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SGMHeadquarterc MarlborouqhHouse. Articles Basingsto[eRoad, Spencers Thingsthat go rotin the night - Wood,Reading RG7 lAG Tel.01 18 988 1800 a reviewof biodeteriorationGlyn Morton 103 Fax01 189885656 [email protected] Everythingyou wanted to knowaboutthe dry-rot SGMWebsite fungusbutwere afraid to askJohnW Palfreyman http:./www.sgm.ac.uk &NiaA.White 107 Editor Lichens,agents of monumentaldestruction DrMerielJones MarkR.D.Seaward 110 EditorialBoard ProfessorDave Kelly Conservationof monu m ental stones bv bacterial ProfessorTonyNash biomineralizationBrunetla Perito &Giorgio Mastromei 1 13 ManagingEditor JanetHurst Sulfate-red uci n g bacteriain biofiI ms on metalIic Production Editor materialsand corrosion lwonaB. Beech 11 5 lanAtherton AssistantEditorand TheBiodeterioration Centre, University of Herbfordshire BookReviewManager RichardSmith 1 18 JaniceMeekings Pilzkrieg :the German warti me quest for penicil lin Gontributions Theseare always welcome and GilbertShama 120 shouldbe addressed tothe Editor AcuteRespi ratory rome(SARS) (c/o SGM Headquarters), Severe Synd FaveJones 124 CopyDates Lastdates for receipt of copy atMarlborouqh House are aeneratuopv Regular Featunes November2003 issue 1 Sept Februarv2004 issue 8 December MicroShorts 117&141 AOVerUSemen$ (LKl-.l November2003 issue 29 Sept SocietyNews February2004 issue1 9 January MayCouncilMeeting 126 Advertisements Above:Ascanning usuallycaused bysulfate- NewsofMembers 126 (SRB) Allenquiriesshould be sentto: electronmicrograph of the reducingbacteria and StaffNews 126 Domin ic Youn g, HardyAdvertisi n g, dry-rotfungus,Serpula lwonaBeech explains the GranvilleHouse, 112 Bermondsey AGM2003 126 lacrymans,indomestic chemical orocesses involved NewSGMPresident 126 Street,LondonSEl3TX plywood, Burgess/ I rc-r ro. Te|.0207378 1579 DrJeremy onpp, NewEducation Officer 127 PhotoLibrary Fax02O73786421 Science Turningback in time, on SGMPrizeand Lectures 127 emaildomin ic@hardyadvedising. co.uk Vol.3QPart3, pp,1 20-1 23 GilbertShama Microbiologytechniciansurvey results 127 Policyon Scientific Publication, and 128 Subscriptions 2OO3 August2fi)3 recounts the storvof the Security Censorship Germans'unsucaessful SGMMembers elected Fellows of the RoyalSociety 128 NON-MEMBERS Inthis issue we focus Mi c ro b i o I o g y TodayI 50.00 effortsto oroducebulk Grants 129 on biodeteriorationand (us$85.00) quantitiesof penicillinin SGMjournals:aretheyinyourlibrary? 129 biodegradation, Microbes MEMBERS WorldWar ll. All membersreceive Microbiology canbreak down a greatrange Meetings 130 Today.lnaddition they maytake of materialsand often their Found to becaused bv a SchoolZone tJ2 anyofthe Society's journals. actionis unwanted, unsightly coronavirus,SARS has oeen OrdinaryMember anduneconomic, Glvn Morion hitting the headlines for the Gradline 134 MembershipSubscriotion (inc.M i c r o b i o I o g y To d ay) reviewsthe differenitypes of past4months, On pp, 1 24- HotoffthePress 138 s43.00(us$74.00) deteriorationon pp,1 03-1 06, 125 FaveJoneschronicles Microbioloov/J GV/ lJSEM Biodeteriorationcan also theprogress of the outbreax, Reviews 142 s78.oo(u5$ 145.00) meanbusiness, as Richard whilstin Commenton o, 152 JMMs,40.O0(US$71.00) AddressBook 148 Smithdescribes on p. 1 1 8, DaveCavanagh points out Studentor RetiredMember 181 thatconsiderable exoertise Diary MembershipSubscription Theharmfuleffects of (inc. oncoronaviruses alreaov Mi c ro bi io I o g y Tod ay) microbeson buildings cause Comment c20.00(us$35.00) existsamongstthe veteiinary considerableproblems, Dry SARScoronavirus:incontextDaveCavanagh 152 Microbioloov/JGV communitvforSARS s3700(u5$70.00) rotof woodis the subieci of researchersto drawon. u sEMc7 8.oo (us$ 1 45,00) JohnPalfreyman and Nia JMMS.40.OO(US$71.00) White'sarticle on pp,1 07- Thesearticles appear in Other ltems Unde rg rad u ate or School M ember 109, whilst Mark Seaward additionto allthe regular MembershipSubscription (inc. SGMwebsitemakeoverJanetHurst 101 looksatthe wav lichens can featuresand reoorts of Microbiology Today) S 10.00 EducationColloouium 109 Corporate Member attackstonework, damaging Societvactivities. MembershipSubscription (inc. historicbuildings inthe SGM BasicPractical Microbiology Courses 112 M ic rob io I o g y Today)S500,00 process(pp,110-112), InternationalResearch Fellowship report N. Kalinina 136 US Officeof Publication: Conversely,bacteria have the ALPSP M ic ro b io Iogy Today, c/ o Mercu ry potentialto reversethe deaay MicrobiologyintheRegionsreporlRachelLegg 137 Airf reight International Ltd, 365 *,**f Brunella wlNN€R BlairRoad, Avenel, NJ07O0 1 , USA. of monuments,as lorNT Postmaster:send US address Peritoand Giorgio Mastromei '/ti. corrections to Mlcro b iol ogy Today describeon pp, 1 1 3-1 14, .\i nnj jr .),i.il ft, d:ii:p c./othis address, O 2003 The Societyfor General Theconosion of metalsin The views expressed by contributors are not necessarilythose of the Microbiology;ISSN : 1 464-0570 ananaerobic environment is Society; nor can the claims of advertisers be guaranteed.

F rl' I

Thingsthat-gorot in-thenight - a review of biodeteriorction GlynMorton

Micro-organisms have a simple approach to beyondthe scopeof this articleto discussall the materials 'Putrefaction life; they use whatever is available as a food listed. Therefore, selected examples of microbial isthe End source, attach themselves to practically all biodeteriorationfamiliar to the authorwill bereviewed. surfaces,multiply and build up biomass.Everyone is Ofallthat nature famlliar with the phenomenon of rotting, the natural WTheroleof biofilms dothEntend' decayand recycling of materials by a wide nnge of Biofilms areanextremely important and integral part of life forms, including micro-organisms.This processis biodererioration. Herrick termed biodegradationand it is perceivedas a beneficial The removal ofthose biofilms which may be unsightly or positive process.Biodeterioration may be defined or considered to be ahazard to health can be a costly and 'the as deteriorationof matetialsof economicimportance time-consuming business. Sfhen the colonization of by micro-organisms';it is perceivedas a deleteriousor the surface of any material occurs, the term biofilm is negativeprocess. Biodeterioration has been classified invariably used. At one time this term was coniined asfollows: to surfaces in constant contact with water, i.e. at the solid/liquid interface. The definition has now Mechanical biodeterioration.This occurs when the been extendedto any interface, material is damagedas a direct result of the physical i.e. airlsolid, liquid/liquid activity of anorganism,such as its movementorgrowth. and airlliquid, where An example of this kind of biodeterioration is the growth of micro-organisms damagecaused to electricalcabling asa resultof insector occurs.To a microbiologist rodentattack. a biofilm represenrs a Chemicalassimilatory biodeterioration" This is perhaps zonewhere the deleterious the most common form of biodeterioration.It occurs effects brought about when a materialis degradedfor its nutritional value.The by the presenceof micro- breakdownof cellulosic materialssuch aswallpaper by organisms and their cellulolytic fungi is an example. extracellular metabolites areconcentrated or focussed. Chemicaldissimilatory biodeterioration. This occurs Slime production, the when a material is damagedas a result of the production result of polymeric and releaseof metabolic products that may corrode, materials producbd by a pigment or toxify the material.The poisoningofgrain by wide variety of micro- mycotoxins,and the releaseof pigments into plastic organisms- bacteria,fungi films areexamples of this process. and algae - is associated Soiling. This visible form of biodeteriorationoccurs with biofilms. For many when the mefepresence of an organismor its excrements yearsworkers in industry rendersthe product unacceptable.The function of the have recognized the material may be impaired by the presenceof the problems causedby slimes organisms,as in the fouling of ships'hullsby barnacles that develop in process andalgae. machinery in storagetanks It is essentialto apprecratethat more than one of these and cooling towers and on processes,or indeedall of them may be occurring at the many surfacesin contact sametime. withliquids(Fig. 1). Materialsofeconomic importance known to besubject to biodeteriorationinclude: ffiExamples of the biodeteriorationof ABOVE(TOP): Storedagricultural Archival matedal materialsof economicimportance $$9.$. Bacterialslimefrom withinapipeline. products Pulppaper COURIESYJOHN GILLATI, THOR UK \Woodandallied Textilesand leather Wood LTD. constructionalmaterials Fuelsandlubricants The rotting of wood is probably the most well known Pharmaceuticals and Metals exampleof decaycaused by fungi. For practical purposes AB0Vr(B0rT0M): Paints the type of rot derives irs name $$9.X. A piece oftimber with from the appearance brownrot, Polymers, rubbers and Stone, concrete and and integrity of the attackedwood. Chemically,wood is COURTESYGMORION plastics buildings madeup mainly of celluloseand lignin. \Whenboth of Glass Adhesivesand sealants thesecomponents afe consumedby a fungus, the wood 'white The list is extensive and it includes most of the becomeslighter in colour and the term rot' is industrial materials that readily come to mind. It is used.Some fungi consumemore cellulosethan lignin difficult to accept that some of these materials (glass, and the wood becomesbrown in colour,hence the term 'brown metal, stone) are susceptible to microbial attack. It is rot' (Fig. 2). Other typesof decayinclude wet

ffi$#ffi#ffi$#h&&yroDrv voL30/AUG03IIE Brown, white and wet rots afe BELOW: rot, soft rot and staining. ijlu S"(a) SmallsamPle causedby fungi that producelarge, noticeable fruiting are ofdeteriorating PVCroofing bodies (macrofungi), whilst soft rot and staining (green)and materialwith fungal by microfungi. All wood needs to be wet (red)gmentation mainly caused actinomYcetePi wood sometimes looks dry (C0URTESYG [i10RI0N) (b) Fungal before it can rot, yet decayed with colonizationofa soft Plastic (especially within buildings) when it is infected contactlens The image onthe dry ,ot. AsJohn Palfreyman and Nia \fhite describe on h1'Phae rightshows the fungal pp. 107 the fungi responsiblefor this condition, such as withinthe lens material(C0URTESY lachryntans, are able to import water from other ADVANCEMEDICAL OPTICS LTD) i)rprtn regions of the infected timber, via special filaments' RIGHT: Fi{$"S (a)Contaminated diesel Plastics tuel(b) Lacing atthe fuel water Plastics possessa broad rafi1e of chemical and physical interface(c)Hornoconis restnae' that may be tailoredto meetthe particular COURTESYG[/ORTON properties ! requirementsof industry.Specifically, they tu"t bttn * formulated for durability ro resist weatheringand to resistmicrobial biodeterioration'Because cherefore iW easyto produce plasticsare both cheapand relatively kQ

fffi*ffipo-rvurethanes'com-erci'lt;"#:t1:1r"il;iH:: il:.r"-"rranismsare able ro grow over a ranseorpH, temperarureand oxygenvalues. They canutilize a wide -, pofyprop"yl.n., poly- and inorganic nutrients, and they also s : ;r-y1i., ',r,.polyvinyl ' chtride ,unirof organic emulsifyingagents which enable ,*.1 * ^"a polyamide, prodrr." extracellular them ro comeinto closecontact with the hydrocarbon fud,#. Irylo.,r; are generally that they grow activelyin h, .o.ria"r.a ro u. inert, droplets.It is not surprising The problems m.: irr,- ,t.r. is evidence to formulationscontaining hydrocarbons' bioslimes,a loss ,"gg.t, ,fr", they are causedby micro-organismsinclude i of metabolic i #;;tible to microbial of useful additives and the formation contribute to corrosion attack under certain products, which indirectly conditions. Rubbers and problems' plastics contain a wide water and other nutrients uurirtyof additives thatare Fuels. In the pfesence of fuel and aviation kerosene susceptibie to damage by pfesent in fuel systems' diesei willsupportthegrowthofatangeofbacteriaandfungi' microbes. These include 'kerosene resinaeor the plasticizing compounds one particular fu ngus,Hormoconis fuel which is screened ,.r.h ur adipates, ricinolates frrrg,rr" flourishes in aviation this, and other unwelcome and sebacates which are regulariy for the pfesence of (Fig' a)' used to confer flexibility to microbial passengers rigid plastics such as PVC. fluids, or cutting Th..if..t, are often severe Metal-working fluids. Metal-working industry to facilitate machining (Fig. 3a) and in some cases fluids, are used in to prolong tool life, improve ,rrrJ"p..t.d. (Fig. 3b). processes.They are needed surfacefinish,femoveswarf,reducefrictionalheat and to reduce power Micro-organisms in between the tool and the chip, in the efficiency of these fuels, lubriclnts and consumption. Any reduction problem' Metal working fluids coolants functions constitutes a to their chemical composition For any micro-organism to are classified according groups: neat oils, oil-in-water grow actively in a hydro- and fall into four major 'semi-synthetic' oil-in-water emulsions and carbon it must have water emulsions, emulsions are the and asupply of nutrients. chemical solutions. oil-in-water

IM S$$ffiNsffi $silss'N ToDAYVO 130/AU G03

t most widely used industrial cuting fluids. Neat oils may contatn mlcfo-ofganisms. Thus, as water pefmeates are not usually considered to be susceprible ro deeper into the concrere, fissures are formed, allowing biodeteriorarion, since free warer is seldom presenr. the deposition oforganic material and the further ingress The grovzth of micro-organisms (mainly bacteria) in of micro-organisms. \)Torkers in the I94Os and 19)0s oil-in-water emulsions, can result in emulsion established that thiobacilli were the causative agents instability, lowering pH, of production of foul odours, of MIC of concrete structures in sewers due to the the formation of stable emulsions, and increased production of sulfuric acid. This acid reacts with the corrosive acriviry. Microbial (mainly growrh of fungi) calcitic binding material of the concrere causing its in semi synthetic fluids and chemical solutions results destruction. Two other sulfur compounds are detected on in lowering pH, of production of fungal biomass and sewer walls, namely sulfur dioxide and thiosulfate. foul odours. This microbial invasion can be readily Thiosulfate is a reaction product of sulfur dioxide with appreciated when one considers that commonly molecular sulfur and forms a qood substrate for employed additives in modern metal-working fluids can thiobacilli. be biodegraded by micro-organisms. These include Freshly prepared concrere has a pH of 12-13 emulsifiers, extfeme pressure additives, and corrosion comparedro rhe highiy acidicpH (2.5-0.5) of corroded inhibitors. Of particular concern is the fact that concrete. It is consideredappropriate to view the pathogens have been isolated from metal-working presenceof Aciditbiobacillusthiooxidans as an indicator of fluids, often co-existing with non-parhogens, and corrosionrather than pH values 'mists'generated resulring from bacterial ttansmitted in by the machines.

Biocorrosionof concreteand stone Biocorrosion can be defined as afiy corrosive effect on the surface of a mateial caused ''1.'i by micro-organisms. ''il $..:i Biologically influenced corrosion (BIC), microbial corrosion (MC) and microbially influenced or induced corrosion (MIC), are among the terms used to describe biological corrosion of metals. The mechanisms by which biofilms contribute ro corrosion are influenced by the availability of oxygen in the environmenr. Under aerobic conditions, localized biofilm deposits can cause the formation of anodic and cathodic areas on rhe surface of a metal. These areas become a series of differential chemical cells, each inducing the transfer of electrons with loss of cations causing pitting. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria produce sulfuric acid in quanrities sufficient to bring about the corrosion of metals. Under anaerobic conditions sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are rhe major cause of corrosion in low oxygen or oxygen-free sulfuric acid generation that is partially buffered by AB0VE (Fig. environments )a), as described in more detail by different concrete rypes. ${i91.Ii. (a)Biofilm ofSRB Iwona Beechon p. I 15. (COURTESY SRB are usually associated with metal corrosion C|lRISTINEGAYLARDE) The surfaces ofstone (b)A griffin colonized byalgae or concrete are readily colonized rather than with the deterioration of concrete. These by micro-organisms (Fig. andfungi (C0URIESY G [/0RI0N) )b). The decay of these surfaces bacteda, however, are widespread in nature and active is dependent on the production of corrosive metabolites. in locations made anaerobic by microbial digestion Since the introduction of Portland cement almost 50 of organic material. SThilst thiobacilli are considered yearsago, concrere has become one of the most widely to be responsible for the degradation of concrere used synrheric marerials within the construction above ground, research indicates that nitrifying industry. It is composed of cement powder, water and bacteila, which are responsible for the oxidation of aggregatesofvarious sizes,such as sand or gravel. The ammonia via nitrous acid to nitric acid, play a major main constituents of cement powder are lime, silica, role in the degradation processes occurring below alumina and iron oxide. Upon curing, rhe cement paste ground. The action of nitric acid on the calcareous hydrolyses to form hydrated calcium silicates (C-S-H binding material of concrete results in the production gels) and Portlandite ICa(OH)z]. The arrangement of of calcium nirrate, a soluble salt, which is either lost thesecrystals allows channels to form within the concrete from the concrere resulting in the formation of structure. The formation of these channels within the corrosion pits, or remains, thus adding a salt to the concrete permits the capillary acrion of water, which pore watef.

Ns$\*Ns:.ffi $$$..{ss\N' rODAY VO L 30/AU GOg tItr RIGHT: FEw,S" Decaying concrete floorin a flooded cellar, COURTESYKMCCORMACK

FARRIGHT (TOP): S6$}"?"(a)lnfected Paintin a can,(b) Algal growth onthe outside wallof a public house. COURTESYJOHNGItLATT, THORUKLID

FARRIGHT (B0TT0M): $*9.S. Mouldgrowth ina suttcase. COURTESYKENNETHSEAL

Organicacid corrosion of concrete Mycelial development on a surface can be associated Furtherrcading with the formation of mucilaginous sheaths. Sheath development in some geflera of fungi is triggered by Allsopp,D.,Seal,KJ.& physical contact with the substratum' Obvious Gaylarde,C.C.(2003). similarities exist between the proposed functions I ntroducti o n toB i odeter i orat i on " of the fungal mucilages and the extracellular 2ndedn.Cambridge: of bacterial biofilms. Fungi isolated CambridgeUniversity Press. polysaccharides from the surfacesof monuments, the facadesof buildings Bousher, A., Chandra, M. & and from degrading concrete include mafly genera that Edywean,R. (editors) ( 1995 ). are representative of aft and soil flora. This points to Biodetaiorationand of concrete to biodeterioration B i od.egradati on 9, Pr oceedi ngs the susceptibility This author has ofthegthlntanational by heterotrophic micro-organisms. Biodetaiorationand isolated fungi from decaying concrete floors in flooded B iodegradationSymPos ium. cellars(Fig. 6). are Iess Institute ofChemical (including certain pathogenic organisms) Engineers. Emulsionpaint susceptible to the activity of biocides than their planktonic counterparts. Until we are able to control Gaylarde, C.C. & Morton, Only water-based-paintsare susceptible to biodeter- without the use of biocides, it is here L.H.G.(2002). ioration during their manufacture which may give rise biodeterioration Biodeteriorationof mineral to in-can problems. T,hinning of the paint results rosray. gentlemen- materials.In EncycloPedia of when the thickener, usually a cellulose ether, is attacked Ladiesand ioIo gY, (F ! EnuironmentaI M iuob by cellulase enzymes produced by bacteria and fungi I restmy case ig. 8) pp. 516-527.Edited by G. introduced into the formulation via contaminated Bitton. New York: Wiley. components. Talc, which is used as an extender in paint O Glyn Morton Morton, L.H.G., Greenway, formulation, has been cited as a possible source of is Professorof D.L.A., Gaylarde,C.C. & contamination. The detection of contaminants at the Environmental Surman, S.B.(1998). surface of emulsion paint (Fi1.7a), together with gas Microbiologyand Considerationofsome 'off evolution (the production of odours') have also been Directorof Research implicationsof the resistance attributed to microbial contamination. in theDepartmentof ofbiofilms to biocides.lzr of oil- and water-based paints are colonized by Forensicand B iodetB i od.egrad4I, 247-250. Films micro-organisms on the outside (Fig' 7b) and inside of lnvestigativeSciencg Morton, L.H.G. & Gaylarde, buildings. This aspect of biodeterioration can be both UniversityofCentral C.C.(2001). Slimes in unsightly and hazardous to health. Lancashire,Preston biodeterioration. Cu lture 22, PRl 2HE, UK. r-4. WThe control of biodeterioration Tel.0 177 2 Bg437 3 ; emaiI Seal,KJ. & Morton, L.H.G. k Despite the availability of a wide selection of biocides for Ihg morton @ uclan.ac.u ( 1986).Biodeterioration of use against biodeteriogens, the number of formulations chemicalmaterials. In that is deemed acceptable is constantly reviewed because Biotechnology,Vol.8, effect on the environment' pp.584-606. Editedby of their potentially hazardous and H.J. Rehm&G. Reed. Furthermore, there is a large body of evidence \Teinheim:VCH. thus concern, that micro-organisms within biofilms

