Contemporary Microbiology Research Articles

Carlos Asensio and the dawn of molecular microbial ecology.

At near 50years of the discovery of microcins, this article highlights the pivotal-but under-recognised-influence of Spanish biochemist Carlos Asensio (1925-1982) in contemporary microbiology, featuring the epistemological, sociological, and cultural impact of his scientific achievements. At a time when the intestinal microbiome is central to current biomedical research, it is due to emphasise his role in the establishment of new scientific fields that are now considered fundamental. Despite his premature death at the peak of his conceptual and experimental creativity, many of his ideas about microbial communication in complex communities inspired a generation of researchers and opened new topics reach to this day. Asensio was also a trailblazer in Spain, advocating for fundamental research within the socio-economic context of his time. He foresaw the shift towards what is now termed the knowledge-based bioeconomy, recognised the need for multidisciplinary research teams, and advocated integration science into societal and political agendas. These facets became evident during his research on microcins, low molecular weight bioactive compounds produced by enterobacteria. These molecules were hypothesised as mediators of microbial interactions in the human gut and were considered potential new antibiotics and even antitumoral agents. His research mobilised young talent and attracted unprecedented resources in Spain during the late 1970s-early 1980s. It underscored the medical value of microbial ecology and exemplified the benefits of collaboration between academia and industry. Asensio played a pivotal role in the emergence of molecular microbial ecology as a research discipline and its foundational and applied significance in biotechnology.

Contemporary Update on the Microbiology of Paranasal Sinusitis

Background: Sinusitis, whether acute or chronic, is likely due at least in part to disruptions in the microbiota of the paranasal sinuses. Sinus cultures are often employed to guide medical treatment. Objective: To quantify the contemporary microbiology of the paranasal sinuses and better understand the utility of paranasal sinus cultures. Methods: We identified patients from 2018 to 2019 with sinus cultures taken by an otolaryngologist in the outpatient setting in our healthcare system with a concurrent diagnosis of acute or chronic rhinosinusitis. These cultures were analyzed based on their culture type and result. The most commonly isolated bacteria were further analyzed by species; Staphylococcus resistance patterns were analyzed as well. Results: A total of 2302 culture samples were collected: 2012 (87%) bacterial, 287 (13%) fungal, and 3 (0.1%) mycobacterial cultures. The results of more than half (1142, 57%) of these bacterial cultures were positive for a named genus, while those of 592 (29%) were positive for normal sinus flora and 16 (0.8%) for normal oral flora, and those of 183 (9%) showed no growth. The results of another 79 (4%) bacterial cultures were positive for unnamed bacteria, which were not further classified (e.g., Gram-negative rods). Of the positive bacterial cultures with named genera, the most common genera identified was Staphylococcus (383, 34%). Of these, the most common species of Staphylococcus was S. aureus (311, 81%), 42 of which (14%) showed methicillin resistance (MRSA). Of the fungal cultures, 265 (92%) resulted in no growth, and all three mycobacterial cultures showed no growth. Conclusions: In contrast to fungal cultures, the majority (57%) of sinus bacterial cultures showed positive results, with the identification of a named genus, highlighting the potential utility of this assay in guiding medical therapy.

Pleural infection: Contemporary Microbiology Completing the Picture.

Pleural infection: Contemporary Microbiology Completing the Picture.

Shotgun Metagenomics Reveals Minor Micro"bee"omes Diversity Defining Differences between Larvae and Pupae Brood Combs.

Bees represent not only a valuable asset in agriculture, but also serve as a model organism within contemporary microbiology. The metagenomic composition of the bee superorganism has been substantially characterized. Nevertheless, traditional cultural methods served as the approach to studying brood combs in the past. Indeed, the comb microbiome may contribute to determining larval caste differentiation and hive immunity. To further this understanding, we conducted a shotgun sequencing analysis of the brood comb microbiome. While we found certain similarities regarding species diversity, it exhibits significant differentiation from all previously described hive metagenomes. Many microbiome members maintain a relatively constant ratio, yet taxa with the highest abundance level tend to be ephemeral. More than 90% of classified metagenomes were Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli and Actinobacteria genetic signatures. Jaccard dissimilarity between samples based on bacteria genus classifications hesitate from 0.63 to 0.77, which for shotgun sequencing indicates a high consistency in bacterial composition. Concurrently, we identified antagonistic relationships between certain bacterial clusters. The presence of genes related to antibiotic synthesis and antibiotic resistance suggests potential mechanisms underlying the stability of comb microbiomes. Differences between pupal and larval combs emerge in the total metagenome, while taxa with the highest abundance remained consistent. All this suggests that a key role in the functioning of the comb microbiome is played by minor biodiversity, the function of which remains to be established experimentally.

