Abstract
Modern microbial ecology spans approximately 50 years. Although Martinus Beijerinck and Sergei Winogradsky both thought about ecological niches in the early part of the 20th century, they approached the challenge by trying to cultivate microbes under simulated natural conditions. Hence, I consider Robert Hungate the first truly modern microbial ecologist. Focusing on rumen microbes, he and his colleagues dealt directly with the ecosystem of these microorganisms. Instead of limiting their efforts to isolating and identifying microorganisms of the rumen, Hungate and his collaborators also measured their activities in situ. In 1966, Hungate published The Rumen and its Microbes, synthesizing years of research to better understand that ecosystem.
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