lE w$swffiw$s$-ffiffi]aroDAYVOL30/AUG03 r- Experimentalmicrocosms with(a) a c0mm0n airspace and(b)the biocontrolinteraction airspace isolated from the remainder ofthe extendedS,lar,rymansnycelium whereJ, lacrymans-colonized wood blocks(RHS) are baited with fresh uncolonized woodblocks (LHS) to stimulateconnecting mycelialcord formation Colonized baitsare then treatedwith a Trichodermaisolate(USA1; lower LHS) toachieve biocontrolDeath ofS, lacrynans mycelium isachieved ata distance evenwhen the airspace oftreated mycelium isisolated from the rest ofthe colony COURIESYNA W||ITE S Controllingthe growth ol S.lacrymans lacrymans mycelial systems even without contact Experimentation with full-scale models of parts of between the two organisms. This has not been reported buildings confirms observations from the woodland before. environment that the biomass of the dry-rot fungus is distributed between woody and non-woody resources.In N Theorigins of dryrot? the built environment, a key to controlling the dry-rot Despite its widespread occurrence in the built fungus is to break the connection between wood and environment, S. lacryntans has rarely been found sources of both moisture and the mineral components of colonizing woodland environments. Fruit bodies have masonry. In addition, the fungus can be disabled rapidly been found in northern India (Himalayan foothills), the by ventilation, but quickly revives if stagnant air Czech Republic and the USA (Mount Shasta, northern conditions reoccur. Controlling dry rot by such methods California), although the identity has been verified for 'environmental is now termed control'. Such a stfategy only the first two using molecular methods (SDS-PAGE demands regular and careful building maintenance and and RAPD and rDNA-ITS PCR). Investigation of the inspection, the latter sometimes aided by the use of S,himantioides BB24 have femote sensing moisture meters. Chemicals S.hinantioides Belgium traditionally been used when environmental control has [4D5 not been considered or is deemed impracticable. An S,himantioides alternative, which has been occasionally used, depends S,himantioides BF15 upon the heat sensitivity of S. lacrymani and in some S,lacrymans H6/ situations is feasible. Developed in Denmark, the S,lacrymans DtT101 procedure involves heating the whole of a tented building, or isolated parts of a building, to a temperature S,lacrynansBBBHARM oC of 50 using moist heat. A final, as yet still S.lacrymans H2B experimental method of controlling dry rot involves the S.lacrymans FORFAR use of competitor fungi, notably isolates of Trichoderma. RIGHT: but is S,lacrynans BFSO RAPDfingerprints ofstrains of To date such biocontrol works well in microcosms, buildingand Himalayan woodland disappointing in the field. Reasons for this probably S,lacrymansBF25 (H67and HZB) S,lacrynans relate to issues such as inoculum potential, the S.lacrynans [illL26 isolatesandits close relative undoubted fit between the needs o( S. lacrymans and the Similarities S,himantioides may be found in badly maintained or S.lacrymans178 betweenbuilding and woodland environment which isolatesofS, lacrynans nay poorly designed buildings and the inappropriate source S.lacrymans 1BA isolates used until recently. The supportsuggestions thatstrains of the Trichoderma S,lacrymans7B currentlyaffecting buildings are enhanced performanc e of Trichoderma isolates from the descendedfromthose accidentally natural woodland environment of S. lacryntans holds S,lacrynans 12N importedfrom woodlands such as thoseinthe Himalayas several promise for the future. For example, new isolates from S.lacrymans [/lDR2 an centuriesago. northern California in the USA have demonstrated BasidiomyceteH79 COURTESYNA WHITE ability to produce volatiles that can kill extended S. lm $w$swffiffi $ffi tuffi ffiYIoDAYVOL3O/AUGO3 LEFT: Dendrogrambasedon a BioSciencesFederation distance-basedanalysisof the lISl 5BS and lTS2 sequences of (incollaboration withthe LTSN Centre SerpulaspeciesTheEuropean buildingand wiid (H6/ H2B and forBioscience) Czech95)isolates were identical EducationGolloquium Woodlandisolate USAg4b lies betweenallother Serpulaisolates Changesand Challenges studiedand S. hinantioides(8824) The Changing Face of the Bioscience whichmay indicate thatmuch of Undergraduate theevolutionary historyof the | 000- | 700,Monday 6 October2003 speciesoccurred inNorthern America HamiltonHouse (NUf HO),Mabledon prace, COURTESYNA WHITE LondonWC1 H 9BD Thisone day event aims to considerthemismatch betweenwhat science students learn at schooland what they are expectedto know when they begin their.university courses. lt willbring together sdhool molecular variarion and phylogeography of building and teachers,careers advisers and admisiions tutors. woodland S. /acrymani isolares and its closest relatives, providingthem with information about recent chanoes informs a demographic databaseand may indicate how inthe school science curriculum and discussino waysof meeting the current geographic distriburion ofthe dry-rot fungus the resultantchallenges, has developed. From studying the organism in the wild Keyissues include: we may also develop ideas for better control of the How can we attractthe beststudents into organism in the built environment. However, there is no science? doubt that the internal environment of br-rildingsshould How isthe school science curriculum going to not be conducive ro rhe growth of S, /acryntans and that change? good maintenance, careful design and appropriare usage How willit affectthequality of ourfuture will prevent science damage by the dry-rot fungus. Indeed undergraduates? prevention of dry ror could be considered more of an Themeeting will be chairedby Reverendprofessor educational issue than a technological or scientific one. MichaelReiss (Head of Schobl,lnstitute of Education, However, in circumstances where lack of finance, past Universityof London),who hasbeen a drivinqforce mistakes or lack of understanding have allowed behindthe new Salters'Nuffield Biology A ljvel. problems to develop, we still need better science-based Therewill be two talks; soiutions. Qlynges to schoolscience(Rebecca Edwards, OCA) O Prof.J.W. Palfreyman is Headof the Schoolof Further reading C on tem p ora ry S ci en ces, lJn i vers i ty of A b ertay The mismatchbetween schoolscience and Palfreyman, J.w' & Low, G. un i vers ity expectati o ns (Peter Cotg reave,S B S) Dundee,UK, and was instrumentalin settingup (2002). T be E nt irontnenta/ theDry Rot ResearchGroup at Abertay.With an Crtntrolof Dry Rot.'fecbnical Andthree roundtables on: interest in historicbuildings much of his research Ad.ai ceN ot efor H ist oric New challenges faced by firstyear undergraduates on dryrot hascentred around developing less Scot land. TAN 2 1. Edinburgh: Student perception of university science courses destructiveways of treatingthe f ungus and, Historic Scotland. The link between universitiesand schoors perhapsmore importantly, preventing its Ridout, B. (2000).Tintber occurrencewithin the built environment. Decayin Buildings.Tbe Thecolloquium will be followedby a drinksreception, For fu rth e r info rm ati on see Conseruation Approacb to Lunchand refreshments will be provided, http: / / sci e n g.tay. ac. u k/ dry Treatnrcnt.NewYork: E. & _rotl Admissionis free, but pre-registration j.palf F.N.Spon. isessentialas em ai I reym an @tay. ac. u k placeswill be limited, \White, N.A., Dehal, P.K., Forfurther information and to register O Dr N.A. White Duncan,J.M., onlinesee is a lecturer in microbiology in Williams, www.bsf.ac.uk the Schoolof ContemporaryScrences, lJniversity N.A., Gartland,J.S., datefor registrations: ofAbertay Dundee, U K, and a researcherwithin Palfreyman, J.V. & Cooke, 9lgli lg 3O September 2003. theDry RotResearch Group and StM BIOS.Her D.E.L. (200I ). Molecular researchactivities centre on the physiology, analysisof intraspecific Sponsoredby: The Biochemical Societv,British variationbetween buiiding S3ciety.for ecologyand phylogeographyof S. lacrymans, lmmunology, lnstitute of Biology, The and'wiid' isolatesof Serp u la Physi ol og i cal Society, Society for Experi andon modellingfungal growth and me ntal community Iacry ntan s andtheir relatedness Biology, Society for General Microbi'ology, dynamics. toS. birnantioides.Mycol Re.r emai I n.a.white @abe rtay. ac. u k ro5,447-412.

ili|r,i{ i:i1:;;91;;r*;.1,:,,i$i'"TODAY VOL3O/AUGO3 IIU Lichens,?gents of monumental destruction MarkR.D.Seaward

Lichensare a Modern microscopical and chemical techniques capacity to biodeteriorate its substratum, is related to such as temperature and familiarsight on have confirmed that many lichen species microclimatic conditions of a wide range humidity of the air as well as the chemical and physical buildingsand trees. contribute to the deterioration particularly rocks and stonework' asa result nature of the substratum. It would appear that lichens Thesesymbiotic of materials, of physical and/or chemical processes. In the past, growing on humid sites produce calcium oxalate mono- associationsof attention was drawn to the possible effect of dissolved hydrate, whereas those from drier sites produce a mixture fungiand algae or carbon dioxide, derived from lichen respiration, ofthe monohydrate and dihydrate. cyanobacteriaare attacking the substratum to produce pits and channels Many lichens known to contain calcium oxalate generallyperceived for easier penetration of hyphae, with attendant undoubtedly cause extensive corrosion substrata and to beharmless to loosening of mineral particles and their incorporation they are capable of producing it on a wide variety of theenvironment, into lichen tissue. Such effects, although important on a substrata: D ir i na mass i I i ens i s forma sore d i at a, for example, butas Mark geological timescale, have so far been considered to be has the capacity to produce encrustations of various Seawarddescribes, minimal in terms of the life of stone buildings and thicknesses, with different concentrations of calcium chemistry, derived from the theycan attack monuments. Many lichen speciescreate microclimatic oxalate and a variable particularly following substrata: gypsum/calcite underl ying afresco, stonework, effects at the thallus/substratum interface, retention, which undoubtedly lead stucco of a church wall, a Roman brick wall, a lead/giass resultingin damage in terms of water to mechanical damage to stonework on a short timescale interface of a church window. mortar and acidic stone; to monuments, of 10 or so years. Various cfustose and squamulose the effectivenessof this lichen to degrade its particular churchesand other lichens are implicated, their aggressive behaviour no substratum being determined by various environmental structures, doubt promoted by particular man-made environmental conditions. The ability of lichens growing on non- conditions. Furthermore, forces generated by climatic calcareous substrata to produce significant levels of wetting and drying of lichen thalli cause them to calcium oxalate is particularly interesting: FT-Raman expand and contract in conjunction with the chemical spectroscopic studies of lichens on granitic monuments breakdown of substrata by lichen acids. have shown that some species are capable of producing Lichen acids have a relatively low solubility, but they calcium oxalate, significant levels of calcium for its are effective chelators, forming metal complexes with production being derived from the atmosphere or from silicates, etc., derived from the substratum. X-ray leachatesof neighbouring substrata. powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy The dramatic spread of D. massiliensis fotma sorediata have clearly demonstrated the presence of characteristic in Europe, more particularly England, in recent years alteration products at the interface between rocks and various lichens. Experiments involving pure lichen acids or lichen fragments incubated with different types of rock have confirmed these observations.

! WDestructive roleof oxalates Oxalic acid secreted by the mycobiont is extremely soluble in water and acts as a chelator of metal ions, and oxalates formed at the thallus/substratum interface are closely related to the chemical composition of the rock; thus species growing on serpentinite, mainly composed of magnesium silicate, form magnesium oxalate dihydrate at the interface. Other alteration products have been shown to be incorporated into the thallus and/or precipitated at the lichen/substratum interface, such as manganese oxalate and copper oxalate on manganese- rich and copper-rich rocks, respectively. However, the commonest oxalate found in lichens is that of calcium, the thallial content nngingfrom 1 to )0 %according to RIGHI: the species and its underlying substratum. Calcium S$m.$. Renaissance freTcoesattacked bythe lichen oxalate exists in two hydrated forms, monoclinic D.m ass iI i e n si s fornaso re d iata. monohydrate (whewellite) and teuagonal dihydrate Notethat in the central area, (weddellite). The monohydrate form is the maiot paintworkincorporated intothe biodeterioration product and the ratio between this and hasbeen removed bY lichenthalli on various environ- lightbrushing adopted in the dihydrate form is dependent conservationwork, mental factors. The production of calcium oxalate COURTESYMRDSEAWARD dihydrate by thalli, which is a measute of a lichen's

m ms$ffiffiffi ffi$ffi $-ffi ffiYToDAYVO L30/AU G03 has been facilitated by new environmental regimes, LFFTAND BELOW: including qualitative changes in air pollution, which li:l:i;,.,ii:, Window sLlrrotlnd ofa have allowed it to dominate substrata in the wake of the 14th century church at Fiskerton Lincolnshireshowing extensive rapid disappearance of other more pollution-sensitive calcillmoxalate encrustation species.It is by no means the only organism implicated in Theinset shows aclose-up ofthe short-term deterioration pfocesses:other lichens, and encrustationdemonstrating the indeed other micro-organisms, capable of adapting to rsleol D, massilit.nstsforna sorediatainits formation man-made disturbances can be equally destructive; COURTESY[iRDSEAWARD recent changes have been conducive to increasingly detrimental invasion by certain aggressive lichens, such as nitrophilous species as a consequence of environmental hypertrophication. Such evidence could help to explain why it is that monuments, undamaged for many centuries, appear in recent years to be vulnerable to lichen attack, in addition to the known problems resulting from air pollution. u$FFrescoes and churches under attack Palazzo Farnese, a I6th century mansion at Caprarola, Italy,features a circular courtyard surrounded by cloisters on ground and first floor levels, the inner walls of which bear contempotaty frescoes.The water-based paintwork had biodeteriorated and examination revealed that a single lichen species, D. massiliensisforma sorediata, was responsible for the disfigurement (Fig. 1). This gave great causefor concern, the attack being very pfonounced in many places, and clearly demonstrating the predilection of this lichen for the brown and yellow pigments, rather than the red pigment which contained one or more S'Aesthetic metals antagonistic to its growth. Using FT-Raman considerations spectroscopyat Bradford University (under the direction The presenceof lichens of ProfessorH.G.M. Edwards), it was shown that this on stonework is variously Iichen produced calcium oxalate encrustations at the interpreted by the luy thallus/fresco interface up to 18 mm in thickness in lesq publicand by specialistsin ffi than 12 years. A 60 % obliteration of the fresco by this different disciplines, whose attitudes are inevitably lichen, a frequent occufrence, generated more than 1 kg coloured by differing aesthetic and practical consider- of calcium oxalate over a similar time period; further- ations. The lichenologist regards the appearance of a more, with the incorporation of calcite and gypsum into lichen mosaic as a natural feature of ancienr monumenrs, the thallus encrustation, it is likely that more than four finding the diversity of species presenr aesthetically times this amount of the underlying substratum has pleasing, besides being both taxonomically and beenchemically and physically disturbed. ecologically interesting. There is a direct correlation The short-term biodeteriorative capacity ofthis lichen between the composition of the flora and the passage of is not specific to the above-mentioned frescoes;detailed time, the different lichen communiries established on studies of it on exterior stonework of English churches, as buildings and monuments reflecting the various demonstrated by a 14th century church at Fiskerton in materials employed in their construcrion and often Lincolnshire, have shown its similarly destructive correlating to the chronology of successive building nature.In the past, encrustations generated by this, and phases, therefore assisting in archaeological inter- no doubt other lichen species, have been misinterpreted pretation. Furthermore, since lichens are exceedingly asthe remaining traces of a whitish coating or rendering sensitive to environmental change, rhe diversity of the applied as a decorative or protective surface in a 19th or flora can be a reliable indication of the level of air 20th century restoration programme (Fig. 2). It is now pollution which in itself is one of the most serious factors clear that this is not so, since these renderings consist in the deterioration of ancienr monuments. It is ironic essentiallyof calcium oxalate and remains of the thalli that in a bland, homogenous urban environment, where producing them. The encrustations are usually more a lichen mosaic would be a welcome relief to the eye, the than 0.) mm in thickness and cover considerable areasof higher levels of air pollution prevent its establishment, many church walls throughout England. only allowing the existence of a monotonous flora

r\ff${:$E{pffi*{}L{s{#y roDAy voL3O/AUGmm composed of afew algaeand lichen crusts. It is pleasing to note that the undoubted improvement in air quality of many cities in recent years is reflected in the continued recovery oftheir Iichen floras. On the other hand, fine art specialists concerned with the conservation of ancient monuments view the encroachment of lichens from a very different stand- point: inscriptions and fine details may be obscured, and, depending on the nature of the substratum, and in some casesthe ambient conditions, serious physical damage is often caused through lichen-induced biodeterioration. The lichen floras vary considerably according to the spatial differences in the chemical properties of stone surfaces, the micro-environmental conditions and the overall influence of air pollution.

'SMon ument conservation Clearly, it is necessaryto determine which species are disfiguring but intrinsically harmless, and which cause actual physical damage. Baseline work is a prerequisite to research designed to establish the nature of the interface between problematic lichens and their substrata, and field trials intended to test the relative effectiveness of differing techniques and treatments for the removal and discouragement of lichens from stonework. Any treatment should be selected with care, since although immediately effective, the long-term effects are likely to be deleterious. Mechanical methods involving scraping and brushing, usually followed by washing, are tedious, damaging and often ineffective. Absorbed water may adversely affect the monument' particularly under fluctuating temperature regimes; although penetration can be minimized by the use of water repellents, entrapped water and rising damp can nevertheless prove highly destructive. A wide range of biocides have been tried, many of which have since been rejected due to side effects such as crystallization of soluble salts that discolour stonework or that promote secondary biological growths more unsightly than those removed. Any decision to remove lichens from stonework must not be undertaken without careful consideration of the wider implications of long- term effects. Unfortunately, it has to be acknowledged that the problem is under-researched and much of the work published to date is of alargely empirical nature which has yet to be adequately substantiated by long- term experimentation. It remains for future generations Further reading to judge the relative effectiveness of the various conservation techniques curfently employed. For background i nformation seethe article by on lichens, O MarkSeawardis ProfessorofEnvironmental David Hill'Lichens and co- Biologyin the Departmentof Environmental ordination of the symbionts' Bradford, Bradford which appeared in the August Science, lJniversityof 2001 issue of Microbiology BD7 1DP, UK. Today,pp.124-121 . em ai I m.r. d. se aw ard @b radfo rd. ac. u k

IIE N$*NSN$SilSSY TODAYVOL3O/AUGO3 Gonseruationof monumental stones by bacteriaI biom i nerc l-ation BrunellaPerito & GiorgioMastromei

Application of living cultures of selected calcinogenic Microbesare bacteria on limestone has been shown to induce calcite oftenresponsible precipitation inside stone porosity, but it might generare for the decay other problems. In fact, chemical of reactions due to stonework, metabolic by-products and growth of fungi, resulting but from the application of organic nurrients for bacterial BrunelloPerito and development, may have negative effects on the stone GiorgioMastromei itself. For this reason, development of a srone treatment havefound a way without viable cells seemsa better biotechnological tool. of usingbacteria To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the to conserve molecular mechanisms by which bacteria foster CaCO, monu ments precipitation, since this phenomenon is poorly throughthe understood both at molecular and genetic levels. techniqueof biomineralization. $$Work with Bacillus subtitis In our laboratory we are studying calcite crystal formation inBacillus subtilis in order to identify bacterial genes and cell strucrures involved in the biomineral_ ,Bioreinforce' ization process. This work is part of the EC project (http://www.ub.es/rpatlbioreinforce/ bioreinforce.htm) directed to develop a biomediation calcite precipitation ,d"s method for conservation rreatment ofmonumental stones. B, subtilis produces calcite crystals when grown on an appropriate medium (Fig. 2).We isolated several B, subtilis muranrs impaired in calcite crystal

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,db* * *{ . \*{ ,'Ajna"".: ;s -# Monumental stone decay is a consequence of the weathering action of physical, chemical and biological facors, which induce ^ progressivedissolution of the mineral marrix (Fig. 1). TOPLEFI: $$9,t. MarbleStatue (1700) Attempts to slow down monument deterioration have onthe balustrade ofthe Villa used conservation treatments with inorganic or organic Dosi-DolfiniPontremoli, Italy The products, but their use presenrs several drawbacks. A presenceofold biological patina new approach to conservation treatment of calcareous andnew lichen encrustation can stonesexploits bacterial biomineral ization. beseen. COURTESYBPERITO &G MASTRO[/EI Calcium carbonare (CaCO3) precipitation is a major biogeochemical process very common to microbes living LEFT: in different environments. Several studies have pointed F-s9.S" Calcitecrystalproduction out the complexity of the phenomenon, which is byB, subtilis, (a) Crystal formation influenced by the environmental physico-chemical onthe surface olB. subillismts. (b)Crystals produced conditions, and is correlated both with metabolic hyB, subillis observedbyoptical microscopy. activity and cell-surface strucrures. COURTESYB PERITO &G [/ASTROMEI

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RIGHT: $:tg.S, MaP ofthe B, subttlis chromosomeregionconialnlng theysl8and Ysll genes. Arrows showthe direction oftranscription. Putativefunctions: /cfl,long- chainacYl-CoA sYnthetase; rst/transcriPtional regulator itetRlAcrRfamillr) ;/slB 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoAdehydratase : elfBelectron transfer flavoprotein (0subunit); ell/electron transfer fiavoprotein(asubunit). O BrunellaPerito and GiorgioMastromeiare &G [/IASTROMEI Sequence analysis of their mutated COURTESYBPERITO production. Animal Biologyand casesthe putative functions basedin theDepartmentof g.rr., revealed that in many tJniversityof Florence'via Two of these Genetics'LeoPardi', LOWERRIGH]: lere linked to fatty acid metabolism' Romana1 7, 50125 Florence,ltalY' $$w.$. Calcite PreciPitates andysiB,belong to a putative transcriptional withautoclaved cellsof genes,ysiA obiiined (Fig. \7e focused our attention B,subtilis,Control : CaCl2solution Il.rrr., of five genes 3)' mutagenesis' COUR.IESYBPERITO & G MASTROMEI on this cluster and produced, by insertional in a gene B, subtilis isogenic strains each mutated Mutants of the cluster. Control B. subtilis were tested for their ability to Produce calcite Further reading and all, excePt one' crYstal forma- Barabesi,C., Salvianti, F , impaired t'Ve on Mastromei,G. & Perito, B' tion. are working (2003).Microbial calcium the hypothesis that this carbonatePreciPiration for cluster could control reinforcementof monumental the synthesis ofan inter- BiologYand stones.lnMolecular mediate of fattY acid u) u ita ge, 209- 212' \ Cu lt ural H PP. metabolism, directlY Editedby C. Saiz-Jimenez'The € or indirectlY involved Netherlands:A.A. Balkema' in promoting CaCO3 Castanier,S.,Le precipitation. G', M6tayer-Levrel, The other exPeri,- Orial, G., LoubiBre,J.F & mental aPProach was Perthuisot,J.P. (2000). based on searching for the Bacterialcarbonatogenesi sand B. subtilis cell structures applications to Preservation involved in andrestoration of historic specificallY property.In)f Microbaand An : CaCO, PreciPitation' TheRoleofMiuobial We used ^n in uitro Communit ies in t heD egradation precipitation test, where and Protection of C ultural the samples, susPended -218. Edited Heritage,PP. 20J in a CaCl2solution, were P.Tiano & byO. Ciferri, exposed to ammonium G. Mastromei.NewYork: carbonate vaPours. In Plenum. this experiment' killed F.G' & (,t) Fortin, D., Ferris, cells of B' subtilis induced \ Beveridge,TJ.G99T\ (Fig' $. calcite preciPitation b mineral Surface-mediated 4). \X/e are now testing N developmentbY bacteria' Reu different B' subtilis cell Mineral35,161-180. fractions to identifY the L. & Tiano, P., Biagiotti, structure(s) imPortant Mastromei, G.(1999). for this Process.The next Bacterialbiomediated calcite step in the Bioreinforce precipitation for monumental project will be to use stonesconservation: methods these fractions to treat of evaluation.J Microbiol stones. Merhods36, t39-141. monumental

lm W$SWffiN$S&.$$SYTODAY VOL3O/AU GOE Sulhte-reducing bacteriain biofilms on metallic materials and corlosion lwonaB. Beech

re ^ corrosron is a ffi' naturally occurring process is not sufficient evidence for their contribution Kr to Microbialgrowth Wby which materials fabricated ofpure metals thedeteriorationprocess. W andlortheir mixtures (alloys) undergo chemical cancause serious oxidation corrosion from ground state to an ionized species.It is an S.llSulfate-redUCing baCteria of metals. electrochemical process involving lwonaBeech the transfer of Sulfate-reducing bacieria (SRB) are the marn group electronsin the presenceof an electrolyte through a series of raxonom ically diverse micro-organisms which are explainsthe roleof of oxidation (anodic) reactions and (cathodic) reduction classified us strictly anaerobic and which are distributed sulfate-reducing reactions. After a certain time, the oxidation products within two domain s: Arcbaea and Bacteria. SRB perform bacteriain this (corrosion products) adhere to the surface and form one or dissimilatory reduction of sulfur compounds such as phenomenon. more layers that serveas a diffusion barrier to reactants. sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfur itself to sulfide. Such layer(s), depending on their chemistry and Some speciesfrom the Desulfouibrio genuscan grow with morphologY, maY act as a protective barrier against nitrate or fumarate as alternative electron acceprors. further metal deterioration. Changes in the environ- Compounds frequently used as a carbon source and mental conditions can affect the stability of the elecrron donors and oxidized to acetate and CO2 arc protective layers and, therefore, the overall susceptibility lactate,pyruvare, malate,high molecular weigh , furry ofthe material to corrosion. acids or simple aromatic compounds, such as benzene orphenol' sRB can alsodegrade saturated hydrocarbons' s' Biofilms on metallic materials In naturalhabitars and man-made systems, surface- t"1liff;:ffi?tJ,ir:11T:t::T*:ttff,i:ffii associatedmicrobial BELOW: growth, i.e. biofilms, influence the biofilm matrix SRB thrive within anoxic niches. During '^i9.,'I.Examples ofsevere physico-chemical interactions between metal and their growth SRB produce alargeamount of hydrogen biocorrosionof(a) iron pipes ina environment, frequently leading to deterioration of the sulfide thut uss,rresthe maintenance of anaerobiosis. potablewater distribution system metal (Fig. 1). Biofilms consist of microbial cells, their SRB biofilms are readily formed on steel surfaces insideanabandoned building andol extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) (b)carbonsteelpiling jna marine and adsorbed (Fig. 3). Some genera tolerate oxygen and even grow envrronmentinthe presence of organics' In addition, inorganic precipitates may in its presence, indicating the existence of defence biofilmsharbouring SRB. originate from the bulk aqueous phase or be present mechanisms against oxygen radicals. Catalase and COURTESYIB BEECH as corrosion products (Fig. 2). Physiologically diverse superoxide dismutase are micro-organisms and their metabolic products, e.g. constitutively expressed enzymes' exopolysaccharides, organic and inorganic duringanaerobicgrowthof acids, and volatile compounds, such as ammonia or Desulfouibriogigor. Studies hydrogen sulfide, can alter electrochemical processes into oxygen tolerance at the biofilm-m etal inte:'face rhrough co-operative by SRB are progressing effects. For example, in a marine environment the rapidly thanks to tenomic presence of a biofilm can accelerate corrosion rates ofr sequencing of Du)tfouibr;o carbon steel by several orders of magnitude. In conrrasr, uulgaris Hildenborough certain types of biofilms produce a barcier effect, and the detailed functional resulting in a substantial decreasein the corrosion rate analysis of all oxygen- of the metal. induced genes.

s Biocorrosion $sSRB-influenced Deterioration of metal under a biologicar influence is deterioration of termed biocorrosion or microbiologically influenced metallic materials - corrosion (MIC) and a number of mechanisms have a historicperspective been identified, reflecting the variety of physiological Since 1934 sRB have activities carried out by different types of micro- been implicated in pitting organisms. These include the following: corrosion of ferrous metals Accumulation of microbial metabolic products and their alloys in aquatic aggressive to the protective layers and to metal and terrestrial habitats, itself. varying in nutrient con_ Harbouring enzymes, which are able to effect tent,rempefature,pressure reductionreactionsatcathodicsites. and pH values, under Providing matrix for binding/sorption of diverse anoxic and oxygenated metal cations. conditions (Fig.4). Demonstrating the presence of micro-organisms The activity of hvdro- w w;'ffiss6';wry: on a corroded metal surface, even if they are species genaseenzymes and/or t' knowntoproduceaggressivemetabolicby-products,pfeSenCeofiron,"n::ffi:-ffi