Reflections on the Teaching Symposium at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2023.

The Microbiology Society Education and Outreach Network (EON) recently hosted the Teaching Symposium at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference, sponsored by Access Microbiology. The presence of the Symposium as an established parallel session within the wider Annual Conference reflects the importance of high-quality, contemporary microbiology education and outreach delivered in an enthusiastic and inclusive manner. At the 2023 Symposium, a variety of pedagogical research projects in higher education learning, teaching and assessment, as well as public engagement projects, were showcased through invited talks, offered talks, flash talks and posters. The event was attended by up to 70 delegates. Several themes were noted throughout the day: engaging with Gen Z (Generation Z, those born between 1996 and 2010), active learning, art in science and engaging with non-higher education (HE) audiences. Inclusivity was a key driver in the organization of the Symposium; the room was set up to encourage discussion and participants could ask questions using an online platform as well as speaking in the room. We now encourage all speakers to consider publishing their work as a peer-reviewed article for further dissemination and impact.

Culturing Human Gut Microbiomes in the Laboratory.

The human gut microbiota is a complex community of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes and viral particles that is increasingly associated with many aspects of host physiology and health. However, the classical microbiology approach of axenic culture cannot provide a complete picture of the complex interactions between microbes and their hosts in vivo. As such, recently there has been much interest in the culture of gut microbial ecosystems in the laboratory as a strategy to better understand their compositions and functions. In this review, we discuss the model platforms and methods available in the contemporary microbiology laboratory to study human gut microbiomes, as well as current knowledge surrounding the isolation of human gut microbes for the potential construction of defined communities for use in model systems.

High-specificity local and global c-di-GMP signaling.

The striking multiplicity, signal input diversity, and output specificity of c-di-GMP signaling proteins in many bacteria has brought second messenger signaling back onto the agenda of contemporary microbiology. How can several signaling pathways act in parallel in a specific manner if all of them use the same diffusible second messenger present at a certain global cellular concentration? Recent research has now shown that bacteria achieve this by flexibly combining modes of local and global c-di-GMP signaling in complex signaling networks. Three criteria have to be met to define local c-di-GMP signaling: specific knockout phenotypes, direct interactions between proteins involved, and actual cellular c-di-GMP levels remaining below the Kd of effectors. Adaptive changes in signaling network architecture can further enhance signaling flexibility.

Microbiology of Osteoarticular Infections in Patients with Sickle Hemoglobinopathies at Texas Children's Hospital, 2000-2018.

The association between Salmonella spp. and osteoarticular infections in pediatric patients with major sickle hemoglobinopathies has been well established. However, the contemporary microbiology of these infections in such patients is unknown. We conducted a retrospective review of medical records at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston from 2000 to 2018 to investigate this question. Fifty cases were identified. In 23 (46%) cases, a pathogen was identified. Salmonella was the most common pathogen isolated, accounting for 61% of culture-positive cases followed by Staphylococcus aureus (21.7%).

Contemporary Microbiology and Antimicrobial Treatment of Complicated Appendicitis: The Value of a Short-term Study.

