungi tended to be treated reasonably in the specifications for the GCSE Biology examinations, the references were largely along with bacteria as decomposers without reference to the basic distinction between the two groups.

Centuries ago, in a time of myths of dragons and gods, seafarers and beach dwellers were baffled by the flashes of light and glowing lights seen in oceans all over the world. Today, we now know this is caused by bioluminescence, a chemical emission of light seen across the tree of life, in fish, invertebrates, annelids, arthropods and, most interestingly for us, micro-organisms.

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and micro-organisms), and the physical and chemical factors that make up its non-living or abiotic environment. Organisms within an ecosystem are connected and interact both with other organisms and their surroundings; these interactions are a vital part of how organisms develop overtime. A change in the size of one population affects all other organisms within the ecosystem and this is demonstrated most clearly by the predator–prey relationship where the predator (the hunter) feeds on its prey (the hunted).

Blast a Biofilm is an activity developed by Microbiology Society members Victoria Marlow and 2011 Microbiology Outreach Prize Winner Nicola Stanley-Wall (based on an idea by Taryn Kiley) as part of Magnificent Microbes, an event held at Dundee Science Centre in 2010. This hands-on activity was adopted and adapted by the Society’s Education and Outreach Officer for this year’s Big Bang Fair. Here, we explain how it’s done and invite you to have a go!

Young scientists often forget how uniquely qualified they are to comment and offer their opinions on poorly performed research and suspicious scientific claims. The Standing up for Science workshop for early career researchers, held on November 16th at the University of Glasgow, sought to remedy that situation.

A school-friendly assay using T4 bacteriophage and its host, Escherichia coli.

A series about microbiology for the UK's only children’s radio station.

Virtually everybody at some point in their life has been prescribed antibiotics by their doctor. These drugs form one of our mainstays in health care against infectious diseases along with vaccination. Interestingly, almost all of these drugs are natural products made by micro-organisms to help them compete in the natural environment. Here, we try to answer some of the most common questions regarding antibiotics.

What are nitrogen-fixing bacteria? And how do they adapt to their environment? Follow this practical to show the role of microbes in the nitrogen cycle.

If you are, or would like to be, involved with education and outreach activities in your community, your Society is here to help you!

Serving the poor, sick and wounded; campaigning for – and accomplishing – healthcare reform; and developing new statistical graphics are just a few of the achievements of one of the most remarkable and influential women of Victorian Britain. August 13 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Florence Nightingale. The ‘Lady with the Lamp’ dedicated her life to the care of others.