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RIGHT: species were regarded as S$9"tr. Environmental scanning key mechanisms of SRB- imagesof(a) electronmicroscopy influenced deterioration fullyhydrated biofilm formed on the surfaceofstainless steel tubing in of steel. The cathodic apotable water distribution system depoladzation theory pro- underhigh flow conditions and(b) posed the mechanism partiallydehydrated biofilm from of anaerobic corrosion of anarea indicated bythe rectangle ferrous metal. The essential in(a) revealing thepresence of bacterialcellsembedded in step in this theory involved extracellularmatrix. Please note the removal of hydrogen theconditioning layeron the steel (cathodic depolarization) (a)and corrosion surfacetn by SRB hydrogenase. productsvisible in(b), as indicated bythearrowsBars,Spm Hydrogenase, which catalyses the reversible FARRIGHT: oxidation of hydrogen $$9"S. Atomic Force Microscopy accordins to the reaction (AFM)images ofa 3-week-old Hz)2H* + 2e-, is present in all SRB. Hydrogenase SRB is believed to be of importance. It is also becoming biofilmformed onthe surface of stainlesssteelby mixed species of activity is not dependent onviable cells. The lack of SRB clear that one predominant mechanism of biocorrosion SRBof the genus Desulfovibrio, detection based on viable counts or production of HrS does not exist. According to a recent hypothesis, SRB- revealingthepresence ofcells and does not, therefore, necessarily indicate that enzymatic mediated corrosion of iron and its alloys occurs by a Theinset exocellularmaterial activity has ceased.\Tithin a biofilm matrix, the enzyme processof electron transfer from the basemetal to oxygen representsasingle SRB cell Bars 1 for months. as ultimate electron acceptor, through a seriesof coupled mm(main image);0'1 mm(inset) can retain its depolarizing capabilities Furthermore, a direct electron transfer between the redox reactions of an electrochemical. biotic and abiotic OPPOSITEPASECENTRE: adsorbed hydrogenase enzyme and steel surface can take character. The study of the importance of enzymatically $tg.$" Scanningelectron place. catalysed reactions, not favoured under abiotic microscopyimages ofsurfaces of In the presence of SRB the main corrosion conditions, would aid our understanding of the role SRB (a)carbon steel and (b) stainless steelafter the removal of3-week- products formed on the iron surface are ferrous sulfides, play in corrosion. oldbiofilms formed ina marine which can be protective of or aggressive to the Although it is recognized that sulfate-reducers andin a freshwater environment underlying metal (Fig. 5). It was proposed that corrosion vary rntheir ability to influence deterioration of metallic populations respectivelyMixed of proceeded under reduced conditions through (a) materials. to date no clear consensushas been reached in SRBwere isolated from both types of the the importance of species specificity in ofbiofilms. Please note the severe depolarization of cathodic areas by absorption elucidating pittingattack visible onthe surfaces, polarizingH, into the crystal lattice of the FeS speciesor corrosion processes.This specificity can possibly explain (b) the establishment of a galvanic cell, FeS/Fe,whereby why, despite identical environmental conditions, OPPOSITEPAGEBOTTOM: the Fe becomes anodic and FeS cathodic. The corrosion biofilms composed of different SRB belonging to the $$9.S. AFM (a) topography and caused by the biogenic FeS appears identical to that same genus differ in their ability to deteriorate metals. (b)deflection image ofa single cell ofan SRB of the genus Desulfovibrio caused by inorganically produced FeS. However, the FeS Current progress in microbial genomics is likely to ina 3-week-old biofilm developed activity diminishes with time, possibly as a result of the facilitate comparative analysis of SRB genomes, thus onthe surface of$ainless steel. bonding of atomic hydrogen within the FeS crystal aiding the characterization of corroding and non- particles(black CorrosiveFeS lattice. The removal of hydrogen by bacterial corroding, SRB-harbouring biofilms. Undoubtedly, arrows)aredistributed onthe steel continually better knowiedge of the ecology of SRB communities surfaceand also closely associated hydrogenase restores the FeS activity. SRB wilhthe bacterial cell,Ihe presence regenerate or depolarize FeS by removal of atomic and, therefore, their metabolic output can be of great ofbacteria andproducts formed as hydrogen, thus maintaining high rates ofcorrosion. importance when investigating the effect of biofilms aresult oftheir metabolic activities, on the corrosion behaviour of metallic materials and e,g.FeS can lead to a severe pitting S Gurrentstateofunderstanding of appropriate protection and prevention attackonboth carbon and stainless steelinmarine and fresh water 5 RB-influenced corrosion :::i#:: environments(asseen inFig, 4), Corrosion under SRB influence is primarily rcahzed leadingtosevere failures (as as a localized attack, which occurs as a result of the O Dr. lwona B. Beech is Readerin Microbiology each depictedinFig. 1) Thesize of activity of physiolo gically diverse SRB species present in the Schoolof Pharmacyand Biomedical imageis1-5 pm, within biofilms on the metal substratum. These Sciencesatthe Universityof Portsmouth, ALTCOURTESYIBBEECH activities promote the establishment of localized PortsmouthPOl 2DT UK. chemical gradients leading to the formation of electro- Tel.02392 842147: Fax023928421 42 chemical cells and causing the loss of metal from emai I iwon a. beech @po rt.ac. u k locations on the surface. It is now generally accepted that the number of SRB detected in a system does not correlate with the extent of corrosion. Rather, the metabolic status of

m ffi $ffiffi{$ffi $ffi tuffi ffiYTODAYVOL3O/AUGO3 Further reading Beech,LB. (2002). Biocorrosion:role of sulphate-reducingbacteria. In Encyc I opaediaof E nuironmenta I M tcrobtology. pp. 461-47 ). EditedbyG. Bitton. Chichester:Wiley.

Beech, I.B. & Coutinho, C.L.M. (2003).Biofilms on corrodingmaterials. In B iofi lmsi n Medic i ne,I ndustry and E nuironment aI B i otecbno I ogy - Cbaracteristics, Analy sis and Control, Chapter 8, pp. I 15- l3l.Edited byP.Lens, A.P.Moran, T. Mahony, P.Stoodley ec V. O'Flaherty. London:IWA Publishing.

Geesey,G.G, Beech,I.B., Bremmer, PJ, Vebster, BJ. &$/ells, D. (2000). Biocorrosion. In B iofilms II : ProcessAna/ysis and Ap/ications, pp.28I-326. Editedby J. Bryers.Chichester: Wiley.

Hamilton,V.A. (2003). Microbially influenced corrosionas a model system for the studyofmetal microbe interactions: a unifying electrontransfer hypothesrs. Biofouling19,55-7 6. The BiodeteriorctionGentrB, Un iversity of Hertfordshi rc RichardSmith

Biodeterioration The Biodeterioration Centre was borne 25 where there is a requirement. This diversity demon- canmean business, years ago out of local industry's need for an strates ouf strengths, but the secret of maintaining a RichardSmith independent microbiological testing facility, loyal customer base is a commitment to a high quality describesthe and the entrepreneurial motivation of its founder, and service at alI times, in all tasks. In addition, the unitset up atthe my late father, Dr Neil Smith. In the eaily days in the Biodeterioration Centre continues to play an important Universityof late 1970s the Centre's work began as microbiological role in the education and industrial experience of today's analysis of fuel samples from the Ministry of Defence at undergraduates and tomorrow's microbiologists within Hertfordshireto Portsmouth and British Aerospace at Hatfield, and the university. As Director of the Cenrre, I look forward monitorand occasional water microbiology tests for local industry. to the next 21 years of the irresistible science that is investigate However, the bulk of the work was research into the known as biodeterioration, and as sure as eggs is eggs, biodegradation biodeterioration of materials, which has continued as they will probably go off and we will be there to problems, relentlesslyas the cycling ofthe elements that it studies. investigate why. Many research studies have been performed over the years at Hatfield. Examples of these include the SAtypical project- microbial degradation of Polaroid sunglassesby psychro- fungaletchingof sunglasslenses philic fungi; false teeth degradation by artificially A study ofthe etching ofglass lens surfacesby the action cultured plaque populations; microbial corrosion of of xerophilic fungi was carried out during the 1980s. military hardware; the breakdown of emulsions of Studies were done using commercial sunglasses treated bitumen; and microbial fuel spoilage within nuclear with various carbon and energy sources, including submarines. The work has always been informative and a*.ificiaI sweat, glucose, yeast extract and paper extract. rewarding, and often innovative and swashbuckling, as The samples were held at a tange of warer activities Neil Smith would dart around the laboratory planning (60-90 7o rcIative humidity), for up to 180 days at 'conclusive' the next experiment long before completion tropical temperatures. ofthe previous one. Etching of the glass surface was observed using the It was at about the same time as the Biodeterioration naked eye, and using optical microscopy. A rating Centre started out within the Hatfield Polytechnic, system of etching was devised to classify the degree that Legionnaires' disease made a dramatic entrance of biodeterioration. to the world of public health in Philadelphia, USA. Earlier research had implicated fungi of the genus Sfidespread concerns about this industrial diseaseled to Aspergillus, and had suggesred that tropical conditions, cumbersome and complicated Legionellaisolation and along with a readily available nutrienr source, would enumeration tests being offered as a service from the provide environmental conditions favourable for the Centre. The client base expanded as water trearment surface growth of Aspergillur. The deteriogen had engineers and building maintenance companies came been observed to traverse the surface of the lenses. fromfar and wide to use the servicesofthe Centre. The concentrated organic acids in the water phase The Laboratory now still offers Legionellatesting as (hyphosphere) around the fungal hyphae were suspected one of its core microbiological tests, although the of being corrosive to the glass. Deterioration of the method has been streamlined, with the benefit ofgreater lenseswould be expected to resulr, providing spoilage efficiency and reduced costs. The Centre holds UKAS ofthe product. accreditation for Legionella testing, and many other Indeed, experiments found that some types of standard microbiology tests, as well as retaining its fuel sunglasses were clearly seen to be etched in this way, testing servicesfor companies based in airports at Luton, although the results were found ro be manufacturer- Stansted, Manchester, and asfat away asLiege and Rome. dependent. For a while the Laborarory was known Domestic water potability tests make up a large part of to hoard more unfashionable sunglasses than a Turkish today's work at the Centre, including long-established tourist market! The undamaged samples were there- microbiological water testing contracts for the local fore generously distributed among the students of pharmaceutical industries. Biosciences, who were not generally known for their An air quality monitoring service has also evolved over strict dedication to style at the time! the last decade. This has provided a wealth of experience 'sick of indoor air quality testing and investigations into O RichardSmith isTechnical Manager, building syndrome'from Moscow to Madrid. Recently BiodeteriorationCentre, Faculty of Natural the Centre has also been involved in external airborne Scrences,University of Hertfordshire,Hatfield, microbiology monitoring at domestic composting ALlO9AB,UK. facilities around the south-east. Tel.01707284545; Fax01707 285046 Generating valuable commercial support to the pro- em ai I r.s m ith @h e rts.ac.u k gressiveUniversity of Hertfordshire, the Biodeterior- ation Centre has continually evolved to provide services

VOL3O/AUG03 Pilzkrieg: the German warti me questfor penicillin GilbertShama

School of Hygiene and Tropical Despitealltheir The ultimate triumph of Anglo-Amencan Raistrick at the London during the Medicine and Roger Reid in the USA. In short, the paper intelligenceand effortsto massproduce penicillin Second\florld \Var canbe saidto haveeclipsed provided all the information required to set up a scientificefforts, - assuming, that is, the existence of similar attempts in other countries' penicillin manufacturing process did of P. notatutn. theGermans However, about a decade ago German historians began that one possessedFleming's strain notsucceed in publishing accounts of their country's attempts to penicillin oroducinqbulk produce penicillin. The fact that their story is not more $$Research and developmentof Germany, via neutral bupplies5f widely known about is largely due to the fact that these Both of The Lancet papers reached ensured early penicillinduring accounts were written in German. Yet, paradoxically, the Sweden. The pecking order for distribution to document German activity in this accessby Theodore Morell, Hitler's personal physician, WorldWar ll, first publications ' Speeras interestedonly in GilbertShama areawere compiled by Allied intelligence agencies'These described after the war by Albert bona fide scientists explainswhy, reports were prepared under the auspicesof the British lnuney'. The articles probably reached research began in Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee (BIOS) and the in late 1942 which is when Proper as well as universities Combined Intelligence Objectives Subcommittee Germany. Companies of all sizes, in a scramble to (CIOS) by teams of civilian and military scientists.They and researchinstitutes, became involved most of the constituent were originally given security classifications, but those produce the antibiotic, especially - Hoechst, Elberfeld, reports dealing with purely industrial or commercial companies of IG Farbenindustrie Darmstadt, Schering AG information were rapidly declassified and were published Marburg, and also E. Merck of of and Kniill of by the HMSO from 1'946until well into the 1910s. of Berlin, Schott and Genossen Jena Ludwigshafen. ,iiil'The shadow of Germa ny The first stumbling block facing these would-be Towardsthe end of 1939Howard Florey and Ernst Chain producers was obtaining a penicillin-producing strain of had assured Florey that at the Sir \X/illiam Dunn School of Pathology at Oxford Penicillium. Although Fleming ' of his strain to secured a grant to study natural antibacterial agents' he did not remember sending samples fault. A certain Dr Schmidt They chanced to start with penicillin and by the summer Germany, his memory was at received a culture from of 1940 had succeededin isolating it and in showing that at the IG Marburg works had Schmidt had never it possessedpowerful antibacterial action in uiuo.They Fleming some years before the war. with a revival of published their preliminary findin gs inThe Lancet. Also attempted to do anything with it, but to grow the strain' He in that summer, Florey and a few trusted colleagues interest in penicillin, he tried his mycological technique, succumbed to afear of imminent German invasion that failed and, perhaps doubting in Berlin, but they was sweeping the nation and transferred spores of he then sent the culture to Schering made at least two Penicilliam nltatxlm for safekeeping onto the linings too were unsuccessful. The Germans this strain. The first was in oftheir jackets. further attempts to acquire the second was at the A threat of a more concrete kind reached Florey in Paris at the Pasteur Institute, whilst Pasteur Institute did in April Ig4L German scientists, he learned, were keen to University of Copenhagen. The had given it to Andre examine penicillin and would attempt to acquire some fact possessa culture; Fleming no one in Denmark had through the Swiss pharmaceutical company Ciba Geigy' Lwoff. Although apparently had read about Florey wrote to Alexander Fleming as well as R' St John Fleming's culture, Professor K. A. Jensen to him from Brook, the head of the National Collection of Type penicillin from publications smuggled isolating a number of Cultures, warning of the consequences of P' nztaturn Sweden and had succeeded in the German envoys falling into German hands. He also wrote of his concerns penicillin producers. In both cases However, with the to Sir Edward Mellanby, Chairman of the Medical were duped and left empty-handed. Florey described in a Research Council, who assured him that he was fall of Holland, Germany had what 'miles 'tbe the world. This abead' of any competition and that there was no letter as best(mould) culture collectionin (CBS) point in suppressing publication on penicillin in the was the Centraal Bureau voor Schimmelcultures - microbiologists national interest becauseeffective antibacterials the located atBaarn, near lJtrecht. German realization Fleming sulfonamides - were so widely available. Florey took were not slow to arrive at this the CBS, but the hint and in August I94I a second paper' this time had never deposited his culture with that they held a closely containing a wealth of technical information, appeared their culture catalogue showed (\flestling). The archives in The Lancet. Included were details of the culture related strain, P. notatum from German medium for P. notatunt, a method of assaying penicillin at Baarn contain scores of requests The strain had been and illustrations of the, now celebrated' spouted ceramic companies and universities' before and would have culture vesselsas well as harvesting procedures. Most deposited atBaarnmany years regard to its importantly, the article revealed how to extract penicillin been sub-cultured many times without - in total ignorance from crude fermentation broths. It was this crucial step antibiotic productivity indeed was at best only that had defeated not only Fleming, but later also Harold that it even possessedsuch a trait.It

*p;,9$gi:$s"$,:!s$t$€:$$,,${$$'toDAYVOL30/AUG03 and the United States on LEFT: penicillin production was SirHoward Walter Florey (1898-1968) subject to strict control. P|lOIOSG[/ Despite this, useful information gor out inro the public domain. More than one group of workers in Germany seems to have been aware that corn steep liquor had a beneficial effect on penicillin yields. $Thether they knew quire what it was is a different mattef; one contempofaty 'mais- reference called it alkohol'. Most researchers in Germany used surface ,:* culture techniques for -..":f 11"' j.,l growi ng their strains. i i,i$$S .t :.s ',$' However, it emerges that a i$:i significant number of a poor penicillin producer and there is no evidence that research workers had experimented with submerged it ever featured prominently in German penicillin culture with all its potential advantages, and Konrad research.Interestingly, a paper published in I'{ature in Bernhauer at the University of Prague promoted this November 1942 characterized the strain as a producer approach. Not surprisingly they reached the same ofnotatin. conclusions as the American microbiologists at the It was not long before German microbiologists set Northern Regional Research Laboratories in Peoria, about isolating their own strains. Notable was Andreas Illinois, namely that strains isolated on their ability to Lembke, Director of a research institute in Kiel that was produce penicillin in surface culture are not necessarily concerned primarily with milk technology. He had able to produce similar yields in submerged culture. mycological experience and had assembled an extensive Details of the American programme were widely known collection of moulds. In 1943, withJoseph VonKennel about in Germany. An article in Chemiker Zeitung in andJoseph Kimmig, he wrote what is possibly the only October 1944 revealed to its readers the existence of the article on antibiotics published in Germany during thq US $Var Production Board (S7PB) and the names of war. It described the isolation of a number of strains of American companies involved in penicillin production, P eni ciI I i um, Asp ergiI I us, F usar i urn and C epb a I os p ori um, alI aswell astheir production rargers. of which allegedly produced antibacterial substances \Thilst most of the technology employed in Germany 'mykoins'. that they named Kimmig, who had previously for work on penicillin was based on Anglo-American worked on novel sulfonamides, came to devote much developments, German workers also conducted original effort to penicillin research and was supported by research. Not all of it was guaranteed to result in Schering AG. Hans Knoll, a microbiologist employed by improved penicillin yields. \fhen workers at the IG the glass company Schott and Genossen, also provided Hoechst works met persistenr contamination, they strains to many other researchers. Elsewhere, at IG countered with the use of ether and chloroform. More Elberfeld, Maria Brommelhues, working in Gerhard interestingly, some German microbiologists tried using Domagk's (the pioneer of sulfonamides) laboratory had mixtures of strains to increasepenicillin yields. Others isolated some J0 strains of penicillia. She was aware thar attempted to grow penicillia on wasre liquors from paper not all of the antibiotics produced by these strains were mills. One entrepreneur named Bruno Bottcher penicillin and she was able to separate the penicillin developed an'electro-osmotic diaphragm' technique for producers from those that produced other secondary purifying penicillin. Schering AG were sufficiently metabolites such as notatin and patulin. impressed to supply Bottcher with penicillin trans- The practices and procedures described in Florey's ported from Berlin in vacuum flasks. Joseph Kimmig secondLancet papers seem to have been widely adopted even attempted to understand how penicillin acted and by most workers in Germany. In particular, penicillin although he arrived at an erroneous conclusion - that it was being bioassayed by variants of the method disrupted the succinic acid cycle in bacteria - his work originally developed in Oxford by Norman Heatley. reveals a serious commitment to penicillin research. After 1942 the publication of processdetails in Britain Heinz Oeppinger at IG Hoechst, interviewed

"$-$$sffi$sN$sR.ss\$ToDAy VOLSO/AU G03 IE RIG|lT: immediately after the war by Harold Raistrick, [/ledicalsecrels 0n1 May 1946 apparently impressed Raistrick with his design for a penicillin'rotating Britainssecret wartime drum device' for submerged fermentation. factoryisrevealed forthe first chemists in Germany must have asked timeSituated inBarnard Castle, Organic Yorkshireitwas built under the themselves, just as their counterparts in Britain and the auspicesofthe Ministry of Suppl1t USA did, whether they might not be able to synthesize andGlaxo Laboratories Ltd penicillin chemically. The only information available FOXPHOTOS/HULTON PICIURE to them was a formula for penicillin, subsequently IIB RARY shown to be incorrect, published rnNature by Heilbron and his co-workers in 1942. Publication of later Anglo- American work that led to the correct formula and synthesis was strictly controlled. German scientists never succeeded in purifying penicillin to enable meaningful structural studies to be carried out. One \\***u'iu_'' intelligence report describes with almost tangible ..,' incredulity how scientists at IG Marburg claimed 'a that sntal/ piece of rnoist-looking, orange-coloured, 'practically clampy rnaterial' was pare penicillin' . Hopes of elucidating the structure of penicillin and then synthesizing it chemically probably explain the involvement of Richard Kuhn. Kuhn had been nominated for the Nobel Pize tn 1938 fot his work on the only scientist to receive captured Allied penicillin, the structure of vitamins and carotenoids, but forbidden and it is quite possible that Lembke was able to reach his by a decree of Hitler's from accepting it. Kuhn had conclusions becausehe had accessto some'authentic',lsut been working on synthetic antibacterials, and claimed low potency, penicillin. Stanier'scurt assessmentwas 'a that one of his compounds, 3061 [bis()-bromo-2- that mykoin C was probably mixture of clauacin witb hydroxyphenyl)ethanedionel was allegedly 300 times sonepenici/lin' . more potent than penicillin. His penicillin was from the Some penicillin was certainly produced in Germany, German \Var Ministry that had captured Allied although never on a sufficiently Iarge scale for strategic penicillin manufactured by Burroughs \Tellcome, at an value. Theodore Morell's diaries show that penicillin was unknown date and place, and of uncertain activity. Kuhn used by him to treat Adolf Hitler's injured hand was correct in that 3065 does have antibacterial activity, following theJuly 1944t:omb plot. The penicillin may but his conclusions about its efficacy compared to have been produced at Olomutz in Czechoslovakia, a penicillin were certainly wrong. As Head of the Kaiser facility that had been seized from its original Jewish Sfilhelm Institute in Heidelberg, Kuhn was in an owners and placed under Theodore Morell's control. influential position and his findings must have fuelled Morell's actual contribution to penicillin work was German suspicions that the power of penicillin had been insignificant, but he employed two scientists ofJewish exaggerated by the Allies for propaganda reasons. ancestry, Kurt Mulli and \Tolfgang Laves to supervise Heatley's assaytechnique, widely used in Germany, work at the plant. Morell went on to receive the Iron 'bacteriostatic would have detected any antibiotic substance that Cross in 1943 for the discovery of inhibited the growth of the assaybacterium, Stapbylo- substancesfrom the lower fungi'. Information about this clccltsaareus. \Zith penicillia being isolated from a variety came to the attention of the pressin Britain andThePeople 'Huns of sourcesby several groups of workers, it seemspossible ran a story headed steal new drag'. References to that some researchersin Germany may not have been clinical trials occur a number of times in the BIOS and working with penicillin, but with other secondary CIOS reports, although some researchers appeared metabolites. Some in Germany understood this. After unwilling to submit their impure material for trials. the war, Canadian microbiologist Roger Y. Stanier was Learning from Lembke that some of the antibiotics charged with prepartng a report for BIOS on applied he had produced were sent to a hospital in Segebeck microbiological research in Germany and met and for clinical trials, Stanier took himself there. FIe was interviewed a number of German scientists' Andreas unimpressed with what he found and although the Lembke told him thatat least one of the mykoins he had clinicians at Segebeck provided accounts of the isolated - mykoin C - was chemically distinct from penicillin's efficacy in treated dermatological conditions, penicillin. Lembke cited the fact that mykoin C's Stanier concluded that no meaningful clinical trials had spectrum of antibacterial activity was distinct from that been carried out. Hoechst claimed to have manufactured of penicillin. As further evidence, he told Stanier that it a number of penicillin-containing products, including 'penicillin was not inactivated by penicillinase. Kuhn had not been wound powder' and penicillin impregnated

lE ic!iili*{jjl$d{i$$il.fii,'$"$il}ii:llr'ii'"IODAYVOL30/AU G03 operations in fermentation vesselsof 600 m3 capacity. The failure to bring together existing fermentation experience and the considerable fermentation capacity in Germany proved costly. NThilst it is clear that useful collaborations berween different research workers and companies were estab- Iished, it is also evident that there was wasteful dupti- cation of effort. The absence of a central reference laboratory was a definite disadvantage. Microbiologists may have been freely exchanging strains, but there seems not to have been any sysrematic attempts to identify the most productive ones. N7hilst Heatley's assaywas in general use, thefe appeared to have been no attempts to standardize the technique throughout Germany. At the IG Elberfeld works, the scientists told their Allied interrogators that they were producing penicillin of a potency of 40 Oxford units. However, on further questioning they were forced to admit that the potency was in reality 40'Elbeffeld' units. In contrast, Florey took Heatley with him to the USA ]n 194I specifically so that he could instruct the microbiologists at Peoria bandages,neither of which, they hastened to add, were on the finer points of his assay. ever supplied to the German armed forces. The costs of the American programme to produce penicillin were estimated at about $14 million. l$"$The u lti mate failu re of German efforts Unfortunately no comparabl e data exists for the \Why did the German programme not succeed in uncoordinated German effort, but it was certainly producing useful quantities of penicillin? Immediately considerably less. One account refers to Richard Kuhn as after the war the technical intelligence reams rouring having received 2t,000 Reichsmarks (approx. $10,000) Germany attributed this failure ro an over-reliance on for'research on antibacterial corupoundi. the sulfonamides. Although these were importanr Both the British and the American wartime pro- products for the German pharmaceutical industry, grammes owed their successto central co-ordination. this conclusion now appearstoo simplistic. Penicillin German realization of the need to co-ordinate the many researchwas taking place in Domagk's own laboratory disparate activities came roo late. Heinz Oeppinger was under Maria Brommelhues and evenJoseph Kimmig present at a meeting held under the Chairmanship of Further reading who owed his scientific reputation to the sulfonamides, Professor Paul Rostock in which Konrad Bernhauer was Bud, R. (I99r. TbeU ses of becamea convert to penicillin. put in charge of a co-ordinaring commirtee. Oeppinger Ltft. A H i st oryof B iotechno logy. As the first antibiotic, penicillin heralded a new erafor 'by said that tbe time of tbat rneeting,we could get n0 yeatt, n0 Cambridge:Cambridge pharmaceutical companies where successful production acids, nosupplies or materials. lt was all ouer.' University Press. demanded application of established technology - Forth, \7., Gericke, D. & fermentation - to the production of an entirely novel O Dr GilbertShama is a Lecturerin the Schenk, E.-G . (1997). Von compound. In the United States the experience of the D epartm e nt of Che m i cal Eng in ee ri n g, Un i ve rsity Menscben und P i I zen.Munich: fermentation industry was rapidly and efficiently of Lou g h boro u g h, Lou g hbo ro u g h, Lei ce sters h i re, \7. Zuckschwerdt. mobilized by the \7PB to the services of penicillin LEl 1 ?TU,UK. Mateles,R.I.(1998). production. The main industrial participants in German Tel.Ol 5O922251 4: Fax01 5Og 223923 P enici / I i n: A Paradi gntfor penicillin work were the constituent companies of em ai I g.sh am a@l bo ro.ac. u k B iotechnology.Chicago: IG Farben, Schering and Merck. These had all achieved CandidaCorporation. notable successwith synthesized compounds, but found Pieroth, I. (1992).P en ici / I in- the change in methodology difficult to make, despite herstellungVonden Anfangen bis the considerable fermentation experience that existed zur G rossprodu kt i on. Stutt gart: in Germany. The country had been at the forefront of Wissenschaftliche. fermentation technology from before the First $7orld Shama,G.&Reinharz,J. \(ar, when a substantial proportion of their fodder (2002).Allied Intelligence requirements were met by yeast grown specifically for reportson wartime German the purpose. In the inrer-war years the fodder yeast penicillin researchand industry had declined, but in 1939 it again assumed a production. H it t Stud Pbys strategic significance. Some companies conducted their BiolSci32,341-357.