Antimicrobial stewardship interventions to curtail the use of third-generation cephalosporins and antipseudomonal penicillins for the treatment of complicated appendicitis in children are challenging given the tendency to treat complicated disease with broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Reasons for this are unclear, but there is a paucity of contemporary microbiologic data associated with the child presenting with either acute perforated or gangrenous appendicitis. This study aimed to justify the appropriateness of an empiric regimen consisting of ampicillin, tobramycin/gentamicin plus metronidazole and to analyze duration of postoperative therapy. We conducted a retrospective cohort study from February 1, 2017, to October 31, 2018, in children who underwent appendectomy or interventional radiologic drainage for primary complicated appendicitis. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who had a pathogen isolated from peritoneal fluid culture that was not susceptible to the recommended empiric therapy. The secondary outcomes were the total duration of antimicrobial therapy and the proportion of patients with a postoperative infectious complication within 30 days after intervention. Of 425 children with primary acute appendicitis, 158 (37%) had complicated appendicitis at presentation. Culture was performed in 53 (40%) of the 133 who underwent a surgical or interventional radiologic intervention. The group with peritoneal cultures was more likely to present with longer symptom duration before admission [3 (interquartile range, 2-5) vs 2 (interquartile range, 1-2) days; P < 0.001] and with purulent peritonitis [47% (25/53) vs 13% (10/80); P < 0.001]. The most common pathogens isolated were anaerobes (81%), Escherichia coli (74%) and Streptococcus anginosus group (62%). Only 4% of isolated bacteria were resistant to empiric therapy. Postoperative infectious complications were documented in 23 (17%) patients and were not associated with the presence of a resistant pathogen or the choice of antimicrobial agents but with more severe disease and higher C-reactive protein values (303 vs 83 mg/L; P=0.03) at presentation. In a cohort of previously healthy children presenting with complicated appendicitis requiring surgical drainage, the most common bacteria from peritoneal cultures continue to be S. anginosus, aminoglycoside-susceptible Gram-negative bacilli and anaerobes. In an attempt to reduce extended-spectrum cephalosporin use, these data were useful in supporting the use of metronidazole with ampicillin and an aminoglycoside, rather than third-generation cephalosporins.

1590. Updated Aminoglycoside (AG) MIC Breakpoints (BP) to Minimize Adverse Events and Improve Outcome: Impact on Susceptibility (S) Rates

BackgroundIn 2016 USCAST, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) for the United States (US) to EUCAST, undertook the re-evaluation of the in vitro susceptibility (AST) test interpretive criteria (IC) for gentamicin (GM), tobramycin (TO) and amikacin (AK) against Enterobacteriaceae (ENT), P. aeruginosa (PSA) and S. aureus (SA) based on an analysis of contemporary microbiology and PK/PD data. In 2019 USCAST posted the third version (www.uscast.org) of AG IC document and CLSI and EUCAST has published AG IC in CLSI M100-S29 and EUCAST v 9.0 documents. USCAST ICs for S were generally lower than those proposed by CLSI for all organism/drug combinations. PK/PD emphasized high, extended interval dosing (5 renal function groups) to reduce nephro-vestibular toxicity and a stasis exposure endpoint. Here, we evaluate the impact on S rates for US AST data that these IC changes created.MethodsClinical isolates from 2010 to 2018 US SENTRY Program (reference broth microdilution AST) were analyzed for S based on current and previous IC values. AG results for GM, TO and AK were evaluated against 66,280 ENT, 13,959 PSA and 51,950 SA. Benchmark S data for meropenem, cefepime, piperacillin–tazobactam and new AG, plazomicin (PZM) were included as well as ESBL and carbapenem-resistant ENT (CRE; 805 isolates).ResultsS rates for ENT as determined by USCAST IC were reduced by 4.2/1.2/3.1% for AK/GM/TO (CLSI) and by 3.3% for AK (EUCAST); no S rate difference for GM and TO as determined by USCAST/EUCAST. For PSA, S decreased by 46.8/6.2% for AK/TO (EUCAST) and 51.6/6.2% (CLSI). S for SA vs. GM declined by only 0.2% (CLSI). No AG IC could be calculated/offered for Acinetobacter or GM X PSA or AM/TO X SA. Best S overall coverage X ESBL (99.2%) or CRE (97.2%) isolates was by PZM.ConclusionUSCAST IC updates for AG lead to reduced values for some organism/drug combinations among ENT and PSA compared with those proposed elsewhere. The USCAST-recommended ICs were based on achieving AUC/MIC ratio target associated with net bacterial stasis. Given the assumption of AG combination therapy, stasis was considered a reasonable endpoint when evaluating AG ICs to improve both safety and efficacy. Some organism X drug exposures could not be calculated and lower IC for pneumonia isolates (GM, TO) was recommended. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Shift in the paradigm towards next-generation microbiology.

