![]() coli is a living “philosopher’s stone.” E. As science journalist Carl Zimmer writes in his informative and entertaining biography of biologists’ favorite microbe, E. coli is true for the elephant,” a maxim that has held for more than a century of experimentation on the common gut bacterium, leading to breakthroughs in fields ranging from immunology to genetics. “Carl Zimmer effectively applies this principle in his engrossing new book, “Microcosm,” relating the study of these microbes to larger developments in biology and thoughtfully discussing the social implications of science.” As the French biologist Jacques Monod once said, “What is true for E. By studying these tiny creatures, we learn about other organisms, including ourselves. This kinship may not be flattering, but it is useful. We are cousins of every living thing, including the billions of E. But the hard truth of our genealogy does even greater damage to human pride. “From Victorian England to contemporary America, creationists have often denied that we are related to other primates. To really understand life, it seems we must pay close attention to this bug’s life.” Not only has it inhabited human guts for as long as we have existed, it has benefited almost all areas of the biosciences, from genetic engineering to evolutionary theory. ![]() ![]() coli on the news, spare a thought for this minute creature, which has arguably helped advance humanity far further than any other organism. The next time you hear of an outbreak of nasty E. coli may not sound like the most interesting read. If you want to get a clearer idea of the sort of nature that science can now play with, this is the book for you.” coli as a workhorse of biotechnology and a proving ground for the more ambitious redesigns of life – “playing nature” – so much richer in its implications than the tediously Faustian “playing God”. (Another flagellar delight is the way in which Zimmer shows that, far from being a structure that could not evolve stepwise, as proponents of intelligent design would have you believe, this complex corkscrew actually reveals its evolved status clearly down at the molecular and genetic level.) Perhaps the phrase that will resonate with me longest, though, is the one he uses to frame the discussion of E. The ways in which the structure of the cell depends on the tempo of different molecular processes give it a “geography of rhythms” the building of a flagellum, which takes longer than the bacterium’s replication, is like building a medieval cathedral, in that “a new microbe inherits a partially built tail and passes it on, still unfinished, to its descendants”. “comes up with turns of phrase and images that are deep delights. ![]() “This is a thought-provoking book that wrenches us from our human-centred perspective and gives us a guide to life through the chemical-sensing molecules of a species that was here long before we were, and which will certainly outlive us.” It is also the story of life itself, of its rules, its mysteries, and its future. Microcosm is the first full story of the one species on Earth scientists know best. coli is also the most engineered species on Earth, and as scientists retool this microbe to produce life-saving drugs and clean fuel, they are discovering just how far the definition of life can be stretched. coli has offered about evolution, by changing in real time and by revealing billions of years of history encoded in its genome. Zimmer describes the profound insights E. He reveals the many surprising and alarming parallels between E. coli uses to stay alive, from practicing chemical warfare to building microbial cities. Zimmer describes the remarkably sophisticated strategies E. coli‘s pivotal role in the history of biology, from the discovery of DNA to the latest advances in biotechnology. In this startlingly original biography of a germ, Carl Zimmer traces E. Few people know that many of those answers may reside in a species of bacteria that live in our guts: E. What is life? Can we make it from scratch? Are there rules that all living things must obey? Can there be life without death? Biologists today are seeking answers to these fundamental questions about life. “Superb…quietly revolutionary.” - Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See
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