*\i.$S:i\\{;$li$$t$R.$:s$TODAYVOLS0/AUGO3lE SevereAcute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) FayeJones

lnmid-March 2003 '::ii::Abtief history known human corona- theWorld Health *utbreak. The SARSoutbreak is thought to have viruses, 2298. and OC$. Organization(WHO) originated in the Guangdong province of southern China These caused between ) rssueoemergency in mid-November, last year. Over 300 people were taken and 30 %oof common colds gu idance for travel lers ill with a new infectious diseaseand 5 people died. In and could also cause andairlines in the light February this year, a doctor fell ill whilst attending a intestinal infections. oI'aworldwidehealth wedding in Hong Kong. He had been treating the threatfrom a new patients in Guangdong. It is believed that he infected Genome oi $ARS agent infectiousdisease several guests who were staying in the same Hong Kong revealed. By April, calledSevereAcute hotel, as well as medical staff, after being admitted to scientists in Canada and RespiratorySyndrome hospital. He later died of the infection. the US had both sequenced the genome of the virus (SARS).Th is i nfection, most linked with SARS. Their results confirmed the whichwas mainly Out of l-"iang Kong. The disease then spread outside causeas a coronavirus, different from all those previously affectingpeople in the Hong Kong with the infected hotel guests. These known. The cause of SARS has now been documented FarEast, started with included Singaporeans, Canadians and a Chinese- by the SZHO asSARS coronavirus (SARS CoV). 'flulike symptoms American businessman. The businessman travelled from andrapidlyturned to Hong Kong to Hanoi, Vietnam, and fell ill a few days Corgnavirus" Coronaviruses are enveloped, single- pneumonia.Thought later, infecting hospital workers there. The \7orld stranded RNA viruses. They have a genome of to becaused by avirus, Health Organization (\fHO) asked Carlo lJrbani, an approximately 30 kilobases, the largest of the RNA SARSdefied treatment infectious diseasespecialist, to advise in Vietnam. He viruses. This family of viruses is named for their crown- andwas proving fatal in realized the disease was something new and called it like appearance, which is due to arr array of surface manycases, Since this SevereAcute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Due to his projections on the viral envelope. Typically, they have a announcementthe closework with SARS patients, Carlo Urbani himself narrow host range and they replicate in the cytoplasm diseasehas spread to became infected and died in March. ofthe host epithelial cells. manyother countries, fuellingmuch media Teamwork required. The \J7HO began to co-ordinate i.i$iSymptoms hysteriaand general a number of international laboratories to work together SARS is an atypical pneumonia, with symptoms that 'flu-like. panic,As we go to to find the cause of the disease.Microarray analysis on are These include high fever (greater than oC), press,the WHO has samples indicated that a coronavirus was the cause of 3B aching muscles, chills, sore throat, headache, announcedthatthe the disease. In particular, they observed a strong link dry cough, shortness of breath, breathing difficulties, worstis over,Faye between the SARS virus and two other coronaviruses: and in a number of cases,diarrhoea. Research published Jones,SGM Public avian infectious bronchitis virus and a bovine in The Lancet suggested that SARS CoV kills 1 in I Affairs Ad m i n istrator, coronavirus. At this time, there were already two people infected. Those aged over 60 aremost at risk, with haschronicled the whole over halfthose infected dying; the death rate is aboutT 7o storyweekbyweek in those aged under 50. The incubation period is 2-10 onthe SG M website days, and the infectious period does not start until the (wwwsgm,ac,uW onset of symptoms. Antibodies to SARS have been news/hot_topics/ detected in patients from about 10 days after the start sars.c{m),Here is her ofclinical symptoms. summaryof what has beendubbed'thefirst ,$+\Diagnosis globalepidemic of Earlyon in suspectedcases, the presence of theSARS the21 st centurl. CoV polymerase gene is detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Much later on in infection, the immune system produces antibodies to the virus, which allows serological methods ofdetection to be employed.

S'Treatment There is currently no cure for SARS. Some patients have been treated with a non-specific antiviral drug, ribavirin. In addition , many have been given steroids to reduce the severe inflammatory response to the infection. Others have been put on life-support in the hope that their own immune system will combat the infection. In Hong Kong, some sevefely affected patients were treated with antibodies taken from recovered patients.

If4 ilitli;lli,i:i{..}ii]$.il,{"1}1"i,:}q;ii1r:lt)DAYVOL30/AUG03 i lll WLessons LEFT: During this outbreakof SARS,over 30 counrriesworld- Electronmicrograph ofthe wide havereported probable cases of infections.Tens of SARSvirus, negatively stained withphosphotungstic acid,at thousands of people have been either directly or anapproximate magnification indirectly affectedby the disease,from contracting rhe ofx 320,000. illness itself to public holiday cancellations,school COURTESY HAZEL APPLETON, closures,and, in the worst affected ^reas) 10-day HEALTHPROTECIION AGENCY voluntary quarantinesfor many thousandsofresidents. SinceMarch, the \7HO hascontinued to issuetravel banson the worst affected arels)tifting them when it WSpreadofthedisease was consideredsafe. This hashad an economic impact Direct contact with someonesuffering from SARS on many industries,particulady travel and tourism. appearsto be required for spreadof the disease.This is After it was revealedthat China had initially under- seenby the fact that mainly healthcareworkers or close reportedcases of SARS,the diseasespread out of control family and friends of patients are infected. The $flHO there. InCanada, it wasannounced that SARSwas under has stated that SARS is spreadby prolonged direct control and no longer spreading.No new caseshad been contactor by large exhaleddroplets of body fluids. The reported there for ovet4 weeks,that was,however, until organization has ruled out spread by smaller aerosol it resurfacedin May with at least 20 new cases.Alan droplets,as this would haveled to a much higher number Milburn, the UK Health Secretary,has said that he wants of cases.SARS CoV hasbeen shown to survivefor up to international law to be strong enough ro ensurethat 48 hoursonplastic surfacesand up to4daysin diarrhoea. demandsby the \fHO in relation to such outbreaksare 'flu, It is thought to spreadlike colds and and assuch, carriedout by all countries. expertshave recommended frequent hand washing. The The figures (from the \flHO) for 20 June 2003 put virus losesits ability to infect afterexposure to a number the numberofprobable cases of SARSat8,46l,with the of commonlyused disinfectants. numberofdeathsat 804.

@SARSsource # Further information The sourceof the SARS virus was a mystery for quite a while. Early on in the outbreakit wasbelieved that the WHO virus may havecome from pigs or chickensand mutated http://www.who, int/csr/sars/en/ to infect humans. However, attempts to infect these Containsthe latest information on SARS symproms, animals with the SARS virus failed. Then, despite affectedcountries and travel advice. therebeing no scientific evidencefor it, fearsgrew in China that pets were the hosts for SARS, leading to UK Departmentof Health extermination patrols killing hundreds of cats afid http ://www.doh.gov.uk/sars/index. htm dogs. Containsthe latestUK travelinformation, as well as Finally, the sourceof SARS CoV was revealedto be answersto FAQs. the maskedpalm civet. This cat-like mammal is related to the mongoose,and is regarded as a delicacy in UK HealthProtection Agency Guangdong province where the outbreak first htt p ://www. p h Is. o rg.u k/to p ics_azlSA R S/m e n u.htm originated.Microbiologists at the University of Hong Has information on SARSfor healthcareprofessionals as Kong checkedlarge numbers of domestic and game well asfot the public. animalsto try to find the causeof SARS.It is believed that the virus jumped to humans as they raised, O Faye Jones, SGM Public Affairs Administrator slaughteredand cookedthe animals, rather than from eating infected meat. Virus samplesvery similar to coronaviruswere isolatedfrom the faecesand respiratory fluids of four individual civets.This information should help prevent further outbreaksthrough controlling thesale and slaughter of theseanimals in China.

WYaccinedevelopment Studiesin TheLancet show that the SARS virus is not mutating asexpected. This newsis likely to make the designof a vaccine.to prevent further outbreaksmuch easier.

VOLSO/AUGOBIE W W

*, f,llt! ,nl Wffiwryffi wwmw,wTWww%Wawwry "iiirltu:illwWi,titiit't"(l WwwWww.wwffiwm% WrYMli,*,*n,u,o r^ *,r,ffr, l,ftt\\l,wi :ffittil] vhtilvt#' tt,tilt\ Finance matters fttt'ttfifl'uiltNt,,rylli tiltrlt akifi; Hugh Pennington O lsuspectthatmany of ourmembers rathertakefor Weare oleased to welcome Hugh Pennington trained grantedthe smooth running of the Society and the quality DrFayeJonegas new inmedicine at St Thomas's of itsscientif ic meetings, but it isworth remembering that in Publ ic Affai rs Ad min istrator HosoitalMedical School in f ulfi| | i ng its responsi bil ities as a charitableorgan ization inthe External Relations London.ltexcelled in promotingmicrobiology, much depends on the financial team.Faye gained her BSc producingtwo medical managementoverseen by Council and ourTreasurer in attheUniversity of Teesside, phenotypes,Harley Street oarticular.Atatime when stock markets have been in followedbyaPhDatthe soecialistsand academic turmoil,the Society has not been immune and Council heard Universityof Aberdeen. She '4 cynics.Membership of the thatit has sustained an unrealized loss of S,1 millionin its hasrecentlv returned to the latterwassealed by a house reseryesin2OO2due to fallingmarkets. However, the strong UK aftera ipell asa postdoc iobwith Professor Edward journals commercialperformance of our in2002 andcareful inMaryland, USA, Fayewill Sharpey-Schafer,a brill iant controlof expenditurehas enabled the Societyto continue behelping to promote rudeiconoclastwho withits full range of activitiesfor the foreseeable future. microbiologytoopinion- publishedmany papers formersand government, Biosciences Federation withoutrepeating himself, aswellas issuing media OCouncillearned thatthe formal launch of the new releasesand handling Entryinto microbiology came unexpectedly with a job offer Federationwilltake olace atthe Houses of Parliamenton enquiriesfrom the press. fromProfessor Ronald Hare atThomas's. He hadworked 15 September atareception,which will also markthe award Sheis also resoonsible for withAlexander Fleming, discovered influenza vi rus ofthe Nobel Prize in physiology ormedicine to SirJohn the contentof ihe lVewsdesk haemagglutination,andset up a pioneerpenicillin factory in Sulstonand DrSydney Brenner. sectionof the SG M website. Canada.His polymathic applications of scienceto practical endswere attributes to emulate.A PhDon virulence in Schools Poster Gompetition Shewould welcome further volunteersfor inclusion in Newcastledisease with Tony Waterson, Hare's successoI O Councilenjoyed viewing the winners and some of the the databaseof exoerts followed.Molecular methods were neonatal; making gel 1,000+ other posters submitted by schools in the recent willingto comment on their kitsf romsandwich boxes, red-hot glass rods, wire f rom MISACcompetition, sponsored by SG M, We werevery soecialismin response to bacteriologicalloops and grommets from radio spares was impressedwith both the overall quality and creativity as well consultationsand other f un;N DV was a brilliantintroduction to the richworld of asthe sheer hard workthat had clearly gone into many of enouiries.She can be veterinary pathogens, Particu larly inf I uential at Thomas's theposters. See p. 1 32 forfurlherdetails. contactedbyemailing wasJune Almeida, the all-star electron microscopist (anddescriber of coronaviruses). SGM and the media [email protected] +44 (0)118 988 1843. O Councilwas pleased to notethe increasing prof ile of its Aftera spellin the US,contact with the MRC about mediacoverageassociated with the Edinburgh Meeting in Congratulationsto iobsin the trooics resulted in a resoonsefrom John April,Articles resulting from our press releases had featured Robin Dunford, Deputy Subak- Sharpe's G lasgow Vi rology U n it. Even for a inNewScienfisfforthree weeks running as well as in BBC ManagingEditorof JMM poxologist,which Hugh became, its intellectual and On-lineand numerous other publications. andIJSEM, and his wife rnfrastructural support was fantastic. Angela,on the birth of their Afteran appoi ntment to the bacteriologychai r at publication and bioterrorism Policy on seconddaughter, Clara Aberdeenin 1979,applying modern methods routine in O Councilapproved as Society policy a statementon ElunedGrace, on 15 April, virologyto bacterialpathogens, was too good an ScientificPublication, Security and Censorship which can opportunity to miss. Molecular epidemiology was a must. befoundon ourjournalwebsites and on p. 1 28. Oneresult was an invitation from the Secretarvof Statefor Regional Meetings jointwith SfAM Scotlandto chairan inquiry into the 1996 ceniralScotland MMw:w:wlw,wrm,mWE.coliOl57 outbreak. Hugh had been Dean and thought O Followingthe success of the firstof these meetings Wi!#*,tll*ttttIW,WWffiiffii\ilheunderstood politics. Scales fellfrom his eyes when inPlymouth in March, Council was pleased to hearthata ilf";, $ l# m.t 0,, y: m, ill' r,fi,!s;,it;,, r,1t!'!, t hesaw civil servants and ministers interacting behind andtheEnvironment \lllf n{s, il\,,,p ttilr. tfit'1n!'W furthermeetingon Transportin Soils ffi ffi, 1p,. ll'!'h thescenes, lt was also the start of a fairlyintense (for 'tI,' r willtake place at Lancasteron 1B September details l! l!t'+,::til'.il, i,i relationshiowiih the media, seep,rlJrl. tr\ ,nik u,tit,,,,i,t'vtt,i\l,a,tl ; FRSEin 1 andFmedSci in TheAGMof theSociety Hughwas elected 997 O Alan Vivian,General Secretary the Food willbe held onTUesday9 1998, He sitson committees advising Standards Agencyand the BBC.He believesthat scientists face September at the Society theever increasing expectation Ww:ww{e% Wffi*wffiffiWw*gr'w meetingat UM lST, Agenda bigchallenges because problemis papersincluding reports thatscience has a readyanswerto every Con g ratu Iatio n s to loanna Verran, Conven er of the bya simultaneousloss of trustin expeds, fromOfficers and Group counterbalanced SGM Educatronand Training Group, on herappointment as bvBSE, thework of the SGM hasnever Convenersand ihe exacerbated So Professorof Microbiologyat ManchesterMetropolitan important,lf microbiologists can match the impact accountsof theSocietyfor beenso University, governmentpolicyandpublicopinion the microbes 2002arein the seoarate on of will wellpleased. Cong ratu lations also to Dr Tim Wleghitt, Convenerof AnnualReoort booklet theystudy, he be theClinicalVirology Group, whose photograph amongst distributedto allmembers somegreenery at Chelsea Flower Show appeared in the withthis issue of TheSociety notes with regretthe death atthe ageof 86 of TimesHigher Education Supplemeni This resulted from Microbiology Today. hiscontribution to the RoyalCollege of Pathologists'silver Profiessor Sir Robert Williams, medi cal mi c rob io I og ist medal-winningdisplay in the lifelong learning marquee andHonorary Member of the SGM, Sir Robert, once Dean 'Pathologistsand plants working in partnershipi of St Mary'sHospital Med ical School and D i rector of the PublicHealth Laboratory Service for Englandand Wales, TheSociety notes with regretthe death of Professor wasgreatlyadmired. Brian lvl.itrnxins (Mefrbersince 1 979),

W WWffiWffiW%ffi%WWfl)ITAYVOL3O/AUG 03 Www Wffiwww%WwwSGM PrizesandLectures Wwwww WMwwWwWffiry WwwffiffiwwWw%W Wwwww%ww Wwffiwwww SueAssinder WwwwwWww%wryry Prof. S. Gohen WffiwwwW:Www Titleof Lecture:The many Dr RA. Killington facesof bacterialplasmids in microbiol ogy and gen etics Titleof Lecture: Walki ng with the vi ruses DickKillingion was born inNorwich and remains, 'sadly'a supporterof the Canaries.His first degree andsubsequent PhD was carried out in Harrv Smith's Microbiology Deparlment at the Un iversity oi Birm i ng ham, wherehe was taughtvirology by PeterWildy! Dick's postdoctoralfellowshipwas with Drs David Tyrrelland JimStottatthe MRC's Clinical Research Suebecame interested Centre, Harrow,where he studied rhinoviruses. inmicrobiology when she workedwith the fungus ln 1972he was delighted to join Douglas Watson's Asperg i | | u s ni d u I an s during MicrobiologyDepartment atthe University of Leedsas a herfinalyear project atthe lecturerin virology, researching into herpesviruses. He is Ithad long been believed Universityof Lancaster. nowHead of Microbiologyat Leedsand his research thatnatural barriers to Shecontinued with this interests,in collaboration with Dave Rowlands, have interspeciesmixing would researchfor herPhD, revertedto picornaviruses! preventDNAfrom one andthen transferred to Dickis enthusiastic and passionate aboutteaching and speciesfrom being prokaryotesfor afew seeshis main objectives as motivating undergraduates propagatedin another. yearsd u ri ng postdoctoral However, to reachtheir optimal levels of achievement.He isthe whilecarrying oositionsin NovaScotia and outinvestigations co-authorof three microbiologytextbooks and an active ofthe Bangor.She was appointed memberof a numberof studentsupport networks at molecularnature of bacterial to a lectureshipin Bangor theUniversitv of Leeds. antibioticresistance in 1989and will become plasmidsin the early 1 970s, Headof Schoolin August. Cohenand his colleagues Shemaintains an interest discoveredthat genes from infungi, particularly inthe Wwwwwg w% virtuallyany source can be moleculargenetics of WwwwwWww%wryryclonedby linking them to hyphaltipgrowth. WMwww DNAmolecules thatcan Sue'snew role as SGM replicatein the intended host, EducationOfficer reflects a Dr Soraya de Theinvention of DNAcloning stronginterest over many Ghadarevian hasenabled studies of gene yearsin promoting public structureand function atthe engagementwith science, Titleof Lecture:Origins and molecularlevel and the Shehas been Education Birthdays:the double helix building of celIular'factories' Secretarvof the British fifty years on thatproduce medically and MycologicalSociety for the biologicallyim porlant SoravadeChadarevian oroteins. past4 years.She regularly studi-edbiologyatthe participatesin eventsfor University of Freiburgand Cohenattended schoolsand the oublic and obtaineda PhDin philosophy atthe University of Konstanz. RutgersUniversity as an helpsto organize the annual Shethen turned to the historvof scienceand in 1991 was undergraduateand received WexhamScience Festival, hiredto aWellcomeUnit Projectatthe Departmentof hisdoctoral degree f romthe Shewon the BBSRC Historyand Philosophy of Sciencein Cambridge to work Un iversity of Pennsylvan ia, ScienceCommunicator onthe historyof molecularbiology in Britain. She continues His postdoctoral training Awardin 1995 for her workingon this and projects wasatthe US Nationar - allied inthe same institution teacher'sguide DIVA whereshe alsoteaches. Recent publications include Institutesof Healthand in TheRecipe for Life and the laboratorvof Professor Designsfor Life.Molecular Biology afterWortd Warll '1968, hasrecently co-authored a (CambridgeUniversity Press 2002) and two co-edited JerardHurwitz. Since children'sactivitv book How volumes,Molecularizing Biology and Medicine.New hehas been a memberof theM ush room got its Spots. Practicesand Alliances, | 9 | 0s- 197}s(Harwooo theStanford Universitv Sueenjoys walking, Academic Publ ishers 1 998) andM od el s. The Third facultywhere he is cuirently cyclingand family life with Dimensionof Science(StanfordUniversity Press, in press), Professorof Geneticsano herhusband and three Sheco-curated the exhibitionRepresentations of the holdstheKwoh-Ting Li teenagechildren. DoubleHeli4currently on show in the Whipple Museum Professorshipinthe School ofthe Historyof Scienceat Cambridge. of Medicine, %ffiWWwwWwww w\wffiw& W wW%ww wwK &MwW"wWwW%wwe@ Congratulationsto the following SG M memberswho were elected Fellows of the RoyalSociety recently. Fellows are elected fortheir contributions to science,both in fundamentalresearch resulting in greater understanding, and also in leadingand directingscientific and technological progress in industry and research establishments, A maximumof 42 newFellows are elected each year,

Professor leffery Errington Profess o r of Mi c robi ol og y, Un ive rs ity of Oxfo rd Jeff Erringtonhas made notable contributions to ourunderstanding of celldifferentiation andcell division exploiting the sporulatingbacterium Bacillus subfllrs He developeda bacteriophageinto the only efficientcloning system forthis widely studied organism, and withit cloned nearly allthe regulatory genes essentialforsporulation. Heshowed thattwo noveltranscriptionfactors, oE andoE determinedifferential gene expression and hence differentcellfatesinthetwo cells generated bythe celldivision eventthat precedes sporulation.He pioneeredthe application of high-resolutionfluorescence microscopy to the localizationof moleculesin tiny bacterial cells and thereby overturned the widely heldview of passive,cell-growth-associated chromosome separation in dividing rod-like bacteria,Instead, he showed that an activemitotic-type of mechanismengages a centromere-likesequence nearthe origin of chromosomereplication, and thatthe completionof DNApartitioning during cell division involves a processresembling DNA transferdu rin g bacterialmati ngs.

ProfessorKeith Gull WellcomeTrust Principal ResearchFellow, Sir WilliamDunn School of Pathology, UniversityofOxford Distinguishedfor hiscontributions to ourunderstanding of thecell and molecular biology of eukaryoticmicrobes, especially fungi, slime molds and trypanosomes. His work has providedimportant insights into how cells constructtheir cytoskeletons by modulating tubulingene expression and protein modification, His novel approaches have led to the discoveryof unusualmechanisms of microtubuleinitiation and the partitioningof genomesin sleeping sickness trypanosomes, and also of the relationshipof divisionto differentiationin these parasites. His discovery of the modeof actionof the antifungal agentgriseofulvinhas beenfollowed byexplanationsof theselectivetoxicityand resistancemechanisms of fungicides and anthelminthics.