ABSTRACTIn this work, the position of contemporary microbiology is considered from the perspective of scientific success, and a list of historical points and lessons learned from the fields of medical microbiology, microbial ecology and systems biology is presented. In addition, patterns in the development of top-down research topics that emerged over time as well as overlapping ideas and personnel, which are the first signs of trans-domain research activities in the fields of metagenomics, metaproteomics, metatranscriptomics and metabolomics, are explored through analysis of the publication networks of 28 654 papers using the computer programme Pajek. The current state of affairs is defined, and the need for meta-analyses to leverage publication biases in the field of microbiology is put forward as a very important emerging field of microbiology, especially since microbiology is progressively dealing with multi-scale systems. Consequently, the need for cross-fertilisation with other fields/disciplines instead of ‘more microbiology’ is needed to advance the field of microbiology as such. The reader is directed to consider how novel technologies, the introduction of big data approaches and artificial intelligence have transformed microbiology into a multi-scale field and initiated a shift away from its history of mostly manual work and towards a largely technology-, data- and statistics-driven discipline that is often coupled with automation and modelling.

2562. Re-Appraisal of Aminoglycoside (AG) Susceptibility Testing Breakpoints Based on the Application of Pharmacokinetics–Pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) and Contemporary Microbiology Surveillance Data

BackgroundResistance to AGs and numerous other classes continues to emerge. To ensure that susceptibility is accurately characterized and that clinicians have reliable data to select effective agents, appropriate in vitro susceptibility testing interpretive criteria (susceptible breakpoints [BKPTs]) are crucial to ensure optimal patient care. Recently, USCAST, the USA voice to EUCAST/EMA, evaluated the BKPTs for the 3 most commonly used AGs, gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin [Bhavnani et al., IDWeek 2016; P-1977]. As a result of consultation from interested parties, which included evaluating AG dosing regimens provided in the US-FDA product package inserts and simulated patients with varying creatinine clearance, these BKPTS were reassessed.MethodsData sources considered included longitudinal US reference MIC distributions using in vitro surveillance data collected over 18 years, QC performance (MIC, disk diffusion), population pharmacokinetics (PK), and in vivo PK-PD models. Using population PK models, PK-PD targets for efficacy and Monte Carlo simulation, percent probabilities of PK-PD target attainment by MIC after administration of traditional and extended interval AG dosing regimens were evaluated among simulated patients. Epidemiological cut-off and PK-PD BKPTs were considered when recommending BKPTs for AG–pathogen pairs.ResultsAn example of PK-PD target attainment analysis output is provided in Figure 1 and a subset of recommended AG BKPTs for 3 pathogens is shown in Table 1. Updated USCAST BKPTs, which were based on the application of population PK and PK-PD models, simulation techniques, and contemporary MIC distribution statistics, are generally lower than those of EUCAST/EMA, USA-FDA, and CLSI. Adequate PK-PD target attainment was not achieved for some AG-pathogen pairs, even when high-dose AG dosing regimens and PK-PD targets for stasis were evaluated (e.g., gentamicin vs. P. aeruginosa; amikacin vs. S. aureus).ConclusionThese revised AG BKPT recommendations, which will be made freely available to EUCAST, USA-FDA, and CLSI, will be finalized after considering comments from additional interested stakeholders. This process will be followed in an effort to bring harmonization to global BKPTs for AGs. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Economic imaginaries of the Anti-biosis: between \u2018economies of resistance\u2019 and the \u2018resistance of economies\u2019

This paper seeks to report on the way economic principles, formulae and discourse infiltrate biological research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the life sciences. AMR, it can be argued, has become the basis for performing certain forms of ‘economic imaginary’. Economic imaginaries are ways of projecting and materially restructuring economic and political orders through motifs, metaphors, images and practices. The paper contributes to critical social science and humanities research on the socio-economic underpinning of biological discourse. The performance of economy in this context can be seen to follow two key trajectories. The first trajectory, discussed at length in this paper, might be described as ‘economies of resistance’. Here the language of market economics structures and frames microbiological explanations of bacterial resistance. This can be illustrated through, for example, biological theories of ‘genetic capitalism’ where capitalism itself is seen to furnish microbial life with modes of economic behaviour and conduct. ‘Economies of resistance’ are evidence of the naturalisation of socio-economic structures in expert understandings of AMR. The methodological basis of this paper lies in a historical genealogical investigation into the use of economic and market principles in contemporary microbiology. The paper reports on a corpus of published academic sources identified through the use of keywords, terms, expressions and metaphors linked to market economics. Search terms included, but were not limited to: ‘trade-off’, ‘investment’, ‘market/s’, ‘competition’, ‘cooperation’, ‘economy’, ‘capital/ism’ and ‘socialist/ism’, etc. ‘Economies of resistance’ complements a second distinct trajectory that can be seen to flow in the opposite direction from biology to economic politics (the ‘resistance of economies’). Here, economic imaginaries of microbial life are redeployed in large-scale debates about the nature of economic life, about the future of the welfare state, industrial strategy, and about the politics of migration and race. ‘Economies of resistance’ and the ‘resistance of economies’ are not unrelated but, instead, they are mutually constituting dynamics in the co-production of AMR. In attempting to better understand this co-production, the paper draws upon literatures on the biopolitics of immunity in political philosophy and Science and Technology Studies (STS).

