Bacteria: The Benign, the Bad, and the Beautiful

Note to the Reader ix

1. The Blue Planet 1

2. Tree of Life: Let Three Live 9

3. How Old Are They? 17

4. On the Move 23

5. Needles 29

6. Dead or Alive 35

7. Nobel Works 43

8. Bacteria and Insects 51

9. Bacterial Toxins 59

10. Enzymes 67

11. Genetics and Genomics 75

12. Antibiotics and Resistance 81

13. Marine Microbiology 87

14. Bacteria and Oil 95

15. Extreme Life 103

16. Record Holders 109

17. Bacteria and Art 117

18. Fixing the Air 125

19. Pest and Pestilence 131

20. Our Bacteria 141

21. Sensing Bacteria 149

22. Bacteria and Mankind 155

23. Big Questions on Small Subjects 163

24. Synthetic Biology 169

25. Bacteria, the Earth, and Beyond 177

Glossary 183

Bibliography 195

Index of Bacterial Genera and Species 205

Subject Index 209