Prof essor Geoffrey 5m ith Professor of Virology,lmperial College London Distinguishedfor hisresearch on vacciniavirus, especiallyfor his analyses of itsgenome structurein relationto enzymesinvolved in itsreplication, and to the processesbywhich it modifiesimmune responses to infection,and for hiscontributions to thedevelopment of recombinantvacciniavectorsandtheir use in immunological research. His initial constructionof vacciniarecombinants containing genes from hepatitis B virusand from influenzaviruseswas important in defining, in collaborative experiments,the antigens recognizedby immune T cells.Subsequently his observations that vaccinia encodes an enzymeinvolved in steroid formation and afamilyof serpin protease inhibitors contributed to anunderstanding of themechanism of suppressionof inflammationinvirus infections, Mostimporlantly his discovery thatthe virus encodes a solubletype 1 interferon receptor withhigh affinityforlFN-a/Band broad species specificity, and asimilarsoluble IFN-7 receptor,were important demonstrations that poxviruses employ cytokine receptors to evadeimmune processes and emphasized the importanceof interferonsin the responseto virus infections,

Thefollowingformer memberwas also elected: DrKarenVousden Director,Beatson lnstitute for CancerResearch, Glasgow Distinguishedfor her studies on the p53 and Rb tumour suppressor genes whose functionsare disrupted in most human cancers, Grants $w'effi*wwsrm$$wpwxmff Wmwm-S$qpwxSRwNwmSwM NNw $W*-tww;mg*um:,F:r Theseenable undergraduates towork on microbiological Nffi rrli"iqi. h\"$l$;*l projectsdu ring the su mmer vacation before their final year. Theyare intended to provideundergraduates with Thisscheme allows experienceof researchand to encouragethem to consider scientiststo travelf romorto a careerin a laboratory-basedscience. Support is provided theU K/Republic of lreland atthe rate of S 150 perweek for a maximumperiod of 8 to carryout a defined piece weeks.Up to S4OOmay also be awarded towards the cost of researchin anyfield of of consumables.Students are reouired to submita brief microbiology. Appl icants reportof their research on the completion of the mustbe of senior studentship,The scheme has proved to verysuccessf ul. postdoctorallevel or above, S,m*xru$wx m w S pitwffikffi wsSqrw mS Thisyear 59 applicationswere received (f ive more than in Thevisits may be f romone 2002)and studentships were offered to 39 applicants. TheFund aims to promotetalks on microbiological tothree months duration, A listof awardeesis available f rom the SG M Grants in Theawards coverthe costs topics departmentalseminar programmes. Applications Officeon request. of returntravel, a areinvited f rom higher education rnstitutions where subsistence allowance and microbiologyistaughtfor grants of upto S20Otowards the Councilhas set aside a f urther sum to f undvacation a contributiontowards the traveland, if necessary,accommodation expenses of an studentshipsnextyear, Full details of the scheme will be costsof consumables inthe invited speaker. Appl ications will be dealt with on a f irst announcedin the nextissue of MicrobiologyTodayand published hostlaboratory. The closing come,f irstserved basis during the academic year. Written onthe SG M website. datefor applrcations is submissions should be sent to the Grants Off ice for lOOstober2OO3. consideration.

$wruRwww"*iffi$:$ffisfrffi,$$nq$ m,s'*w.*,xqpmx ffi-\wwr*t $qsS Nffirss$S ffi q, g*'ffi$'!.:F$t$ i*-H''*'#' 3'i;qi $s&,s$'g,.g$,*$' $w$i$ $$; swuesw wg$i"wl ffil*- *** '::'*.;i *.F $* ii.S$' Dr Lesley Manchester, Un ive rs ity of Aberystwyth, Membersare reminded hasbeen awarded up to S 1,500 to developmicrobiology thatfundingis again oostersfor Welsh schools. availablefor competition Grantsare available from this fund to membersfor thisyear, The purpose of projectsintended to leadto animprovement inthe teaching theFund is to assist of anyas pect of microbiology relevant to education in the microbiologists in countries UK, This might include the development ofteaching wheremicrobiology is materials(e.g. videos, slides, posters, CAL packages) or inadeq uately developed, novelpractical exercises, Funding is also available for Membersmayapplyfor smallprojects to promotethe public understanding of fundingto runtraining microbiology,such as workshops, talks, demonstrations, coursesin developing leaflets, activities at science festivals, Applications will be countriesappropriate to the consideredon afirstcomgfirstserved basis during the needsof those countries, or calendaryear2003, forany other smal I projectto assistin technology transfer fromdeveloped cou ntries. iil& Theclosing date for ;$i ffi$ffi s'r*$ffi$$-ffi $r$$$wsw&w Ww$mwsw applicationsis1O Nominations are i nvited f romh i g her ed ucation institutions October2OO3, fortheundergraduate student who performs best in microbiologyintheir penultimate BScyear. Each student is awarded$50, a certificate and a f reeyear's undergraduate Wmtmgt$$sft$$x membershipof theSociety, The prizes are intended to WwwM,$sm.*rm-H# encourageexcellence inthe study of microbiologyby undergraduatesand to promotescholarship in,and Memberswho are awarenessof, microbiology inuniversities, Nomination permanentlyresident in a formswere sent out to deparlmentsin early June, but developingcountry are furthercopiesmay be downloaded from the SGM website. remindedthatthey may Theclos in g datefor the receipt of application s bythe applyfor fu nd i ngto acquire GrantsOffice is 31 August 2OO3, fortheirlibraries books, or possiblyjournals, relating to microbiology,These an n ual awardsare available as a ffi*qp*$*.wgsi$ ffi w wwru W$s w',ffi ci$ ws $.ws,$s$ ssss$ resultof a generous t*Xmmw'$,xx donationfrom Professor T.Watanabe of Japan.The Retiredmembers are reminded thatthey may now apply closingdate for applications for a grant to attendone SG M conferenceeach year. The totheGrants Office is awardcovers en-suite accommodation and the Society 3October2OO3, dinner,up to a maximumof S250, Applications for grants to attendthe SGM meetino at UMlSTare now invited. iilllt,,,,ii'il ti,,ii j,l"'. ' iftiili,**.*qfi 11"11N111i Meetings on the web

Forup-to-date information on future Society meetings 'l i,::.:i:. :l;i.,,::iii.,l':iril,j::,li lir:'l- andto bookon-line see:wwwsgm.ac.uk ..., Cgl-;*;,;,"*-*ir-r-;, gbfatin g :,i :;ij,:,,:l-:'i.'::,.,i'i::,r,,. ii''I:,i:i.''.i,.ll O Main Symposium #* Exploiting genomes: bases to megabases O Main Symposium Meetings organization in Soyearc Microbe-vector interactions in TheSG M meetingsprogrammes are organized by the 0rganizers:HF, Jenkinson veetor.borne committeesof the special interest groups, co-ordinated DJ KellyP.C F,Oy$on, J Parkhill& lCSutcliffe bythe Scientific MeetingsOff icer, Professor Howard diseases tenkinson, Suggestions for topics f orf uture sym posia 0rganizers:SH, Gillespie arealways welcome, See p' 148 for contactdetails of O Programme Booklet H.IJenkinson A.0sbourn GroupConveners, Abooklet giving full details ofthe pr0gramme anda booking form is PCF,0y$on&RERandall willbe po$ed Administrationof meetingsis carrted out by Mrs encl0sedwith this issue of Microbioloy Today Any changes losiane Dunn atSG M Headquarters,Marlborough onthe SGM website O Speakers House,Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, Reading 29March RG71AG (Tel.O1 18988 1805; Fax0l 1 89885656; O Young Microbiologist of the Year BMAHY(NCID USA) meetings@sgm,ac.u k). email finals Vectorbornediseases I September SRAND0LPH (0xford) Offered papers and Thiscompetition issponsored bythe Society t0enc0urage excellence in Erolutionoftick-borne dtseases Posters scientificc0mmunicati0n byyoung microbiologists. GroupCommittees SBLANC ([/lontpellier, France) ManyGroups organize sessions for the presentation of havenow judged recent oral or poster presentations bymembers who are lnsect[ransnission orallow intercalated papers within their po$graduate$udents orpo$docs who have gained their PhD in the pa$ shortoral papers SW DING (Riverside, USA) postersare welcome at allSociety twoyears. The finali$s from each Group goforward tocompete forprizes at symposia.Offered lnteractivesilencing ofhost gene aspecial session ofshort oral presentations ontheir research. Thebe$ meetings. expression threeentries wlncash prizes: AG BARB0UR (lrvine USA) ffi lst: 9500 Offered posters Reducingtheprevalence ofBorrelia Eachposter should be associated either with the Main ffi 2nd: 9200 inticks Symposiumtopic or with a Group'The subject content of ffi3rd: 1100 BBEATY(Colorado USA) (see thelatter should be relevantto the remitof a Group Allfinali$sreceive ayear sfree Society membership Bu nyavi rus/ nos qu ito tnte racti ons nothave to relateto iheiopic websitefor details); itdoes SHIGGS (Texas, USA) ofthe Group Symposium taking place at a particular ' O rHistory of Microbiology' Lecture Howdo vectors luewith their meeting.General Offered Posters will not be accepted' 1800,10September viruses? RenoldBuilding, UMIST SWEAVER (Texas) In d u cti on of r e cto r co m p ete nce 0riginsand Birthdays; thedouble helix fifty years on Abstractg 30March required Speaker:Soraya deChadarevian University ofCambridge Titlesand abstracts for all presentations are P[/lELL0R (Pirbrisht) besubmitted through the generallyaccepted thatWatson andCrick s presentatl0n 0ftheir ina standardformat and should Itis now Climaticchange SGM website.Each submission must be accompanied by doublehelical model ofDNA in1953 did not create astir right away. Inthe a completedform also available on the website' Deadlines 1950s,scientific reference tothe paper was scant and quickly declined the NRATCLIFFE(Swansea) vectors for submissions are publ ished in Microbiology Tod ay and mediatookhardly any notice and not even the term double helix was lnnunesystens in onthe web. For f urtherinformation contact the Events currentbefore James Watson's best-selling book carried thattitle Howthen SMACFARLAN E(SCRl, Dundee) Admintstrator. canwe explain the central role the double-helical model ofDNA and the lVem ato de [r a n s n t s s io n storyof its discovery hascome toplay in scientific circles as well as in the MJ TAYL0R(Liverpool) publicpresentation ofthescience? Clues tothe answer can be found inthe Wolb ach ia ho st- syn bio nt hi$oryof the discovery andits presentation aswell as in the wide range of interactions events$aged for the fiftieth anniversary ofthe now famous molecule t FIRKRIG(NewHaven, USA) Thislecture willbe open tothe public Hun an g ran ulocytic eh rl ich i osi s J HINNESBUSCH(NIAIDUSA) Plagueinfleas PWATKINS0N (Riverside, USA) lransgenicnalaria GTARGETT(LondonSHTM) Vacci nes [argeti ng v ecto rs

m OtherNews andEvents O Other symposia r,,rrViruses O Bioinformatics Workshops and workshops andsignalling Followingthesuccess ofthe workshops heldjointly bythe SGM and The (Symposium1) :lrl,,r,5rtta"" mediatOrS SangerCentre in2002 the following further events willbe held thts year: VirusGroup Cells&CellSurfaces Group ,i,.,:: .l ir..r. t,ti l r: Bristol29Augu$ Birmingham19September 0rganizers:WBarclay & '. 0rganizers:NJ.High & ::, :,1,.:t:i l,r ,.:: it :::,1':,;t i..,,;:ll :' :::,:'::i:'.:i (to K,N,Leppard Registrationfees includelunch, refreshments andset of literature): DG E Smith O Main Symposium Companystaff .:r,:t, 1100 r,,,::lmported infections Viralhepatitis Novel anti- Academics(university &research institute) (Symposium r50 ClinicalMicrobiology 2) microbial therapies Postgrads/firstpostdocs 920. VirusGroup .0rants Group/British Infection Society Otherproposed symposla include: areavailable - see website 0rganizers:M.Harris, rrrir:r:lY'tO'OnU Lacticacid bacteria Attendanceisrestricted toSGM members only. "nO DJ, Rowlands &J, Mclauchlan Novelsecretion occupationalhealth Many .,:i,Workshops Antibioticresistance memberswere disappointed lastyear because theavailable places ClinicalVirology Group quickly Microbial filledso Regi$ernow to ensure y0tlr attendance Fulldetails ofthe VirusGroup function 0rganizer:BCohen Epigeneticresistance workshopsanda bookingform are available onthe SGM website PIa n t vir u s e s (half day) (wwwsgm ac uk/meetings) ,,:,,,,iTailormade or off Gram-positivecellfactorles thepeg? 0rganizers:SA l\/acFarlane Zoonoticinfections (ScottishCropResearch In$itute [/olecularchaperones andprotein Teachingand learning O SfAM/SGM One-day Regional Meetings resourcesfor Dundee)&J.P Carr (University of folding Ajoint initiative microbiology Cambridge) tosponsor one-day regional meetings inthe UK and lreland hasbeen launched bythe SGM and the Society forApplied [/licrobiology Education&Training Group Ret ro v ir u s e s (half day) Seethe website ofeither society for the full rules and to download an 0rganizers:M.R.Adams &H Sears 0rganizer:J C.Neil(University of iil$i" $;:.i:ii $i'ii appI icati on form :www,sfam.org,uk or www.sg m,ac. uk Glasgow) r;:rrThe roleand Thenext Regional [/leeting willbe: DIVAViruses(1 day) $li$.;*:'ull* ri"lii til ii"$: impactof fungion Transportofmicrobes through nils biogeochemical 0rganizers: S.Efstathiou (University Biocatalysis cycles ofCambridge)& lVl.ASkinner UCD EnvironmentalMicrobiology (lnstituteforAnimal Health 4-5September 2003 andEukaryotic Microbiology Compton) Ashort overview ofthe topic will be followed bya mixture ofinvited and 0rganizer:Kevin0'Connor offeredpresentations Po$ers will also be displayed prize Groups/British Mycological RIVA positive Therewill be a for virus senseriruses (kevinoconnor@ucd ie) presentation Society (halfday-am) lhebe$ oral bya microbiologi$ inthe early stages oftheir careerIfyou would like participateplease 0rganizer:GfVl. Gadd Invitedspeakersr D,BOYD (Queen's to contacttheorganizers: 0rganizers:lVD Ryan(University of UniversityBelfast) A,D0BS0N KeithJones (kjones@lancaster,ac uk)orKirk Semple (k,semple@ -$rProteinproduction stAndrews) &s.G, Siddell (UniversityCollegeCork), lanca$er.couk), andpurification (UniversityofBristol) ' CMURPHY (University College Fermentation& Bioprocessing RNAvirus negative sense/ Dublin),F'H0EKS (Lonza AG Group dsRAlAviruses(half day- pm ) Switzerland)WDUEIZ 0rganizers:lVG Duchars & 0rganizers:WSBarclay (University (ETHZurich)and CKNOWLES J [/iller ofReading)& PEDigard (Universityof0xford) (UniversityofCambridge) {FToxins in disease andtherapy Hu n anp ap iI I o navi ru ses Food pathogenesis MicrobialInfection Group 0rganizer:S Graham (University of NationalUniversity 0rganizers:0 Sparagano & Glasgow) of lreland,Galway NFairweather Spring2OO4 S RNA-protein Deadlineforthe receipt oftitles and 0rganizer:CyrilCarroll interactionsin micro- abstracts:28November 2003 organisms For details of lrish Physiology,Biochemistry & B ranch activiti e s co ntact MolecularGenetics Group the Convener, Cathe ri ne 0rganizer:lStansfield O' Rei II y (core i || y @wit.i e) S Microbial diagnostics: applicationsand futureprospects Systematics&Evolution and ClinicalMicrobiology Groups

$ilrgi;;ti,-.ll.i:l.l]i,g:iir{.'t\il,r:i:,:i{i,;:'ijIODAYVOI3O/AUG03 IEI MISAC2003 Schools Competition

SchoolsMembership costson ly S, 1 0 a year, Forthis,a named teache r representative Thisyear's secondary schools competition was willreceive sponsoredby the SGM. lt invitedstudents to produce MicrobiologyToday an eye-catchingA3 annotateddiagram of the human bodyhighlighting non-specific barriers to infectionby eachquarter, advance micro-organisms.The poster was requiredto serve notificationand copies as a visualaid to supporta talkgiven to a peergroup, ofnew microbiology Studentsneeded to coverboth physical barriers, e,g. teachingresources, skinand mucus and chemical barriers, e,g. gastric anddiscounted fees for juicesand lysozyme, onSGM Onceagain the competitionproved to be extremely attendance '1 trainingcourses and popular,attracting over ,000 entriesand involving workshops,Appl ication morethan 1,600 studentsfrom 130 schools.There -1 J,t:\ formsare available at weretwo agegroups, 1 1 4 andGCSE, Feedback f romteachers shows that the competition'ssuccess www.sgm.ac.uk isdue to it beingspecif ication-led, allowing teachers ABOVE,RIGHT &BILOW: lessonplans as either "Th" to incorporateit intotheir 11 - 14age group winners 1$ prize(top leftl H*n* ffi*d,, Enquiries: a pieceof coursework or an assessment MeganClare, StGeorge's School, Ascol; 2nd [email protected], prize(top right) Simone Tambaros & Leanne Freve*&"um;;;T. A panelof microbiologyeducation experts SarnerSouth Hunsley School; 3rdprize Website: comprisedof MISACmembers and SGM staff, (lowerright), Nicola Read Kir$y Read a wwwmicrobiology includingSGM ExecutiveSecretary Dr RonFraser, LaurenBibby Howard ofEffingham School; highlycommended (right), Alicia Russell, online.org,uk carriedoutthe judging. They were overwhelmed, by notonly the quantiiy,but also the highquality of KirkhamGrammar School ffi, :;*J;.,,,* the entriesin bothage groups and it wasextremely ."*r".Fli.a,4 LiFT: SCSEgroup wrnners. 1stprize (top left) ::#Tr;:1-T": tiiill;:;' JamesAdair Newcastle RoyalSrammar l*:;;***^1. School;2ndprize(top right) Siobhan Wilde, ili#-f:k#: IhornleighSalesian College; 3rdprize f.-rr,,g4#;; (bottomleft) Datiid 0 SJllitlan Briqsworlh ii:' ;.;:.::"; Comprehensive;highlycommended(bottomIk#"f#i-, ";1i.1;::"H',"",. right),Lauren Sparrow Diss High School

BOTTOM: Judgingdayat "d SGMlTQ From leftto "-"".s- right,SueAssinder ;**& (SGMEducation 0fficer elect)[/luriel Rhodes- Roberts(SfAM) JohnGrainger (MISAC Chairman)Janet Hurst 'q!$ite! (SGM),John Tranter Thewinner of the (CtEAPSS),FayeJones 1 1-1 4 age rangewas (SGM)Ron Fraser Megan Glare from (SGM),Petet Fry -w"C St George'sSchool, (lVlISAC Vice-Chairman) Ascotand the winner of theGCSE age range wasfamesAdair from NewcastleRoyal GrammarSchool, DrJohnGrainger, Chairmanof MISAC, hasalready made presentationsof cash prizesand certificatesto bothschools. In addition everyschool entering the competitionreceived a packof microbiology

IU TOpAYVOL3O/AUG03I I MISAC2003 Schools Competition

SchoolsMembership costsonly 91 0 ayear, Forthis,a named teacherrepresentative Thisyear's secondary schools competition was willreceive sponsoredby the SGM, lt invitedstudents to produce human MicrobiologyToday an eye-catchingA3 annotateddiagram of the bodyhighlighting non-specif ic barriersto infectionby eachquarter, advance micro-organisms,The posterwas requiredto serve notificationand copies as a visualaid to supporta talkgiven to a peergroup, ofnew microbiology Studentsneeded to coverboth physical barriers, e,g, teachingresources, skinand mucus and chemical barriers, e.g, gastric anddiscounted fees for juicesand lysozyme Onceagain the competitionproved to be extremely attendanceon SGM '1 popular,attracting over entriesand involving trainingcourses and '1 ,000 morethan ,600 studentsfrom 130 schools,There workshops,Appl ication -"1 formsare available at weretwoage groups, 1 1 4 andGCSE.Feedback fromteachers shows thatthe competition's success www.sgm.ac.uk isdue to it beingspecification-led, allowing teachers ABOVERIEHT &BILOW: lir"\ plansas either to incorporateit intotheir lesson 11-14 age group winners 1$ prize(top left), Hmu: lhe, ffi*dua Enquiries: a oieceof coursework or an assessment r'\ MeganClare, StGeorge's School Ascot;2nd l*Jrsemse, [email protected]. prize(top right) Simone Tambaros & Leanne Freverl4s A panelof microbiologyeducation experts 0arnerSouth Hunsley School; 3rdprize T,,, (lower -.- -*3 ;,*,*=*'- Website: comprisedof MISACmembers and SGM staff, right),Nicola Read Kirsty Read t ;.i1,,":"r':; & ffi #;#t:'tr- includingSG M ExecutiveSecretary Dr RonFraser, LaurenBibby, Howard of[{fingham School; wwwmicrobiology (right),Alicia Russell carriedout the judging, They were overwhelmed, highlycommended online.org,uk KirkhamGrammar School by notonly the quantity,but also the highquality of M the entriesin bothage groups and it wasextremely LEFT: SCSEgroup winners 1stprize (top left), n_ffi*ffiffisffisns$ il*Yl"lffi?;;L. JamesAdair, Newcaslle RoyalGrammar Adjudicationtook School;2ndprize(top right), Siobhan Wilde, account of orig inal ity, IhornleighSalesian College; 3rdprize scientificcontent and (bottomleft), David 0'Sullivan Brinsworth ',!in4,nq4sirni.de accuracy, presentation Comprehensive;highlycommended (bottom andthe effectivenessof right),Lauren Sparrow, DissHigh School. the posteras a meansof communicatingwith the BOTTOM: peergroup, This year's Judgingdayal competitionlent itself to SGMHQ Fron leftto hand-producedentries right'.SueAssinder andthese featured (SGMEducation 0fficer heavilyamongstthe eleci),Muriel Rhodes- winners,However, it also Roberts(SfAM) rt(.,,...---".'. (MISAC gaveopportunities for John0rainger @lg;;":r*:l t'tR*., creativeuse of ICTskills. Chairman)Janet Hurst (SGM)JohnTranter Thewinner of the (CLEAPSS),FayeJones *J' t*'-",i,./: 1 1-1 4 age rangewas (SGM),RonFraser Megan Glare from (SGM),Peler Fry t*f St George'sSchool, (MISACVice-Chairman) Ascotand the winnerof theGCSE age range wasJamesAdair from NewcastleRoyal GrammarSchool, DrJohnGrainger, Chairmanof MISAC, hasalready made presentationsof cash prizesand certif icates to bothschools, In addition everyschool entering the competitionreceived a packof microbiology I IM ro[nvvol3o/Auc03 I NewResource MicrobialMenu ltems teachingresources and Inresponse to ourrequest for microbialrecipes in the eachstudent was sent lasl SchoolZone,two havebeen submitted, both for acertificateof entrv, fermenteddrinks (sadly neither is for beeror winel), Furtherdetailsoftf,e Thisis the f irstin an excitingnew series of factfiles winnersare available on the theme of Microbesand Dtsease.Aimed at onthe SG M education post-.16 students,the B-page44 sizeresource looks LibbyRiley from SuttonColdfield has sent us a recipe websiteat www at manyaspects of a diseasewhich, once thought to whichcan be downloadedfrom www.microbiotogy mierobiologyonline. beconquered, is now making a bigcomeback in online.org.uk org.uk,A selectionof manyparts of the world,Starting with a historyof TB, Gingerbeeroriginated inEngland, in the mid-1 700s, theposters will be on whichhas been around since at leastthelron Aoe, whereit becamethe favourite drink for over1 50 years. displayat SGM's 1 53rd beforemoving on to itsmodern epidemiology uiO Theforerunners of gingerbeerwere mead and metheglin, Meetingat UMISI descriptionsof the causativebacteria and how the whichis mead flavoureld with herbs orspices. Mead isl Manchester,from B to 11 infectionis spread, compiler Dariel Burdass (SG M yeast-fermentedhoney and water drink and hasbeen September2003 and EducationProjects Administrator) then tackles the aroundforavery long time. Records showthatthe Celts alsoatthe ASE annual immuneresponse to TB,diagnosis, prevention, control weredrinking it as longago as 500 AD.lt isreputed to be meetingat University of andtreatment before concluding with some of the oneof theoldest recorded fermented beverages. Ginger Reading,from B to 10 latestresearch and speculating what maylie in the beeralso uses yeast for fermentationand issweetened January2004 on ihe future.Background information on topicssuch as with honey,molasses or canesugar, The yeast converts MISACstand, cell-mediatedimmunity, the emergence of drug- thesugar into ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide (gas), resistantTB andthe synergybetween TB andH lV is MISACwishes to express Otheringredients include fresh whole ginger although in alsoprovided. The resourceconcludes with a listof itssincere thanks to the Libby'srecipe this has been replaced with ground ginger KeyPoints, a glossary,a listof f urtherreading and SGMfor sponsoring the andlemons or lemonjuice. Theyeast is also said to add someusef ul websites, lt isillustrated throughout with 15thcompetition. a specialflavourto the beer,which is similarto that of highquality colour photographs. The textwas checked home-bakedbread. Nextyear's com petition, bytwoSG M memberswho are distinguished experts Composting:not just a onTB, InEngland and Canada, the popularityof gingerbeer loadof oldrot but a way peakedin 1935, The USA had 300 breweries,Canada tosave the planet, hadover 1 andEngland Tuber*ui*sis - i-*n:hs ,000 had3,O0Ol sponsoredby the Society forApplied Microbiology, sprcrid ,:r; lhrs krii{!" irsr:rrge. brz hcitzd? askspupils to createan Manythanksto RoyMoore, Editor of TheMycologist, illustratedinformation whosent in an article called'The Kombuchaconsortia leafletsuitable for o-fyeasts and bacteria'whichappeared in thatjournal distributionbya local (2000,14,166-170). authorityto thegeneral publicto encourage the Kombuchais the namegiven to ajelly-likemix of yeasts useof composting as an 't'.TB ret, andbacteriathat is cultivated in asolution of tea importantcontri bution ,1 andsugar, The yeasts and the bacteriain the culture, totherecycling of waste whilenot dependenton one anotherforsurvival as ina materials,Itishoped symbioticrelationship, do growin close association, thatonce again this forminga microbialcommunity, Acetic acid bacteria, in competitionwill attract a particular A cetob acte r xyli n u m,excrete a special largenumber of entries gelatinous ad hesive consisti ng of extracelIu lar polymeric fromboth Key Stage 3 substancesthat providea matrixin which yeasts are andGCSE students, A embeddedin distinct clusters, During the incubation competitionentry form perioda rubberymicrobial mat is formed on top of the canbe downloaded from culture,consistingof micro-organisms embedded in a www.microbiology meshof cellulosefibres, The micro-organisms ferment online.org.uk thetea and sugar producing a widerange of organic acids,vitamins and enzymes that accumulate in the liquid Dariel Burdass, medium.This variety of metabolitesaccounts forthe SGMEducation claimsthat Kombucha is beneficialto human health and canbe usedto curemany conditions, including asthma, insomnia,skin disorders and herpes, CatherineMacMahon, ateacher at OurLady's Whilethe SGM is not advocatingthe preparationof School,Dublin was delighted with this resource Kombuchateaforhuman consumption, as the sharing 'starter whichshe describedas'A fantasticallyreadable and of cultures'isnot regulated and they might attractive factfile on TB. containpotentially harmfulcontaminants, it is a Copiesof the Tuberculosisfactfile were distributed to potential ly i nteresti n g investi gatio n for explorin g allschool members of SGM in May,but are freelv microbialcommunities, subjectto the usualsafety availablef rom the ExternalRelations Office, Email constraintsand preparation of a riskassessment. [email protected] if you would likeone or Forfurtherinformation on KombuchaTeasee helios. use the o nI i n e o rde r f o rm at wvuvu.microbiology bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/microbes/biofilms.htm online.org,uk Dariel Burdass,SGrlt