Contemporary microbiology and identification of Corynebacteria spp. causing infections in human.

The number of opportunistic infections caused by Corynebacteria is increasing due to increase in number of immunocompromised patients. New Corynebacterium species and new human infections, caused by this group of bacteria, has been described recently. However, identification of Corynebacteria is still a challenge despite application of sophisticated laboratory methods. In the study we present possibilities and limitations of various commercial systems for identification of Corynebacteria.

Petri dish versus Winogradsky column: a longue durée perspective on purity and diversity in microbiology, 1880s-1980s.

Microbial diversity has become a leitmotiv of contemporary microbiology, as epitomized in the concept of the microbiome, with significant consequences for the classification of microbes. In this paper, I contrast microbiology's current diversity ideal with its influential predecessor in the twentieth century, that of purity, as epitomized in Robert Koch's bacteriological culture methods. Purity and diversity, the two polar opposites with regard to making sense of the microbial world, have been operationalized in microbiological practice by tools such as the "clean" Petri dish versus the "dirty" Winogradsky column, the latter a container that mimics, in the laboratory, the natural environment that teems with diverse microbial life. By tracing the impact of the practices and concepts of purity and diversity on microbial classification through a history of techniques, tools, and manuals, I show the shifts in these concepts over the last century. Juxtaposing the dominant purity ideal with the more restricted, but continuously articulated, diversity ideal in microbial ecology not only provides a fresh perspective on microbial classification that goes beyond its intellectual history, but also contextualizes the present focus on diversity. By covering the period of a century, this paper outlines a revised longue durée historiography that takes its inspiration from artifacts, such as Petri dish and the Winogradsky column, and thereby simple, but influential technologies that often remain invisible. This enables the problem of historical continuity in modern science to be addressed and the accelerationist narratives of its development to be countered.

The Contemporary Microbiology and Rates of Concomitant Osteomyelitis in Acute Septic Arthritis.

Septic arthritis (SA) and acute osteomyelitis (AO) are among the most common serious bacterial infections of childhood. Knowledge of the microbiology of SA is critical to treatment. Awareness of the presence of attendant AO is also important to guide clinical management. We sought to describe the current microbiology of SA in children and clinical features associated with coexisting AO. Patients with SA were identified from the infectious diseases consult service records from 2010 to 2014. Patients with penetrating/open trauma and orthopedic hardware in situ were excluded. A total of 168 patients with SA were included. The most common causative organism was Staphylococcus aureus accounting for 47.7% of cases (29.1% were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus and 18.5% were methicillin-resistant S. aureus), followed by group A streptococcus (GAS, 8.9%). The proportion of cases due to GAS increased from 2011 to 2014 (3.3%-16.7%; P = 0.1). One hundred eight (64.3%) patients had concurrent AO. The presence of osteomyelitis was associated with older median age (5.9 vs. 2.4 years; P = 0.04), a longer duration of symptoms (5 vs. 2.5 days; P < 0.001), S. aureus (62.1% vs. 21.7%; P < 0.001), bacteremia (46.2% vs. 20.3%; P = 0.001), a longer duration of fever after admission (5 vs. 2 days; P < 0.001) and a longer length of stay (10 vs. 6 days; P < 0.001). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus continues to be an important cause of SA though GAS may be increasing in frequency. The presence of concomitant osteomyelitis is higher than previously reported and associated with older age, a longer duration of symptoms and fever, bacteremia and S. aureus.

A New Genomics-Driven Taxonomy of Bacteria and Archaea: Are We There Yet?

Taxonomy is often criticized for being too conservative and too slow and having limited relevance because it has not taken into consideration the latest methods and findings. Yet the cumulative work product of its practitioners underpins contemporary microbiology and serves as a principal means of shaping and referencing knowledge. Using methods drawn from the field of exploratory data analysis, this minireview examines the current state of the field as it transitions from a taxonomy based on 16S rRNA gene sequences to one based on whole-genome sequences and tests the validity of some commonly held beliefs.

