Ecological Microbiology

Ackert, Lloyd

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5198-9_8

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Around 1900, research focused on the cycles of specific elements into and out of living things, and on the nutritional dependencies of various species. Sergei Winogradsky, a pioneer in the ecological microbiology of soil and water, investigated the roles of microbes in converting the multiple chemical forms of nitrogen (Ackert, 2013 ). In recent decades, the Winogradsky column, a glass cylinder filled with unsterilized mud, nutrients and water and exposed to sunlight, has become a much-used model of a balanced ecosystem in which elements can cycle between layers of different microbes for years (Grote, 2018 ).…”

Section: Transformations Of Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Cycles and circulation: a theme in the history of biology and medicine

Hopwood

Müller‐Wille

Browne

et al. 2021

HPLS

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We invite systematic consideration of the metaphors of cycles and circulation as a long-term theme in the history of the life and environmental sciences and medicine. Ubiquitous in ancient religious and philosophical traditions, especially in representing the seasons and the motions of celestial bodies, circles once symbolized perfection. Over the centuries cyclic images in western medicine, natural philosophy, natural history and eventually biology gained independence from cosmology and theology and came to depend less on strictly circular forms. As potent ‘canonical icons’, cycles also interacted with representations of linear and irreversible change, including arrows, arcs, scales, series and trees, as in theories of the Earth and of evolution. In modern times life cycles and reproductive cycles have often been held to characterize life, in some cases especially female life, while human efforts selectively to foster and disrupt these cycles have harnessed their productivity in medicine and agriculture. But strong cyclic metaphors have continued to link physiology and climatology, medicine and economics, and biology and manufacturing, notably through the relations between land, food and population. From the grand nineteenth-century transformations of matter to systems ecology, the circulation of molecules through organic and inorganic compartments has posed the problem of maintaining identity in the face of flux and highlights the seductive ability of cyclic schemes to imply closure where no original state was in fact restored. More concerted attention to cycles and circulation will enrich analyses of the power of metaphors to naturalize understandings of life and their shaping by practical interests and political imaginations.

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Section: Transformations Of Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Cycles and circulation: a theme in the history of biology and medicine

Hopwood

Müller‐Wille

Browne

et al. 2021

HPLS

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“…Although the explanation to this observation was not evident at that time, the conclusion was that the microorganisms need special conditions to grow, and based on this, Winogradsky emulated environments for culture media production that resembled native growing conditions (McFall-Ngai, 2008 ). Winogradsky's ideas and his contribution to ecology revolutionized microbiology and gave birth to a new concept named “microbial ecology,” which refers to the study of microorganisms and their environmental roles (Ackert, 2012 ).…”

Section: Brief History Of Microbial Communities Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Road to Metagenomics: From Microbiology to DNA Sequencing Technologies and Bioinformatics

2015

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The study of microorganisms that pervade each and every part of this planet has encountered many challenges through time such as the discovery of unknown organisms and the understanding of how they interact with their environment. The aim of this review is to take the reader along the timeline and major milestones that led us to modern metagenomics. This new and thriving area is likely to be an important contributor to solve different problems. The transition from classical microbiology to modern metagenomics studies has required the development of new branches of knowledge and specialization. Here, we will review how the availability of high-throughput sequencing technologies has transformed microbiology and bioinformatics and how to tackle the inherent computational challenges that arise from the DNA sequencing revolution. New computational methods are constantly developed to collect, process, and extract useful biological information from a variety of samples and complex datasets, but metagenomics needs the integration of several of these computational methods. Despite the level of specialization needed in bioinformatics, it is important that life-scientists have a good understanding of it for a correct experimental design, which allows them to reveal the information in a metagenome.

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“…They are the living bearers of infinitely varied reactives, and one can even say, they are the reactives incarnate, without which many of the necessary processes of that cycle would be inconceivable. ( 1 )…”

Section: College: Microbes Rule the Earthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbes Should Be Central to Ecological Education and Outreach

Barberán

Hammer

Madden

et al. 2016

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

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Our planet is changing rapidly, and responding to the ensuing environmental challenges will require an informed citizenry that can understand the inherent complexity of ecological systems. However, microorganisms are usually neglected in the narratives that we use to understand nature. Here, we advocate for the inclusion of microbial ecology across education levels and delineate the often neglected benefits of incorporating microbes into ecology curricula. We provide examples across education levels, from secondary school (by considering one’s self as a microbial ecosystem), to higher education (by incorporating our knowledge of the global ecological role and medical application of microbes), to the general public (by engagement through citizen-science projects). The greater inclusion of microbes in ecological education and outreach will not only help us appreciate the natural world we are part of, but will ultimately aid in building a citizenry better prepared to make informed decisions on health and environmental policies.

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Ecological Microbiology

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Cycles and circulation: a theme in the history of biology and medicine

Cycles and circulation: a theme in the history of biology and medicine

The Road to Metagenomics: From Microbiology to DNA Sequencing Technologies and Bioinformatics

Microbes Should Be Central to Ecological Education and Outreach

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