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Aiobin... ffiffiwffim#wwwwmffiffiw-w JaneWestwell, ffi tAlhafrs bioinformatics? paramount;many of the 'ln ffi ffrmffiE* bioinfomatics webs ites SGM Careers the broadsense, and databasesare the andGrants it isthe applicationof ltnmeDavid Studholme productof largenumbers computertechnology to Administratolis Agn31 of individuals,with diverse biologicalproblems, expertiseand experience, takingover as Recently,one of the high workinginterdependentlyJ profileareas has been Frsse*t$ncupatiun GradlineEditor. ComputerBiologist inthe Informatics Gradlinewill managementand analysisof vastquantities Departmentofthe Wellcome Tru$ continueto feature of dataf romgenome SangerInstitute, Hinxton Cambridge, ffiAre there many career jobprofiles, but sequencingprojects and UK opportunities in this area contributionson presentingthe datain a of research? FrevlnusIrnplcyrn*nt 'This anytopicrelevantto waythatis usefuland isa fast-growing accessibleto biologistsJ I havespent sweralyears since my area,Institutes like the microbiologistsin PhDdoing laboratory-based research Sangerand the EBIseem theearly stages of intogenetic regulation inbacteria to be continually &Why didyou choose expanding,New theircareer are also f;rlu*nti*n bioi nf orm ati cs for you r bioinformatics centres welcome,Contact [ondon, career? PhD,lmperial College ofScience, Technology and[4edicine, arespringing up in j.westwell@ engineeringofthermophilic bacteria f0renhanced bio-ethanol 'lalwaysenjoyed Metabolh universities,and there sgm.ac,uk tinkeringwith computers production is plentyof demandfor suitablecandidates aswellas biology,ln the BScSouthampton University Applied Biology lastfew years,l used in industry,although bioinformaticsin my microbiologyresearch and found it wasthe most u5 thanIn turope. I nereare also many opporuur enjoyableand successf ul aspectof mywork, lt inthe importantroles of curating,developing and seemedlike the naturalnext step, as well as an maintain i n g databases,appl ications and webservers excitingnew challenge, to moveinto this area. lt also thai providetools and hypotheses for researchl didn'tescape my noticethat the opportunitiesfor careerdevelopment looked a lot rosierin bioinformaticsl Further inf o rmati on about bioi nf ormatics caree rs S The BioinformaticsOrganization & Doyou work in a narrowlyfocused or (www.bioi nformatics.org) is an intern atio n al mu lti d i sci pl i n ary team? websiteproviding f ree and open resources for bioinformaticsresearch development and 'Many research of the teamcome from a biological education,ltincludes a pageof FAOs, background,along with several computer scientists, The bioinformaticistshere use a largeand complex S The EuropeanBioinformatics lnstitute (U K computerinf rastructure and so arevery dependent outstationof EuropeanMolecular Biology on lTspecialists in systems support and web Laborato ry) we bsite (www.ebi.ac.uk) in cl u d es developers.We collaborateclosely with colleagues information about jobs, studentsh ips anda visitors' atthe EuropeanBioinformatics lnstitute (EBl), and programmefor researchersand postgraduate alsoat Hinxton,which adds an extradimensionl students, ffiTheMRC Human Genome Mapping Project Resource Centre (www.h gm p.mrc.ac.u k) in cl u d es - this ffi Ihe Sanger lnstitute is world famous does information about jobs, Ph D studentships, cou rses make it an exciting place to work? and FAOs. 'Yes - quite a newgenome it is thereis abuzzwhen W TheWellcome Trust Sanger Centre website projectis completed or a Nobelprize is awarded! (www.san ger.ac.uk) features detai I s of avaiI ab I e and Befngsurrounded by some of the bestbiologists PhD studentships, postdoctoral fel lows h i ps and for learninga bioinformaticistsisa greatenvironment facultypositions. lotquickly. lt isalso very rewarding to contributeto resourcessuch as the Pfamand InterPro databases, ffiThe InternationalSociety for Computational usedvia the web bythousands of scientistsworldwidel Biologywebsite (www.iscb.org.uk) featu res a newsletter,and i nformation about bioinformatics events,lobs and opportunities. qualities bioinformaticist? ffiWhat make a successful S The New Scienfisfwebsite careers pages 'Enjoymentof problem-solvingis veryhelpful. (www.newscientistiobs.com/g raduate / cac/) Obviously,an enthusiasmfor computersaswell as includesa reviewof careeropportunities in biologyis importantand a bioinformaticistmust be bioinformaticswith a linkto currentvacancies. opento learningabout new techniques and Otherlinks include a ranqeof commercial technolog ies, Abi lity to workas partof a teamis comoanies,

VOL3O/AUG03 5 uccessfil Ily su rvivi n g yourPhD

work in researchteams of 1-1 0 postdocsand postgrads,Research activitiesincl ude research seminars,labmeetings andpresentations for moststudents, whilsr a thirdare members of a journalclub, Almost all postgraduatesundergo trainingin a varietyof skillswith most of it beino deliveredin the first year.About 75o/oof respondentsattend SGM meetingsand other conferences;however, notallofthese people were awareof the TheEducation and Training Group Session at the Society'sgrant schemes to supporttheseactivities. SGIt/EdinbLrrgh meeiing in April attracted a capacity Thetalk finished on a positivenote: most respondents audienceof almost 200 postgraduate students all enjoyreading Microbiology Todayand over a third eagerto pickqp lns andhints on easing their way wouldbe willing to contribute to Gradline- we throughtheir PhDs, eagerlyawait you r ideasl 'SGM Themorning kicked off wiih a talkby Professor Thef inalsession, andyoui was led by Hilary HowardGreen from the UK CouncilforGraduate Lappin-Scott(University ofExeter), Stre ouflined Education(UKCGE), He reviewed changes that have themany bene_f its that you can all enjoy as SG M oceurredin postgraduate education during the pasi PostgraduateStudent Members, The message about i 0 years,highlighting the huge growth in student grantscertainly struck home judging by an unusual numbers,He also outlined a rangeof current and flurryof PostgraduateStudent Cbnfierence Grani futureinitiatives designed to improvethe PG student applicationsafterthe Edinburgh meeting and an experience,including the development ofa newcode upturn-in Pres ident's Fu nd appl icationsl An open of practicethat will incorporate a set of standardsfor forumfollowed Hilary's presentation, A paneiof SG M academicrigour and supervision of projects and the CouncilMembers and HO staff fielded questions and administrativeprocess within institutions, suggestionsfrom the audience. Topics discussed TimBrown from the NationalPostqraduare includedcareer development activities; availability of Councilfollowed with athought-piovoking talk about fundingto supportnon-Research Council funded therights and responsibilitigs of PhD stud-ents, He studentswanting to attenda UKGrad Schooland an includedadvice for research students on takino SGM-hosted postgrad discussion list. responsibilityfortheir own research, lfyour inslltution Theideas have been taken on boardand we are isaffiliated to the NPC you will be ableio access this actingon some of them already. The next Council (and in{ormation morelonthe NPC website meetingwill consider a scheme to fund Grad School (wwwnpc.org.uk), aitendanceand the External Relations Office is LizSockett (University of Nottingham)gave a very planninga dedicated event for postgraduate entertainingtalk on'Managing your supervisol which studentsat the SG M meetingin Bath next March, wasbased on years of herownexperience as PhD Watchthis space.,. student,postdoc, then as a supervisor,This wry look atthe trials and tribulations ofthe student-supervisor relationshipcertainly struck a chordwith many of Biocareers theaudience and offered an insight into supervisors, researchpriorities and other commitments. She also www,hi *cerffi I r$,s r$ "tl k includedaset of handyhints to helpget overthose TheSG M careerswebsite is under continuar potentiallysticky moments that almost every development.Recently a rangeof Job profileshas researchstudent experiences, beenadded, based on those published in past issues of MicrobtologyTodayThe website aims to provide J oanna Verran(M an chester M etro pol itan Un ive rs iiy) - presentedf indings from the 2002 survey of SGM informationon training and opportunities for PostgraduateStudent Members, Over 100 students microbiologistsat-all stages of theircareers. Topics hadresponded to thesurvey and they ref lected a wide featuredinclude: f unding; postdoctoral worr; posts backgroundand range of experience. Less than half of outsidethe laboratory;successful job hu ntin g ; therespondents are funded by a ResearchCouncil noticesof careersevents and muchmore. SG M grant- thiswas also true of the Edinburgh delegates - careerspublications can be ordered on-lrne ano individualquestionswillbe answered withuniversities, industry and overseas iou"rnmenrs ifyou email providingsignificant funbing, The majority of students [email protected]

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interactions200 Analvsisofbiomolecular 180 / /lt ''. betvfreenplant-vi rus-encoded and 160 ,/\t' I /t\ proteins, particlesand ;140 -___ pVy host andviral r**+_*% Stzo proteins a) bysurface Plasmon +'100 l! res0nance €so 0) 3nn i o------ll. t N.Kalinina .'t'-.^alr- 3qo )-:***jYJ{H* lv ,/.?" 20 i/,' -,- TRV Beinga plantvirologist and deali.ng with the moleiularbiology of viruses,and mainly with the 0 biochemicalprdperties of movementpioteins (M P)' -20 neverused physical methods in my research' I have -200 200 400 600 TheSG M fellowship-gaveme an excellentopportunity Time(s) to investigateinteraciions between proteins using (SPR)detection with the surfacep"lasmon resonance 200 B lAcoreinstrument at the world renowned Scottish CropResearch Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee' l arrived at Edinburghairport on 5 AugusI20O2from Moscow, 150 Russia,and was given awarm welcome by Dr Lesley Torrance,who dr6veme to Dundeeand introduced 3 meto otherlab personnel. ;100

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encodedbyviral genomic RNA andviral and cellular proteins,and between viral and cellular proteins and ABOVE: SPR-basedbiosensors rnonitor non-covalent virions,These physical interactions possibly have rrri:.i ,.Principle ofinteractton interactionsover time between biolog ical in maintainingnormal infection in analysisbyan SPR biosensor. macromolecules,proteins, RNA or DNA'This approach importantfunctions propagatingthe virus in the plant' meansthat qualitativeand quantitative (kinetic rate pldntcells and in haveused different genetic and TOPRIGHT: constants)data can be obtainedforthe associationand in Moscow,we to investrgate mechan tsms ' .: Sensorgramshowing dissociationof macromolecularcomplexes' Usually, one biochemicalapproaches in plants'In the presentstudy I bindingofvirus particles topectin reactantis immobilized on the sensorsurface, which of virusmovement to estimatethese interactions methylesterase (PME) immobilized formspart of the f lowcell at the opto-interface(Fig' 1 ) appliedSPR analysis qLantitatively, analysisof proteinbinding (viral ona sensor chip andthb otherreactant(s) in solutionare injected into the Kinetic bothbiologicaland f low cellwhere they passover the surface.As the andcellular) is interestingirom pointsof viewand might be extremely LOWERRIGHT: moleculesinteractihe changes in refractiveindex atthe mechanistic ' ':'. Sensorgramshowing the mechanismsof the surfaceare detected and displayed in a sensorgram'An usefulin understanding bindingofPotato Virus XcaPsid processes, advantageof thisapproach is thatthe associationand different protein(CP) or toP25 Particles rateconstanis and bindingaffinity can be Iwas interested in immobilizedona sensor chiP. dissociafion Inpreliminary experiments obtained,providing an insightinto the mechanismsof oualitativeaita. t'immobilizedto the dextransurface of complexfbrmation under a rangeof experimental chipsthree different recombinant COURTESYNKATININA CM5 andB 1 sensor conditions,SPR analysis is therefore complementaryto oroteins:25 kDa M P of PotatoVirus X (PVX);30 kDa otherbiochemical and biophysical methods thai help M P Tobaccomosaic virus (TMV) and the cellular usto understandmacromolecular interactions and proteinpectin methyl esterase (PM E), a cell-wall theirfunctionin biologicalsystems' proteinthat has beenf oundto interactwith the TMV 30 interactionswith differentviral The purposeof my studywas to tryto estimate kOaHl P, I testedtheir andvarious virus particles [PVX, interactionsbetween vrral and cellular proteins in MPs, their mutants .- virus(TRV), Potato Virus Y (PVY)I' kinetictermsusing SPR' Nobody has studied these TMV Tobaccorattle methodwas suitable for interactionsin our area using this method. lt isknown Wefound that the SPR interactionsbetween many of these thatduring the cycleof viralinfection there are demonstrating aregiven below nu mero u J inte racti o n s betweend ifferent p rotei ns andsome examples

IEEgif 1i*ii.:$S{"r{S,${ile"sl*{*S'fODAYVOL30/AUG03 Thecellular protein-receptor PM E wasimmobilized toa B 1 sensorchip, using the amino coupling procedure.We investigatedPM E bindingto Cucumber MosaicVirus (CMV) M P 3a andits mutant M P. The comparativestudy showed that bindingproperties of theseproteins differ and the deletionmutant dissociatedmore slowly f romPM E. We think that theseresults might reflectthe different biologicaland biochemicalproperties of theseproteins, From the testson virusparticles only PVY strongly interacted withPME;other particles, including PVX, TMV and TRV,interacted weakly atthe sameconcentrations (Fig,2). This may be importantin the pathwaysof virusinfection, Thenlcompared interactions between PVX particles andrecombinant PVX coat protein (Cnnl withthe 25 kDaM P encodedby the firstgene of the PVXtriple transportgene block. lt wass6own previously bythe Moscowteam that 25 kDa M P interactedwith PVX virionsand madethem translatablein vitro.Moreover, the25 kDa M P interactsonly with one end of the virusparticle, The 25kDaM P was immobilizedto the dextransurface of a CM5 sensorchip. We found clear differencesin the ratesof dissociationof the PVX particlesand CPR:CPR dissociated about 3-5 times slowerthan native particles (Fig. 3). These differences alsomust be relatedto structural(conformation) differencesbetween the CP inthe virionand soluble non-modified CPR. Then a mutantof the 25 kDaM P withoutan N terminuswas immobilized to theCM5 chipinstead of the f ull-size25 kDaM P;again we founddifferences in the shapesof the curvesand in therates of associationand dissociation of the PVX particles.A CPR mutantof 25 kDawithout a C terminus,which does not bindPVX particlesin vitro, hadthe sameproperties using SPR analyses. In controlexperiments neither TMV particlesnor TRV particlesbound immobilized PVX 25 kDaMP Therefore,our preliminarykinetics results support r ourbiochemical data, In our opinion these nano-technologyinvestigations are very useful and providea new perspectiveon processesin the infectedcell, Ienjoyed my stay in Dundeeand I was happytowork attheSCRI, I am verygratef ulto DrsL,Torrance and M.Taliansky who mademy visit possible and helped meduring all my work, I am alsogratef ul to allmy colleaguesforthe warmand f riendlyatmosphere, the SGMfortheirfinancial support and personally DrJane Westwellfor herefforts in makingmy work and my stayin the U K comfortableand unforgettable. O Dr N. Kalinina rs a Senio r Scientist in the Viro I ogy D e pa rt m e nt, A, N, Be I oze rs ky I nstitute of P hys i co- Ch e m i ca I B i o I ogy, M oscow St ate Un i ve rs i ty, Russra, ': ':.',,..,:,'".:i'i..,.1 widerange of presumptionsthat might allow bacteriato MicrobiologyToday .,''.i' ..'..'..: evolveresistance to RAMPs worried the researchers, EditorMerielJones Antibioticswere the wonder drugs of 20thcentury Thedanger of bacteriadeveloping resistance to RAMPs takesa lookat some medicine,curing infections that had previously been lethal. arisesfrom the factthat humans, and many of ourfarm papersin current Unf ortu nately, no-one real ized that bacteria wou ld evolve animalsand crops, are producers of these natural sucheffective resistance to them so quickly. Only the issuesof the antimicrobials,lf bacteria are allowed to developnew ways developmentofnew antibiotics prevents medicine returning Society'sjournals of evadingour normal defences againsi disease, the to a pre-antibioticera, and new ones are noteasyto find' consequencesmay be farworsethan simply returning to a whichhighlight new Onebrand new class of compoundsthat shows great pre-antibioticera, Minorcuts and scrapes might not heal andexciting promiseare cationic antimicrobial peptides. Some are properlyand would allow bacteriato enter and spread developmentsin startingto enterclinical use, However, two researchers throughoutthebody,The abilityof the passive immune wonderif we are going to encounter a uniquethreatto microbiological systemto dealwithinfections would be reduced, making publichealth when resistance to these new antimicrobial research. recoveryslower, and many diseases more lethal, When treatmentsarises. antibioticswere discovered, scientists knew nothing about GrahamBell and Pierre-Henri Gouyon,from McGill howbacterial resistance would develop, but now, after half a UniversityinCanada and the Universit6 Paris-Sud in France, century'sexperience, we knowjust how serious the problem areconcerned about ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial is.Before RAM Ps enter routine clinical practice, Bell and peptides(RAM Ps), These are made in the same way as Gouyonare convinced thatwe oughtto guard againstthe proteinsby every kind of organism, including humans. They potentialrise of resistancetothem much more carefully. areincredibly diverse and have been protecting us from Bell,G. & Gouyon,P.-H. (2003). Arming the enemy: the bacterialinfection for m illions of years. They stick to the evolution of resistance to self-proteins. Microbiology 149. bacterialcell membrane because it isnegatively charged 1367-r31 t . andactually killthe cell by makrng holes rn the membrane. Themembranes of animals,plants and f ungihave virtually nocharge and are therefore intrinsically immune to RAMPs. l$i-lii$i$ji.$l$ijj.iii$i$-i**iiiii:::,iili:$i"'i.$:'*$,:;iii:$$ $:rii:$$*"${i*:"l'$li$l Someresearchers argue that because this charge is an Epidemiologyshows a thecell, They developed a essentialfeatureof bacterial physiology, itwill be impossible linkbetween human verys pecif ic way to detect forresistance to RAMPs to arise. papillomavirus (H PV) and E6by using antibodies, Peoplediscounted the ideaof resistanceto antibiotics manycases of cervical andthen spenttime making atf irstbecause they knew that mutations conferring cancer.However, itcannot theirassay as sensitive resistancewould be very rare. Whatthey did not appreciate explainhow the virus causes aspossible, When they wasboth the ability of bacteriatotransmit resistance cancerbecause that examinedhuman cell lines betweencells, and even species, and also the effectiveness dependson exactlywhat thathad been deliberately of naturalselection, Belland Gouyon have searched the itgets up to within human encouragedto makelots scientificliterature and found many reports of resistanceto cells.Viruses contain the ofthe EO protein, the RAMPs. One example is among the genus Salmonella,lhe geneticinstructions for researchershad no trouble agentsof typhoid and food"poisoning, Switching on aseries duplicatingthemselves, but detectingit, but only their of systemsto resisttheRAMPs of their human victims has relyon their host's cells to do mostsensitive experi ments turnedoutto be a normalpartof their pathogenic strategy. everything.Most infections coulddetect E6 incells with withH PVdo not lead to natural,low,levels of the Evolutionof resistanceto anyantimrcrobial compound canceIso the reason protein.However, the EO dependson mutationsaristng within the bacteriathat confer whysome of them do is proteinwas always resistance,Intheorythere are severalways inwhich bacteria parlicularlyintriguing. predominantlyinthe resistRAMPs, and researchers have used carefully could nucleus,and particularly in designedexperiments toshow howthese could occur in Scientistshave al ready regionswhere genes were Resistanceto RAMPs comes at a cost,and the discoveredthatone oractice. inuse, ratherthan other growthrate of resistantbacteria is frequentlyslowerthan viralprotein, called E6, areasof the cell. normal,sensitive bacteria. This means that they wou ld encourages the destruction usuallybe at a disadvantage,and may tend to vanish from of a humanprotein that Thislocation fitted with bacterialpopulations, The only time they would have an normallysuppresses the theideathat EO can interact advantageis when the RAM P ispresent, Then they would developmentof tumou rs. withthe proteins that l-lnrrrorrar ihare aro live,and the normal bacteriawould die, Researchers can use I rvvrvvv" normallycontrol gene mathematicalequations to simulatethis process' Since suspicionsthat E6 can expression,but opened up RAMPs are part of ournormal armoury against infection, dootherthings as well, thequestion of howitgot somebacteria have always been exposed to them'However, Frenchresearchers, led intothe nucleus. Proteins prescribingRAMPs foran infection would increasethe byMurielle Masson from areassembled in the extentand length of the exposure. Computer simulations theEcole Sup6rieure cytoplasmof cells,The showthatthismight allow many moretypes of resistant deBiotechnologie de nucleusis surrounded by a mutantsto invadea hostand persist in the population. Strasbourgin France, membranethat allows small Althoughsimulations are notthe same as real life,the havebeen checking exactly proteinsto driftinto it, but whereEO gets to within largeones have to be

VOL3O/AUG03 W$wwRwwwwNw Nwwwwww$ww$ W$MwwxNwmwx wwwsRNwwwmk wxwsmwx ffiffiNRffiffiW wwwsRfuwwmMS Humanpapillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as a ln a recentissue of the JournalofMedicalMicrobiology, majorcause of cervicalcancer, The virus is spread by close PhilipR Mortimerfromthe Central Public Health Laboratory personalcontact, particularly during sex. However, most inLondon proposed aseries of criteriatoidentifyan infectedwomen do notdevelopcancer, and even if the outbreakof aninfectious disease, Detecting that there has diseasedoes develop it can be one ortwo decades after beena suddenincrease in the rate of transmissionof an infectionbefore any symptoms appear, As anadded infectiousagent, the formal definition of anoutbreak, is complexity,thereare over30 types of HPVOne of these, notthateasy, '1 Peoplemay be ill, orsimply infected with the type 6,has been more closely linked to laterdevelopment microbewithout showing any symptoms, The increasing of cervicalcancerthan others,such astypes 6and 11. humanpopulation, airtravel, intensive farming, innovations in Thereare also some women who develoo the cancer foodpreparation and novel medicaltreatments allgive new withouthaving been infected by HPV To predictfuture andrapid ways for microbestospread. The emergence of trendsin cervical cancer, it istherefore importantto know newpathogens adds to the need for good ways to recognize aboutpast infections with H PV within the community, outbreaksand intervene to bringthem to anend. InFinland, screening programmes have reduced the Fortunately,pathogenic micro-organisms can now be incidenceof sometypes of cervicalcanceI but against a characterizedmuch more easilyand accuratelythan ever backgroundof a risingnumberof incidences, parlicularly before,so that outbreaks that might have been missed in the amongyoung women. Researchers inthe Finnish Cancer pastcan be recognized and treated. In the U K, continuous Registryand National Public Health Institute have used low-profilesurveillance isthe keyto preventing and a nationalresource to investigatethe incidence and controllingoutbreaks, The Communicable Disease prevalenceof infectionwith H PV-6,- 1 1 and- 16 inFinnish SurveillanceCentres and the Scottish Centre for Infection womenfrom 1 983to 1997They hopedto discoverwhether andEnvironmental Health in the UK, along with similar epidemicsof HPV-1 6 precededthe increases thatthey organizationsinother European countries can quench deliberatelyescoded inside. haveseen in cervicalcancerduring the 1980s and 1 990s. outbreaksbefore the public has even become aware of a E6is sufficiently smallthat Theywereableto usethe serum bankfrom the Finnish problem,provided someone spots the first crucial signs, itcould just about slip inside MaternityCohort, This is blood serum generously donated Therehas to besome sort of patternto allthe cases, giving 0/o unaided,butto check, the by96 of allpregnant Finnish women, partly to screenfor thematiming or placein common. There can frequenfly be researchersattached itto infectionsthatwould affectthe health of themselves ortheir acommonsource of infection,so thatall cases turn outto another,much larger, protein babies,but also as a nationalresource for clinical research, haveeaten a particularfood,orshared a holidaydestination, thatusually stays in the Thesewomen have, of course,had sex, and thus been at risk ldentifyingsomeone who is unaffected and who did not eat cytoplasm,When they of exposuretoHPVThe researchers checked forthe a particularfood,orwas absent atacriticaltime can be a testedthe location of this presenceof antibodiesto three strains of HPV in serum valuableway of confirmingthe source, newhybrid protein, itwas in samplesfrom 2862 womenwho had become pregnant Itis essentialto checkthatthe same micro-organism is thenucleus, indicating that twicewithin 5 years,lf the second sample, but notthefirst, associatedwith allthe cases.lt may be easyto identifywhich E6contains signals to hadantibodies to H PV,it indicatedthatthe woman had speciesis involved, but much more difficultto oin down the ensureit is always imporled beenexposed to the virus between her pregnancies. exactstrai n. Fortunately, microbiolog ists have been bu ild in g intothe nucleus, As a result Theirtestsshowed thatthere had been asteady increase upinformation on the best ways to distinguishbetween ofthese experiments tne inthe incidence of H PV-1 6 infectionfrom 1 983 to 1997 in individualswithin a microbialspecies. lf patientshave researchersare certain that womenwho had had at leasttwopregnancies between the recoveredfrom the infection, the onlyway of testing forthe theyare well on the wayto ageof24and 32, and this predated the increased incidence causalorganism may be to checkwhethertheir immune discoveringthe full list of of cervicalcancer,Inyoungerwomen, who had had two systemhas produced antibodies to it,and these may not E6'smultiole abilities. pregnanciesbefore they were24,the incidence of H PV-1 6 distinguishbetween strains. Masson, M., Hindelang, C., wasfivefold higher. In contrast,the prevalence of theHPV-6 -1 Thefinal confirmation that an outbreak has been Sibler, A.-P., Schwalbach, G., and 1strains had not increased, implying thattheir successfullycontained is when the tav6, G. & \Weiss,E. (2003). transmissionfrom person to personis differentfrom that outbreakends, with nofurther Preferentialn uclearlocalization ofHPV-16. reporlsof cases,lt impliesthat identification of of human papillomavirus type thesource, route of spread,method of treatmentand of the 16 E6 oncoprotein in cervical Theresults make itvery clearthatthere has been an organismwere al I successf ul. Conti n uous su rveil lance, rapid carcinoma cell s.J G enViro / 84, increasein the background exposure to HPV- 1 6 inFinland andaccurate identification ofmicrobialstrains, and focused 2099-2104. beforean increase in cervical cancer, which is important measuresto eradicatesources of communicablediseases informationfordeveloping national policyabout both HPV allplaytheir part in the importantobjective of resolving vaccinationand cancer screen in g, outbreaksas quickly as possible, This applies as much to humandisease, for example SARS, as it does to animal Laukkanen, P., Koskela, P., Pukkala, E., D illner, J .,Lddr d,8., Knekt, P. & Lehtinen, M. (2003). Time trends in incidence and diseasesuch as foot-and-mouth. prevalence ofhuman papillomavirus type 6, lI and16 infections in Mortimer, P. P. (2003). Five postulates for resolving outbreaks of F t nland.J G enViro I 84, 2105 -2109. infectious disease.JMed Microbiol 52, 447 45I.