Monitoring of Water Spectral Pattern Reveals Differences in Probiotics Growth When Used for Rapid Bacteria Selection.

Development of efficient screening method coupled with cell functionality evaluation is highly needed in contemporary microbiology. The presented novel concept and fast non-destructive method brings in to play the water spectral pattern of the solution as a molecular fingerprint of the cell culture system. To elucidate the concept, NIR spectroscopy with Aquaphotomics were applied to monitor the growth of sixteen Lactobacillus bulgaricus one Lactobacillus pentosus and one Lactobacillus gasseri bacteria strains. Their growth rate, maximal optical density, low pH and bile tolerances were measured and further used as a reference data for analysis of the simultaneously acquired spectral data. The acquired spectral data in the region of 1100-1850nm was subjected to various multivariate data analyses – PCA, OPLS-DA, PLSR. The results showed high accuracy of bacteria strains classification according to their probiotic strength. Most informative spectral fingerprints covered the first overtone of water, emphasizing the relation of water molecular system to cell functionality.

Teaching Microbial Identification with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and Bioinformatics Tools

Ever since the first observation of “animalcules” under a microscope, and the subsequent discovery of microorganisms of myriad size, shape, pigmentation and motility modes, classification in aid of microbial identification is key to understanding inter-relationships between diverse microbes. Combining universal applicability with robustness, 16S rRNA sequencing is the gold standard for microbial typing; however, recent developments in clinical diagnostics have called attention to a shift towards PCR-independent instrumentation and methods given PCR’s requirement for expensive and complex sample preparation. Using ribosomal proteins as biomarkers for evolutionary relatedness, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) - originally developed for the soft ionization of proteins and peptides in proteomics studies - has been successfully applied to identifying bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses to the species, and, on occasions, sub-species level. Though experimentally proven and increasingly adopted in the clinic, the relatively low-cost (on a per sample basis) and rapid MALDI-TOF MS microbial identification technique, along with its theoretical principles and methodology, is a conspicuous absentee in contemporary microbiology curricula. Motivated by a desire to close the curriculum gap, this article describes a discovery-based activity for teaching microbial identification - using MALDI-TOF MS in combination with open-source genomics and proteomics search tools – while providing tips on mass spectra interpretation and activity implementation for lowering the barrier for classroom adoption. Infused with inquiry-based learning concepts guiding students in identifying microbes from environmental water samples with unknown species diversity, the activity spurs students’ learning by igniting their spirit of inquiry, which leads to better mastery of concepts; a significant departure from conventional laboratory exercises that, in verifying known theory or results, lack the ability to excite students or impart skills for seeking answers to their own questions. Suitable as part of a laboratory sequence complementing bioinformatics, analytical chemistry or life sciences courses, the activity’s modular nature also affords creative content adjustments for catering to differing curricula needs and learning styles. Nor is the exercise restricted to water samples, other samples (with appropriate modifications in inoculation protocols) such as vegetable leaves are also interesting microcosms for performing microbial censuses. Taken together, from sample collection to cultivation and microbial typing, students engage in an integrated exercise designed to impart conceptual knowledge and practical skills – while unlocking the joy of learning and discovery – by answering a research question with unknown answers: what are the microorganisms present in an environmental water sample?

The Bad Bugs Book Club: Science, Literacy, and Engagement

The Bad Bugs Bookclub was launched in 2009. It comprises scientists and non-scientists. The aim of the Bookclub is to read and discuss novels where infectious disease forms part of the plot, in order to enhance learning about microbiology. The focus of the discussion is on appreciation of the novel, its scientific (microbiologic) accuracy and relevance to contemporary microbiology. There are several potential audiences for the Bad Bugs Bookclub, for example students in a classroom setting, or in a more social environment, and/or the general public. Meeting reports and reading guides have been posted on a dedicated website. For education purposes, additional project work for assessment is suggested for students reading each novel. Bookclub meetings may be held on particular dates in the microbiologic calendar, coupled with additional public engagement activities and student participation. The approach has significant flexibility in terms of intended audience, assessment and extension work, and provides a refreshing and stimulating alternative means for talking about microbiology.