NN$ffiNSffi$$$fuSffiYTODAY VOLSO/AUG 03 IE RIGHT: $S$R,g'ffi'&$lst., Laserconfocal microscoPY S$g*x'g*'. imageofmacrophages infected whichreceptor was involved, "qgsx55 wilht. perfringensThe cYtoPlasm theylooked for a difference ih;tx.q:$ws"$ x,st *:s"$ ofthe macrophages wasstained afteradding chemicals that Collaborationbetween withCellTracker Greenand the blockthe activity of each researchersat Kuwait bacterialandmacrophage nuclei classof receptor.Toclinch Universityand the werestained with proPidium therole of the scavenger DeutscheSammlung iodide(red) receptorthey repeated thei r vonMikroorganismen COURTESYDAVIDO BRIEN VIRGINIA measurementsusing TECHBLACKSBURO VAUSA undZellkulturen in transgenicChinese hamster Braunschwei g, Germany, cellsthat produced the OPPOSITEPAGE: hasrevealed a newspecies mousescavenger receptor. Thecypovirus endoparasitoid of bacteriawithan unusual C,perf ri ng ensrarely entered waspD iad ro m u s pu I ch e | |u s andils ability,Amycolatopsis pupa non-transgenicChrnese host,the ofthe leek-moth keratini philacan digest roIe p io p si s assectel Ia, hamstercells, but readily Ac keratin.Thrsprotein is the FABRICEBINEDEI becameattached once COURTESY majorcomponent of wool, thehamstercells had the feathers,hair and horn. mousescavenger receptor. A moment'sthought about A lotof informationabout howlong these can stay in whata receptorlooks for on goodcondition indicates CI ostri d i u m perfri n ge n s is howthesebacterial thesurface of a bacterialcell howveryfewmicro- theinfamous bacterium cellsmanaged to survive. isalready known. Forthe organismshave the trick thatcauses gas gangrene' Theyknew that the way mannosereceptor it is the of degradingkeratin. thatbacteriaget into carbohydrate man nose and Itrequires an oxygen-f ree Thescientists isolated macrophagesisan forthe scavenger receptor environment, and normallY thesebacteria f rom marsh importantinfluence on it isthe negative charge livesinnocuously inPlaces soilin Kuwait by providing howeffectively they are conferredon carbohydrate suchas soil and the large sterile,degreased wool as killed,The surface of polymersbyglucuronic intesttneof humans. thesole source of nutrition, iscovered acid,These are found in a However,when it gets into macrophages Tha nallc nra\^/ qc 2 withseveraltypes of sudacecoating, the capsule, areasof the bodYthat lack light-greymeshwork receptorsthat pick out on other C.perfringens oxygen,thesymptoms of thatinstantly fitted the pathogensby the molecules strains,butthis was not gangrenecan be aPParent characteristicsofthe ontheir surface. The supposedto bepresent in within6 hours.DeeP bacterialgrouping called interactionof the receptor thestrain thatthe American wounds,orblockages inthe theactinomycetes, but it isthe start of the process groupwere using, However, bloodcirculation, are the took extensiveresearch phagocytosis,which is theirelectron microscope usualculprits, and once the' of intotheir chemical and supposedto end in the picturesshowed that the infectionstarts it raPidlY DNAcomposrtton to destructionof the bacterial macrophagesattached to spreadsto healthytissue namethespecies with cell.Depending on which fibreson the bacteria' andis always fatal if left confidence,In fact, receptorrecognizes an surface,which turned outto untreated,The reason is the althoug h thecharacteristics invader,the pathogen may bemade from exactly the mixtureof toxi ns that the f ittedinto the genus besimplytakenintothe rightsugars. lt looksas if bacteriumreleases into the Amyco I ato psis,th ey were macrophage,orcan be thisstrain oI C.perfringens bloodstream,causing sufficiently different trom dousedwith toxic chemicals actuallyencourages cardiacstress and severe allof the others to merit aswell. macrophagesto engulf shockto the whole bodY. beingnamed as a new them,because once inside Theresearchers have species,A. keratini ph i la, DavidO'Brien and theyhave a readysource of nowd iscovered that th ree afterits unusual ability, StephenMelville of nutrientsand some receptorsare involved in VirginiaTechinthe USA protectionf rom oxygen. Al-Musallam,A.A., havediscovered that, thephagocytosis of ^'' intriguingly, C.perfri ngen s C.perlringens. They are o,Brien,D.K.&Merviue,tlfff:ffifff1l'" S. B. (2003). Multiple effects cellscan persist within thescavengeI mannose Stu.Lib.u.rd t,E.(2OOT. onclostridiumptfrtrrtrt somemacropnages even andcomplement(CR3) _,. Amycolatopsiskeratinipbilasp. binding, uptake and trafficking conditions. receptors.They recorded ,ror., u.,orr.t ketatinolytic soil underaerobic to lysosomesby inhibitors of bacteriathey u..i.ro*u..t. from Kuwait. Macrophagesare cells of howmany macrophage phagocytosis Im I SystEual Microbiol 53, theimmune system that couldfind within atissue receptors.Microbiology 149, Ali_gl+. detect,engulf and then cultureline of mouse r3t7-1386. destroyinvading micro- macrophagesafter organisms.O'Brien and incubatingthe cells with Melvillewanted to know bacteria,To identify

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Insects,like other animals, suffer from virus infections. A groupof Frenchresearchers has recently explained how onewasp uses severalviruses to boost its parasitic success. Althoughthe mothAcrolepiopsts assectella, otherwise knownas the leek-moth, isa predatorof leekplants, it is,in turn,preyed on by awasp. This solitary wasp, Diadromus pulchellus,usesthe moth pupae as the hostfor its young, buthasto overcomethe immune system of the leek-moih to ensuresuccess. One common strategy of parasitoidwasps isto exploita virusto interferewith their host's immune system.They infectthe hostwith the virus atthe same time asinjecting each egg, and then the viral gene products interferewith the host's defence mechanisms and development.Until recently, all D. pulchelluslhalhadbeen testedin France were infected bytwo types of virus, an orthoreoviruscalled DpRV- 1 andthe ascovirus DpAV-4, bothof which could interfere with the moth's immune response. However,in 1999 the Frenchgroup found a waspon a leekf ieldnear Tou rs that was f reeof bothDpRV- 1 and DpAV-4,but still extremely effective at parasitizing leek- moths,Since the researchers had earlier discovered that thewasp eggs never hatched if theywere implanted without avirus,they began asearch forotherviruses. A combination ofelectron microscopy,to look atthe appearance of virus particlesand their location within the insects, and nucleic acidanalysis, led them to identifya newcypovirus. The virus, whichthey named DpRV-2, was present in the female genitaliaofthewasps,and was injected intothe moth pupae alongwith an egg, In the moth,the virus developed inthe gutcells, while the wasp larvae grew in the moth's abdominal cavity.After 4 daysthe wasplarvae had filled the whole of theabdomen of themoth pupa and killed it, which also haltedthe viral infection which had spread throughout the r parasitizedpupa. When the scientists injected the vrrus aloneinto the moth, it quickly spread, killing the moth, Theresearchers wanted to confirmthat DoRV-2 could affectthemoth's immune response, sotheycarried out aseriesof experimentsthat involved inserling nylon monofilaments into moth pupae. The majority of non- parasitizedpupae reacted to the filaments by creating a capsuleand melanized layerto surround and isolatethem, Thiswas preciselywhatthe researchers had seen happen towaspeggswithin the moth if they had not been inserted alongwith avirus. Once the pupae were parasitized, many fewerofthem reacted tothe nylon threads.Infection with theDpRV-2 virus alone had no effect on encapsulation, butdidreduce the rate of melanizationsubstantially. The overallpicture is of a waspand a seriesof viruses that combineto exploita mothforiheir mutual benefit.

Renault, S., Bigot, S., Lemesle, M., Sizaret, P.-Y. & Bigot, Y. (2003). The cypovints DiadromuspulchellusRY-2 is sporadically associaredwith the endoparasitoid wasp D . pulchellusandmodulates the defencemechanisms ofpupae of the parasitized leek-moth, Acrohpiopsisassecnlla.J GenVirol 84, f7 99-7801 . ffi ffi

you your Macrophage, lfyou wou ld like ln[otecular Biology tomuch of the world's population. bringbackfrom last lrne Uof Picornauiruses Thecurrent volume provides a holiday?)hedescribes 365 USecondEdition y

IE hasbeen applied. ltalso lists evolution,antigenic variation, lMectranisms of togethermost of the information vaccines,immune respttnses, VResistanceto Plant sourcescurrently available inthis in vitronodelsand,uniquely, new Diseases field.This Ithink is the strong areaslike microarrays, functional EditedbyA.J. Slusarenko pointof this book, lt summarizes genomicsandproteomics, R,S,S.Fraser& L.C. van Loon thecurrent information on Theygivejust about enough PublishedbyKluwer Academic microbialriskassessment and informationtomake the subject Publishers(2002) shouldtherefore benefit crystalclear and without making Euro75.00/US$70.00/S47,00, researchersgoinginto this themsound dull. I have already pp.620 field.However, chapter3 ofthe begunrecommending thebook ISBN:1-4020-0399-4 bookcould also benefit from a toour postgraduate students moreextensive discussion of engagedinresearch (e.9, first Thisvolume isa paperback uncertaintyand variability, Strong yearPhD students) ortaught digitalreprint ofa hard-back informationtheoretic methods lColl Wars:The lMolecular courses(e.9. our MSc in versionthat was originally arethe basis for good risk V FightAgainst the Ulnfection Biology: MolecularMedical Microbiology). publishedin2000, Reprinting assessment, GommonCold InteractionsBetween lDelAlaAldeen hashad a major impact on the lPradeepMalakar ByD, Tynell& M.Fielder Microorganismsand Un ive rsity of N ott i n g h a m price,making this edition much lnstituteofFood Publishedby0xford University Cells cheaperthanthehard-back and Research,Norwich Press(2002) EditedbyJ. Hacker& probablyaffordable toindividual S17,99,pp.2l2 J.Heesemann )Ecotihene researcherswhoshould find it a ISBN:0-19-263285-X PublishedbyJohn Wiley & Sons UExpression usefulsource ofbackground Wantstobe a lWtro (2002) Protocols.Methods information.lt will certainly be Ghoosing Uscientist? Personalreminiscences havea Euro88.90/$55,95,pp.340 in MolecularBiology valuabletolecturers inplant Science as a Career wayof illuminating thedusty ISBN:0-471{7846-2 Uol.205 pathology,microbiology, ByN,Rothwell cornersofmedical research and EditedbyP,E. Vaillancourt biochemistryandmolecular PublishedbyCambridge vitalizingdryfacts in scientific lreadMolecular lnfection Biohgy PublishedbyHumana Press (2002) biology,giving acompact UniversityPress (2002) records,Asa graduate student withgreat interest and lfound it US$99,50,pp,368 resourceforupdating inthis H.B$40,00/PB S14,95, pp.166 -58829-008-5 strugglingwith the concepts enjoyableand extremely useful. ISBN:1 expandingareaof research, ISBN:HB 0-521 -81773-0; underlyingvirus research, it was Initially,having glanced atthe Unfoftunately,theprinting PB0-521-52092-4 ' oftenasource ofpuzlement asto title,lthbught lwould only have Thiscompendium of23 articles, processhasalso markedly whycertain techniques came to enoughtime to flickthrough it and eachwritten by hands-on experts, reducedthequality ofthe Althoughthetitle of this book beused, orhow various animal readselected chapters. I later describesmany established and illustrations,sothose wishing suggeststhatit is about science modelswere ever discovered. foundmyself reading it almost emergingmethodologies for toproduce slides toillustrate careersingeneral, the bulk ofthe Serendipityanda systematic backtoback! No kidding! expressingrecombinant proteins lectureswillneed to obtain contentsconcentrates tlncareer approachcanbe equally Thetitle of the book is different inE. coli.Thefocus ison two main anoriginal edition, developmentforacademic importantindeveloping fromthe usual molecular or areas:the E colistrainsand Thevolume iswellstructured scientists.lt begins with advice on knowledgeand, when combined, medicalmicrobiology books, and vectorsthat optimize production andcomprehensive. ()therthan findingaPhD studentship, lifeas a arepowerful investigative tools, sois the content. The book ofsoluble, functional protein; and insuperficial basic texts, itis studentresearcher, thesis writing, asthis book reminds us,In these consistsof23 succinct, concept- useof E coliasahostforthe unusualtofind such breadth progressesthrough working as a ' daysof highly efficient drivenand beautifully structured screeningoflarge collections of ofcoverage ofplant disease post-docandthe transition to multinationalresearch consoftia, chapters,ltcovers awide range proteinsand peptides (e.9. phage resistance(even including much researchgroup leader, right itis easy to overlook the offundamental aspects of display,the E colitwo-hybrid neglectedstructural defences), throughtoaiming for more senior contributionofpersonal insight pathogenesisofmicrobial system,invivoenzyme withexcellent analysis byexperts roles,Alittle coverage isgiven to intothe development ofa field of diseases,including the screening).Aswith the earlier intheirfields ofresearch, workingoutside the academic science.Such perspectives are mechanismsofmicrobial survival volumesofthis series, each lHarryEpton environment.Theauthor gives engaginglydescribed inthe andvirulence, protein secretion, chapterprovides step-by-step Un iversity of Ma nchester somevery useful tips on subjects personalizedrecord ofa well thehost response toinfection and protocolsand tips for how to avoid suchas networking, presenting loved,but now sadly defunct state-of-the-arttechnologies theusual problems. There isby no workat conferences andgrant CommonCold Unit (CCU). employedinresearch. The meanscomplete coverage of Microorganismsin applications.Shedoes this is an Thisbookis highly recommended authorshave made abrave and everypossible aspect ofE coli PlantGonservation entertainingway,butwith a forallinvolved inhuman virus successfulattempt toexplain a expression,andsome duplication andBiodiuersity certainamount ofauthority. research,paft icularly respiratory widerange of complex molecular inthe protocols provided, Editedby K. Sivasithamparam, Thebook spans a30-40 year virusresearch, including those themesthat would enable Neverthelessmanywillfind it K.WDixon &R,L. Barrett careerin166 pages andis a useful witha living memory ofthe CCU studentstobetter understand extremelyusefulto have this book PublishedbyKluwer/ Plenum insighttocareers in aresearch whowill enjoy the anecdotes, as molecularmicrobiology tohand when trying to achieve Publishers(2002) orienteduniversity department. I wellasthose forwhom CCU exists publications.ltshould also help highlevels ofpure, soluble US$119.00/$81.50/Eurol29.00, wouldrecommend ittoanyone at onlyas a legend. Forthe latter non-molecularbiologists, such as recombinantprotein ;or pp.378 theearlier stages oftheir career, -4020-0780-9 individualsthisbook should clinicalmicrobiologists orothers incorporatinganE coliexpressionISBN:1 butdo not think that it offersquite providefascinating insights into outsidethe field but with interest stepinto the procedures of somuch tothe more senior thehalcyon days of experimental ininfection, todig deep in functionalgenomics, proteomics I thinkany book that highlights scientist. humanvirology before S0Ps, host-pathogen andprotein engineering. thisissue deserves support, Alltoo ItaneWestwell interactionat C0SHHand risk assessments. themolecular level. aPeterWPiper f requentlymicro-organisms have SGM,Marlborough UniversityCollege beenthe poor relations tothe House lMariaZambon Thereare chapters onthe CentralPublicHealth bacterialpopulation genetics, London higherprofile requirement to LaboratoryLondon

w$ffi$Rffiffi$ffituffiffiw roDrv VOL3O/AUG03 14fl preserveplant and animal advancesandthe book is balancemolecular, cellular and regulatorynetworks. The chapter thewater treatment industry, it is biodiversity,Therole micro- thereforetimely innature, The epidemiologyperspectives, Yet ondomains andmotifswill be aninteresting read even forthose organismsplay in supporting (or contributorshavedone wellto theconciseness ofthe book is usefultobiologists trying to withonly a passing interest. The damaging!)thelife cycles of plant keepthe material up-to-date in alsoa strength,I recommend this predictfunction from sequence, authorintroduces eachtopic to speciesisbecoming clearer asis whatis a fast moving area, unreservedlyasa primer on Computationalbiologyis giveasound background tothe theneed topreserve their Mostchapters principally cite tuberculosis,andwill use it symbioticwith wet-lab research, scienceconcerned although myselffor reference. asreflected inthe chapter on manymicrobiologists mayfind diversity,The Editors and authors referencesfrom2000 onwards, 'experimental deservecredit for highlighting this Mechanisticexplanations on lNeilStoker RNomicsiThis book thisa little basic. ltis mainly a issueand the dire consequences E coligenomics,evolution and RoyalVeterinary isnot intended asa general troubleshootingguidefor thatcould arise if wefailto heed virulencearegiven and much College,London introductiontocomputational techniciansandoperators and, as theirwarning. Although the lightis therefore shed upon this genomics;other texts provide such,the graphical andtabular publicityassociated withthis ubiquitousmicrobe, Little overlap thatrole and the price may deter dataoften leave something tobe bookhighlights itsattempt to occursbetween thechapters lFrontiersin manyfrom buying apersonal desired.Thesketchy diagrams 'bring to the fore the ecological whichfollow asimilar format UComputational copy,However, itwould be a arefine forthose involved inthe underwritingprovided bymiao- interms of historicalaspects, Genomics.Functional valuableaddition toany lab process,butfurther detail wganisml,lthinkthe graphicsandindividual strain GenomicsSeries, Uol. 3 ordepartmental library. wouldbe helpfulforthe less contributionstaken together only examples.0verall, this is a very EditedbyM,Y, Galperin & lDaveStudholme knowledgeable.Acompetent achievethisto a limited extent, informativebookwhich iswell E.V.Koonin WellcomeTrustSanger seriesofmicrographs and Forexample there is no coverage presentedand would be excellent PublishedbyCaister Academic lnstitute. diagramsofthe microflora and (2002) molecularecology and its value valuefor money forscientists Press faunapresent are particularly of pp. inthis area. Related tothis and generallyinterested inthe basis of $90,00/US$180.00, 348 valuableforthose studying this possiblyreflecting any own bias, I microbialpathogenesis, aswell as ISBN:0-9542464-4-6 lsettteability sideofthe process, Auseful foundthe coverage ofbacterial E colispecifically. UProblemsand loss glossaryofabbreviations anda 'Genomicsprimarily issuesalittle cursory, This said I lGlennGibson is ofSolids in the Actiuated quickrefresher oftechniques don'twanttodetractfrom what is UniversityofReading computationalsaytheEditors of SludgeProcess usedare included asappendices thiscollection oftopics ranging ByM,H, Gerardi andhelp to clarify the text for afair stab at pulling together allof - issuesand recent fromgene prediction, protein PublishedbyWiley Interscience thosenotfluent inthe industry's themajor (2002) developmentsandwould lnaycobacteria alignment,molecular modelling, JohnWiley&Sons language.Allin all it is an genome-scalephylogenetic pp,179 highlightthecomprehensive Uand TB.lssues in and $37,50, excellentexample ofapplied and ISBN:0-471 -20694-6 treatmentofmyconhizalfungi in InfectiousDiseases, trees,ltis clearly aimed at troubleshootingmicrobiology. particular,Agood book for the Uol.2 biologistsrather than computer aloanna Heatonand Thisisthe second book inthe specialist,though possibly more EditedbyS.H.E, Kaufmann & scientists,although thechapter Keithlones proteome r Mic ro b i oIo gy series sofor those ofus with a more H.Hahn onmodelling evolution Wastewate Department of Biologica I published Interscience. mycologicalbent. PublishedbyS. KargerAG Basle willbe less accessible tothose byWiley Sciences,Lancaster lGerrySaddler (2003) withoutabackground in However,it need not be studied in University ScottishAgricultural SFrl69.00/Eurol 20,50/ mathematics.Microbiologists tandemwith the first, Alone this is ScienceAgency, US$147.00,pp.156 mayenjoy chapters exploring the stilla comprehensive text,written Edinburgh ISBN:3-8055-7459-2 evolutionofABC transporters and ina straightfonrvard manner. lAnthrax. signaltransduction systems, and Althoughitis an applied book, UGurrenttopics Thisslim volume on tuberculosis' theevolution ofprokaryotic targetedatpersonnelworking in in Microbiologyand lmmunology,Vol.2Tl )Escherichia coli= isadmirable inits brevity and in UUirulence itsclarity. The title reflects a EditedbyT.M. Koehler Mechanismsof a focusinmany chapters onthe PublishedbySpringer (2002) UersatilePathogen bacteriumandits role in Euro89,95/SFrl49.50/$63.00/ EditedbyM.S. Donnenberg pathog'enesis(ratherthan, for US$99,00,pp,169 PublishedbyAcademic Press example,onclinical issues), ISBN:3-540-43497-6 (2002) Thereare nine chapters written US$99.95,pp,400 byexperts intheir fields, covering Interestinanthrax largely ISBN:012-220751-3 TBas a global public health occursinwaves asinternational problem,molecular epidemiology, concernover its intentional Thisbook continues the thestatus ofBCG, laboratory releasewaxes and wanes. This successfulrange of microbiology diagnosis,chemotherapy and monographconcentrates on textsfrom Academic Press. This drugresistance, molecular researchfrom the 1990s with a volumeismainly directed towards biology,immunology and fascinatinghistorical introduction researchersinterested inthe persistence,andthe development byTurnbull. Sixchapters coverthe pathogenesisoff. caliand isnot ofnew vaccines anddrugs. biologyofthe organism invarying necessarilyintended forthe Chaptersareextremely clearly detailindicative ofthe information undergraduatemarket, The Editor written,and many (importantly) base.Contributions on'Toxins' hasdrawn upon the expertise of containahistorical perspective (Lacy&Collier) and'lnteractions primarilyGa95 %) US-based aswell as describing thecurrent withMacrophages' authors,toaddress virulence stateof knowledge, Myonly (Guidi-Rontani&Mock) are aspectsindifferent strains ofthe criticismwould be to ask for comprehensive,Anaccount ofthe organism,Anemphasis isplaced more;forexample, something on cellenvelope byFouet &Mesnage throughoutonrecent molecular clinicaldisease would help highlightsthelack of research

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The challengingthereaderto gain WEvolutionary fairlyprimitive status ofthe anunderstanding ofthe micro- legacy humanvaccine iscovered by organimsresponsible forcausing ByM, Greaves Friedlandereta l, and the infectionandto develop clinical Publishedby0xford University renaissanceinmolecular problemsolving skills allowing for Press(2001) systematicsandevolution is differentialdiagnosis. $9.99,pp,276 ablyreviewed byKeim & Smith, lAndrewLamb ISBN:0-19-202834-8 Finally,the Edito/s contribution TheRobertGordon onvirulence gene regulation University,Aberdeen Thisisan agreeable book, usefullyincludes genetic writtenbya respected UK manipulation,Ahighly readable authority,lt will interest the expert shortbook that provides an dffiHalophilic inother scientific areas and is W Microorganisms also authoritativeaccount ofthe accessibletothe reasonably andtheir Enuironments well- currentstatus ofanthrax and informed ByA.0ren layperson,MelGreaves highlightsthe need for further coversmany topics PublishedbyKluwer $.N**fu*$r*- ffi.ffir##r*s"flwfu onhistorical, workin several areas, Academic medical, Publishers(2002) m*dR. ${$*$$+rgg*m epidemiologicaland lFergusPriest molecularaspects ofcancer, He ri ot-WattU n i vers ity Eur0206,00/US$197.00/S1 32.00, pp.575 describingmany specific types in dffittaemophitus Notes: detail,Hisunifying theme isthe ISBN:1-4020-0829-5 mffi?. -, d&lnstant w,nlruenzae W Microbiology, analogybetween evolutionary in Medical d&Gases Protocols.Methods in SecondEdition processesandthe emergence of W Microbiologyand Althoughthere have been a MolecularMedicine, ByJ, Nicklin, K,Graeme-Cook & thefinal cancer cell: both InfectiousDiseases, numberofbooks devoted to Uol.71 R,Killington involvingcontingent combinations ThirdEdition halophiles(usually symposia Editedby M,A, Herbert, D,W Hood PublishedbyBl0S (2002) ofchance genetic events, ByP.H, Gilligan, M,L, Smiley a proceedings),thereare only &E.R, Moxon $15.99,pp,330 selection,andgenetic D,S,Shapiro twosingle-author monographs driftvia PublishedbyHumana Press ISBN:1-85996-267-X bottlenecks,Thisviewpoint is PublishedbyAmerican Society onthe topic - an excellent not (2002) newbut may be unfamiliarto forMicrobiolog1l (2003) bookby Barbara Javor US$119.50,pp,344 Thesecond edition ofthis some,and is pursued tenaciously S29.95/US$49,95, pp,440 pe rca Ii n e E nvi ro n m e nts [Hy ISBN:0-89603-928-5 popularIn sta nf flotes f o rmat butfair-mindedly, Theauthor ISBN:1-55581-207-4 (Brock-Springer1989)lthat coversafull range of pointstoways inwhich both forthe first time attempted to Methodstend to be variations microbiology:bacterial, archaeal, humanbiology and human society Auser-f riendly introduction interfacehalophile biology with ona theme, with improvizations viral,protozoal, fungal and prional havedeveloped toallow cancers isfollowed byan excellent geochemistry/geology, and byindividual laboratory workers, inonly 330 pages, The book does tohave become socommon and sectiondetailing the procedures nowthis book, written by one somethods books run the risk whatit setsout to do and gives serious,such as longevity and the usedduring laboratory diagnosis, ofthe doyens ofthe halophile ofbeing unnecessarily keyfacts on the major important human(and great ape) female includingtheirinherent world.The book builds on prescriptive,Notthis book, areas,ltwill be popularwith reproductivecycleon the one strengthsandweaknesses, Javor'sbook, but covers much, whichis authoritative, thorough studentsdue to its affordability hand,and effects of diet and life Aswell as facilitating insight for muchmore, The 18 chapters andaccurate. There issome andsimplicity ofits diagrams, styleon the other, He stresses medicswith minimal knowledge rangefrom historical aspects of ' unnecessaryrepetition. For Phylogeneticrelationships are theimportance ofenvironmental ofthe more sophisticated saltmanufacture, through the example,whytwo review discussedforthe bacteria and factorswithin the individual's moleculardiagnostic procedures, systematics,ecology, physiology chaptersabout disease caused by asuggestion fora future control,such as smoking, as thisis very useful revision for andmolecular biology, torecent H.influenzael. Why is Tn /0 revisionwould be to remove againstthose such as industrial themore experienced, The interestinhalophiles and coveredinChapter 12, to be moreofthe taxonomic details pollutantswhich would make us sevenmain chapters containing astrobiology- every conceivable followedbyChapter 13 devoted andintroduce phylogenetic allinvoluntary victims, Virus the68 clinical cases have been topicishere. Aharon Oren has toTn /fl Thereare some tiny relationshipsforthe viruses involvementiscovered in logicallyorganized based upon managedthedifficulttasks two of omissions,such as no mention of alongwith ashort discussion briefchapters. Anattraction organsystems, Each clinical makingthebook accessible ofthe amethod for making Levinthal's ofthe origins of HlV, Also the book,atleastto those like myself caseisinitially outlined followed tothe non-specialist and, bloodin Chapter 3 (although this flagellardiagram inbacterial who,jackdaw-like, enjoy random bya series ofquestions that simultaneously,enormously iscovered ina later chapter), and structurecould do with updating. bitsof information, isthewealth probeknowledge concerning the detailedandextensively someproof-reading howlers (for Theseare very minor suggestions ofhistorical anecdote; e.g,that natureofthe etiological agent referenced(right up to the exampleinChapter 3,Table 1is andthe authors areto be Napoleonprobably carried agene anddiagnostic approaches, dateof publication), lfyou givenin the text, but the sole table congratulatedonthe quality of forpredisposition togastric clinicalmanifestation ofthe wanttoget into halophile inthe chapter islabelled asTable whattheyhave packed into this cancer,Sensibly fora book aimed infection,epidemiology, and researchfrom scratch, orif 3),This book ismost usefulto studyguide. l cannot imagine ata lay audience, there are few rationaltreatment protocol. youwant to pick up on any thosestarting toworkwith this anyoneproducing abetter diagrams;however, themany Photographs,illustrating the halophiletopic at an advanced bacterium,Icannot see there versionatthe same affordable illustrationsareilluminating, organisms'microscopic and level,this is the book, Atour beingabig demand forit, pricefor students, suchas the comparison of colonialappearance, adequately deforce that will be indispensable especiallygivenits rather high lLizSockett EnglishandWestern European supporteach chapter, Whilst forhalophilologists foryears price, University of Nottingha m chimneysweeps' work targetedata very specific tocome. clothes lDuncan Maskell (thelattersuffered muchless audience,thebook succeeds lBillGrant Un iversity of Cambridge Un i vers ity of Lei ce ster fromscrotal cancer), Thoroughly recommendable, lSimon Baumberg UniversityofLeeds &UiralProteins descriptionfromthe discoverY isothenrvise atextbook definitely recommendabletoanyone Encyclopediaof gain DairySciences WCounteracting Host ofthe virus tothe emerging onthe right track for teaching wishingto entryto this area setf Defenses. Current ToPics discoveriesthatmay lead to modernmolecular microbiology ofcell biology, Inthe 2002 [4-uolume Roginski, in Microbiologyand novelantiviraltherapies, Tosome andgetting students tosee volume,thisaspect has been EditedbyH, P,F.Fox lmmunology,Uol.269 extent,the broad scoPe ofthe howexperimentaiion informs slimmeddown, though not J,WFuquay& Press byU,H, Koszinowski& contentisthe book's Achilles' microbialknowledge, eliminatedentirely, inorderto PublishedbyAcademic Edited (2002) H.Hengel heelsince the coverage ofcertain aLizSockett dealwiththetransporters and g pp.2,000 PublishedbySpringer (2002) topicslacks the depth needed for Un ivers ity of Notti n ha m homologuesrecognizable in8, US$925,00/S620,00, Euro99,95/SFr166,00/$70,00/ acomprehensive description, subtilis,Still,any B aci lluslab has ISBN:012-22i235-8 grouP US$109.00,pp.325 Nonetheless,thesection on tohave this book, and any 'Basic subtilis pedia is, academically ISBN:3-540-43261-2 principles'givesa dffiBacrttus ordepartment seriously TheEn cy cl o consideredoverview ofthe Wand its Closest interesiedinbacterial molecular andphysically, animpressive fromGenes to avery wide range Themechanisms ofthe centralfeatures ofthe virus, I Relatiues: physiologyandgenetics must work,covering beyondmilk, interactionbetween viruses and wouldrecommend thebookto Cells haveaccess toit. oftopics extending A.L.Sonenshein, productionand its processing thehost immune system have studentsorinvestigators who Editedby lSimonBaumberg its Hoch&R, Losick Leeds subjectareas, beenan area of very active wantan introduction toH CV and J.A, Universityof toless obvious byAmerican Society ofmammals. An researchinthe past decade. ManY areinterested inthe issues Published suchas the origin (2001) ofspecialists viruseshave evolved proteins sunoundingtheproblems with forMicrobiologlt equallywide range pp.650 tothe book, whichsubvert theimmune understandingthevirus life US$l49,95, hascontributed -55581-205-8 international systemand probably contribute to cycle,Forsuch anaudience, an ISBN:1 ffiffiff;:t'tl'il'bringingatruly PracticalApproach thework. Inevitably, latentand persistent infections, extensivelistof references also is dlmensionto predecessorofthis book, SeriesN0.259 entriesdiscuss topics Thisvolume provides areasonablY providedthat offers auseful guide The manyof the subtilis:theModel Gran- EditedbyP.M, Gilmartin & ofdirect concern to comprehensiveandtimely review tothe literature onHCV. Bacillus thatare not 0rg ankm,appeared in C.Bowler andthe ofthis area, focussing mainly on llohn McLauchlan Positive themicrobiologist inname is Publishedby0xford University inthe four herpesviruses,Thismight be MRCVirologyUnit, 1993,The change informationcontained intwo ways, First, Press(2002) fortheuse of regardedasa restricted view of Glasgow significant volumesisintended bookcovered Gram- $35,00,pp,332 disciplines. thearea, but many ofthe most theearlier manydairy-related positives fromthe bacilli, ISBN:0-19-963818-7 p does,however, well-studiedevasion mechanisms distant IheEn cycl o edra and importantaspects haveutilized herpesviruses dffiMicrobial notablyStaphylococcus coverall of the ptomyces; its successor Researchtechniques have thecoverage is systems,Well-known Wlife Stre ofmicrobiology, LorY Second,thisbook stops movedon dramatically since the upto-dateand herpesvirusesarecovered in ByJ.J. Perry, J.T. Staley &S. doesn't, comprehensive, there'snoequivalent to f nst P ra cti c a I Ap p ro a c h book atleast sufficient to detail,including cytomegalo- PublishedbySinauer Associates atcells: ofa depth (2002) andecologY' dedicatedtoplant molecular queryorto provide a viruses,herpes simplex virus and the'systematics answera pp,811 thatstarted the 1993 biologywaspublished in1988, foundationfora more thegamma herpesviruses, $35,99, chapter solid Betweenthetwo lies Thistwo-volume publication is Standardsof Epstein-Banvirusand KaPosi's ISBN:0-87893-675-0 volume, specificsearch, ofthe 8, subtilis thereforewelcome, andvery editingare high and sarcomaherpesvirus. Inaddition, thecompletion writingand genomesequence in1991which muchinthe spirit ofthe series, levelofcoherence is thereisan excellent chaPter on Anundergraduate textbook ahigh givesfocus throughout tothe witheach chapterfocusing ona thepresentation adenoviruses,whichprovided lhal'focusesonthe microbe achieveddespite presentwork,Thebook isin six particularmethodology and discretetopics. In earlyparadigms forsubsequent itselfrather than diseases ofdata as (ofvaried length) :a providingclear experimental withsome similar studyinmore complexvirus thatmight be caused by sections comparison this genomicview, cell architecture, protocols,Thesecond volume navigationandentry systemsaswell as a thoughtful nicro-organisml.lwelcome books, replicationandcell coverstechniques foranalysing is introductorychaPter, which approachwhich isalso a chromosome findingstraightforward. BioloW metabolismandits geneexpression andfor offoods cannot reviewsthemethodologY usedin characteristicofBrock's division, Themrcrobiology macromolecularinvestigatingthefunction ofgene inisolation tothe suchstudies. ofM icro-o rgani smsand which regulation, beconsidered producesamuch more holistic synthesis,andadaptation and productsinvitro and in vuo.Ihe technologyand an advantage of lEricBlair arewellwritten, with UniversityofLeeds andless medicalview ofthe differentiation,ofwhich the final chapters anencyclopedia isthe ease with importanceofmicro-organisms sectionisthe longest, amounting sufficientbackground detail and whichthe technical background, inlife on earth. Good features toa third of the book - reasonablY, astep-by-step guideto each fromthe processor backto the &Hepatitis CUirus: ofthis text include boxed inview of our increasingly technique.0verall, thiswill be a farm,can be researched, plant WFrom laboratoryto sectionson'Milestones in detailedunderstanding of usefulmanual forany Inconclusion, theEncyclopedia Clinic microbiology'or'Research sporulationamong other things. molecularbiology laboratory, formsan excellent resource of ByM,A, Feitelson highlightsiacommendable Eachchapter isan authoritative However,aminor criticism is valuetomany different people PublishedbyCambridge amountofmodern phylogenetics andconcise account ofits field, thatsome ofthe chapters seem inmany different situations. particular UniversityPress (2002) andgenomics, andsome good theediting isimpeccable, and outof place inthis Acquisitionbylibraries canbe $32,95/US$48.00,pp.256 diagramsofbacteriorhodoPsin theproduction excellent. lt is not volumeinthat they cover rather recommended, ISBN:0-521 -79959-7 andATP synthase. Weaknesses reallyacriticism tosuggestthat generaltechniques thatare not lAlanVarnam includesome problematic anyonenotalready expert will specifictoplant research, For LondonMetropolitan Thisbook embraces awide typographicalerrors,e.g. probablyneed tolook at the example,those chapters onthe University onHCV, providing reovirusesonp, 299 are earliervolumeaswell, Taking productionofrecombinant rangeoftopics - perspectivesonboth clinical mispelledasretroviruses, and analmost random example I've proteins,theuse of yeast two- manifestationsofthe virus someout-of-date diagrams pickedthis areajust because I'm hybridsystems andthe - andthe current themes in thatno longer accuratelY nota specialist the1993 productionofantibodies, fundamentalresearch, ltalso representcellular structures, chapterbySaier and colleagues lSaul Purton encompassesatemporal suchas the flagellum onp,97, containsasuperb account of UniversityCollege Thesepoints detractfrom what different transport ATPases London

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Gouncil Editonin€hief' Miq,obic{ogy DRPAULINES. HANDLEY Gells & Cell Surfaces Food&Beverages BOB RASTALL [)fficers PROF.CHRISTOPHERM. Schoolof BiologicalSciences, PROF.C. DAVID O'CON NOR DR THOMAS & Molecular FoodBiosciences, President 1,B0O Stopford Building, Biochemistry Biology Universityof Reading, PROF.SIRDAVIDHOPWOODSchoolof Biosciences, Universityof Manchester, Universityof Birmingham, OxfordRoad, Schoolof BiologicalSciences, POBox 226, JohnInnes Centre, Edgbaston, ManchesterM 13gPT Universityof Southampton, Whiteknights, NorwichResearch Park, BirminghamB15 2TT Tel. 01612755265 BassettCrescent East, ReadingRGO 6AP Colnev Tel.0121 4145903 Fax0161 2755656 SouthamptonSO16 7PX Tel.O1 183786726 NorwithNR4 7UH Fax 0121 4145925 emailp,[email protected],uk Tel. 02380 594336 (direct) FaxO1 183780080 Tel.01603 450000 emaiIc,m,'[email protected] 02380 594338 (secretary)emailr.a.rastall@readin g.ac.uk 450338(direct) PROF.COLINR.HOWARD 01603 Fax 02380594459 lrish Branch Editor-in.Ghief,JGV TheRoyal Veterinary College, Fax 01603450045 emaildoc 1 @soton,ac.uk DRCATHERINEO'REILLY emaildavid.hopwood@bbsrc. 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London INTERNAIIONAL SYMPOSIU[/ OF PROTEINASESTRUCIURT AND 25&26 September 2003 THEWORLD ASSOCIATION OF BuenosAires, Argentina FUNCTION VETERINARYLABORATORY 13-16April 2004 C0NTACT:[/anagement ForumLtd ,48 DIAG NOSTIC IANS 0rielCollege, 0xford WoodbridgeRoadGuildford GUl4RJ C0NTACT:DrA.ASchudel (see above) 9-13September 2003 flel01483 570099: Fax01483 Bangkok,Thailand 9-13ltlovember 2003 C0NTACT:TheMeetings 0ffice 536424,emaiI regi$ratio ns@ BiochemicalSociety 59Portland Place management-forumcouk; C0NTACT:DrA A Schudel Head l, Il.l:'., wlvwmanagement{orum.co uk) i,.r'.,t..,. LondonWlB lQW(Tel.020 75803481; Scientific&Iechnical Dept0lE, 12 rue .:t..i: deProny, 75017 Paris France (Tel+33 Fax020 /637 7626; email MANAGEMENIOFPLANT DISEASES meetings@biochemi$ry org; jilil 144 15 1B BB; Fax +33 1 42 67 09 87; {j* emailoie@oie int;www oie,int) ANDARTHROPOD PESTSBYBCAS AND wwwbiochemistry org/meetings/) $tili*,-it IF|EIRINTEGRATION INGREENHOUSE POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATV SYSTEMS(J0tNTt0B/WPRS MFE|NG) DIPLOMAINHEALIHCARE RISN BIOLOGYOFTYPE IVSECRETION I/]ANAGEMENT_SPECIRCALLY FOR St.Michele, Trentino, ltaly PROCESSESEUROCONFERENCE ON SENIOR I\/ANAGERS INHEALTHCARE ljmt:*iTlli*n*{l 10-13 June 2004 THEMECHANISMS ANDAPPLICATIONS UNITS INBIOTECHNOLOGY 13TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM C0NTACT:YigalElad, Convener Loughborough (Currentemailduring sabbatical : University ONIHE BIOLOGY OFTHE y Giens,France September2003-February 2005 ACTINOMYCETES elad@sbcbbkac,uk; 12-17September 2003 wwwagri gov il/Depts/l0BCPP/JGroup C0NTACT:JovceBo$ock Centre C0NTACT:DrJ Hendekovic Melbourne,Aushalia /10BCWPRSintegrationl $ html) EuropeanforHazard t Risk Management, 1-5 December 2003 ScienceFoundation tURESC0 Unit1 ghborough quai Lou University Lezay-[/arnesia,67080Strasbourg LoughboroughLEl13IU(Tel 01509 C0NIACT:Symposium Secretariat CedexFrance(Tel +33388/671 35; c/oConference Strategy PtyLtd P0 +33 222115: Fax0l 509 223 I 91 ; Fax 3BB36 69 87; emailj.gbo$ock@lboro acuk) Box1122 Sandringham, Victoria3191 l*$1' ;;;1 emaileuresco@esforg; Au$ralia(www conf erencestrate gy wwwesf.org/euresco/03/mc031 6B) comau) BIOSCIENCE2OO4: FRO[/MOLECULES TOORGAN ISMS $iip*-ilin:t{r;5 SECC,Glasgow 4THINTFRNATIONAL CONFERENCE 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CORDIAEUROPABIO CONVENTION 18-22 July 2004 ONTULARE[/IA ONMICROBIAL GENO[/iES 2003 C0NTACT:Meetings0ffice AssemblyRooms, Bath Durham,North Carolina, USA Vienna,Austria BiochemicalSociety, 59Portland Place, 15-l I September2003 28September-2 0ctober 2003 2-4December 2003 LondonWlB 1 QW (Tel 020 7580 3481 C0NTACT:emailTularemia@ C0NTACT:MsKimYSmith,Oak Ridge C0NTACT: www.cordiaconvention. 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SARScoronauirus I in context

Therapid emergence The pace of progress with SARS coronavirus has first; given strains ofcoronaviruses, although possibly andspread of an been - is - breathtaking. From the index case in growing in both regions, cause disease in one rather apparentlyuntreatable Hong Kong to the sequence of the whole genome than both areas. - (29.7 kb) took only 2 months. The structural proteins newinfectious disease A feature of coronaviruses that prompted speculation - of the SARS virus have only 2O40 Vo identity with SARS hascaused in the early SARS days was recombination. This has those in the previously known three coronavirus consternationaround happened frequently with IBV, whilst type II feline groups, sufficient to warrant that it be assigned to a theworld. The cause coronaviruses are recombinants of canine and feline new group, number 4. Novel though the virus is, wasquickly identified type I coronaviruses. Might SARS coronavirus we should look back at what we have learned with asa coronavirus.Dave recombine with human coronaviruses, of which there coronaviruses of veterinary importance whilst rushing Cavanaghcounsels that are species in coronavirus groups I and 2? Fortunately, forwards to combat SARS coronavirus. in developing strategies the dozen or so coronaviruses of which we are aware to dealwiththe SARS Virus has been isolated in Guangdong Province from indicate that recombination has not occurred between virusthemedical apparently healthy Himalayan palm civet cats and viruses of different groups, only within a group. professionhas much to raccoon dogs, the virus' surface spike protein having The coronavirus surface spike protein (S) is the most learnfrom experience of % identity to that of the human SARS isolates. 99 variable. Is the SARS virus S protein likely to mutate coronavirusesgained Should we be surprised at the existence of such similar in man? One would imagine so, if it were to establish in a veterinarycontext. coronaviruses in several mammalian species?No. The itself in the human community. This might be partly fastidiousness exhibited by many coronaviruses when in response to immunity, and partly, perhaps, as it it comes to growth in the laboratory is not rcflected in adapted to its new host, e.g. in respect of receptor uiao. Fot example, the Group 1 Canine coronavirus can Further reading specificity, as observed with murine coronavirus. infect pigs, albeit asymptomatically. This virus, and Addie, D.D., Schaap,I.A.T., Isolates of the 2298 species of human coronavirus porcine transmissible gastroenteriris coronavirus and Nicolson, O. &Jarrett, O. differ by 7 % in the amino-terminal (S1) half of S. feline coronavirus have > 90 % identity in their spike (2003).Persistence and Avian IBV strains differing by less than 5 7o of their protein, a determinant of host range and pathogenicity. transmissionofnatural type 1 51 amino acids can behave as different serotypes and fteli ne coronavi rus infection. The Group 2 bovine coronavirus has > 98 % sprke can exhibit poor cross-protection, a concern for GenVirolS4,inpress. protein identity with a virus isolated from a child J vaccine developers. There is a wealth of experience with diarrhoea, and 95 % identity with the recently Johnson, M.A., Pooley,C., from the development of coronavirus vaccines for discovered Group 2 respiratory coronavirus. Turkeys Ignj atovic, J. & Tyack, S.G. chickens, cattle, pigs, cats and dogs - though not (2003).A recombinantfowl experimentally infected with bovine coronavirus all of it is encouraging. On the whole, inactivated adenovirusexpressing the S1 replicated the virus, resulting in enteritis. The Group vaccines have induced protection only poorly. geneof infectiousbronchitis coronaviruses from chickens, turkeys and pheasants 3 Although widely used in egg-laying chickens, their virusprotects against challenge differ from each other to an extent no greater than purpose is immunity induced prior bronchitis to boost by wirh infectious that exhibited by serotypes of the chicken coronavirus, virus.Vaccine 2I, 2130-21 36. application of live attenuated vaccine. The spike infectious bronchitis vifus (IBV). protein alone can induce immunity, most recently Jones,R.C. & Ambali, A.G. One fear that has been voiced regarding SARS, demonstrated by expression from a fowl adenovirus; ( 1987).Re-excretion ofan supposing that rransmission ceasesover the a single oral application protected % of enterotropicinfectious even 9O-I0Q bronchitisvirus by hensat next few months and the link with the reservoir is not chickens. \Thilst the spotlight is likely to be on the point of lay afterexperimental reconnected, is that it might survive in asymptomatic spike protein, it should not be overlooked that the infectionatday old.WtRecI2O, carriers. After inoculation with IBV at one day of age, internal nucleoprotein has been reported to induce 611-618. chickens excreted virus again, detected in respiratory protective immunity. The S7HO has recommended Zhang, X.M., Flerbst, V., andfaecal swabs, at 4 months of age. The trigger, it that SARS vaccines be developed. The quickest and Kousoulas, K.G. & Storz,J. would seem) was the stress of coming into lay. probably safest to develop would be an inactivated (L994).Biologicaland About lO % of cats become persistently infected, or subunit vaccine. Even if its immunogenicity geneticcharacterization of a asymptomatic chronic shedders (for more than a year) were to prove less than desired, it might induce hemagglutinati ng coronavirus of feline coronavirus following natural infection. protection against the worst outcome of infection - isolatedfrom adiarrhoeicchild. I i fe-threatening pneumonia. It should rcaIIy come as no surprise that the SARS J MedVirol44,152-151. virus has been recovered from faeces,and for a longer S Dave Cavanagh is a virologist at the period than from the respiratory tract. This happens Institute for Animal Health, Compton in chickens with IBV (which is able to replicate in Laboratory ([email protected]). @Please note that many alimentary tract tissues, asymptomatically, and His research is focussed on coronaviruses of viewsexpressed in in oviduct and kidney, sometimes causing lethal avian species. Commentdonot nephritis) and other coronaviruses, including human necessarilyreflect ones. If it is demonstrated that the SARS virus is officialpolicy of the growing and directiy causing pathology in both the SGM Council. respiratory tract and the gut then that would be a

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