Editorial

28 July 1914 was an inauspicious day. Its arrival marked the end of a fragile peace and the golden age that held European alliances together; it also marked an end to the certainties of the establishment and the Empires. I grew up during 1960–70s Britain, with the First World War a lived experience, passed on as vivid stories at the knees of grandparents, or as dark, unspoken silences that had shaped people’s lives in unimaginable ways. Now, as a parent in the 21st Century my perspective of this war has changed.

ur landscapes are still marked microbiological cause as had originally testing hypotheses about the viability of with the poignant names of those been proposed in 1916 by two French micro-organisms and the influence of Owho lost their lives during ‘the war officers, Médicin Majors Victor Raymond background ionizing radiation on long- to end all wars’. These days my children and Jacques Parisot. term survival. attend a school built at the turn of the However, the First World War did I hope you find this issue thought- 20th Century, which promised a bright offer opportunities for scientific progress. provoking: our intention is to recognise future for those boys lucky enough to Gavin Thomas outlines the discovery of the role of microbes in this terrible war receive a grammar school education. bacterial viruses (or bacteriophages) and to recognise the role this conflict has Passing through the front door, black during this time, an important milestone played in the field of microbiology today. copperplate writing captures the lives in the history of microbiology. These ‘The Sisters Buried at Lemnos’ of sons and brothers, lost during this findings broadened our understanding poem by Vera Brittain alludes to the ill-fated war. of the fundamental forms of life that multifaceted suffering caused by this In this edition of Microbiology Today exist in nature. The work undertaken by war, and it is a touching account of the we have sought to commemorate the pioneering scientists such as Twort and sacrifices of women who also played start of the Great War. The suffering that d’Herelle evolved and underpins the work their part in all aspects of this conflict. occurred was the result of four years of of modern day pioneering molecular An excerpt is below. conflict and strife. However, it was also biologists and geneticists. Their work Seldom they enter into song or story; caused by ravaging diseases that stalked has also provided a potential route to Poets praise the soldier’s might and the trenches. Rezak Drali, Philippe treat bacterial infections, which has deeds of War, Brouqui and Didier Raoult describe seen a renaissance in the last decade But few exalt the Sisters, and the glory the role the typhus epidemic played, as antibiotic resistance continues to Of women dead beneath a distant star. which has a habit of always striking increase. Preben Krabben provides an No armies threatened in that lonely station, humanity at a time of great disaster. account of the beginning of what was They fought not fire or steel or ruthless foe, John Oxford vividly portrays the ‘perfect to become one of the largest microbial But heat and hunger, sickness and privation, storm’ caused by a war and a global fermentation processes in the world, And Winter’s deathly chill and blinding snow. pandemic, which resulted in the deaths namely acetone and butanol production. Till mortal frailty could endure no longer of over six million soldiers by war, and a This edition has mainly looked Disease’s ravages and climate’s power, shocking further 80 million civilians due back 100 years to the start of the First In body weak, but spirit ever stronger, to influenza. A debate that surrounded World War. Charles Cockell has written a Courageously they stayed to meet their hour. the medical basis of trench foot – a future-focused Comment for this issue. disease synonymous with warfare He provides details about a 500-year Laura Bowater during the 1914–18 conflict – is outlined microbiology experiment to study and Editor by Robert Atenstaedt. He presents quantify the survival of desiccated [email protected] evidence that shows this disease had no organisms over century time-scales,

Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 49 Contents

Microbiology

TODAY 41:2 May 2014 Articles Features Regulars Typhus in World War I 78 Schoolzone 49 Editorial 58 Rezak Drali, Philippe Brouqui & Didier Raoult How World Wars I and II influenced antibiotic development. 52 Council 2013–14 An opportunistic pestilential disease thrived during civil unrest. 53 From the President 81 Outreach 54 News A deadly synergy: the Great War James Redfern’s PhD with a difference. 62 and the Great Pandemic 56 Conferences John S. Oxford 82 Membership Q&A 92 Reviews The global dispersion of Spanish flu was facilitated by the war. Nina Konstantinidou tells us about her work.

Editor Dr Laura Bowater A microbiological cause for 84 Policy Managing Editor Ruth Paget Editorial Board Phil Aldridge, David Bhella, Helen Brown, Alan Cann, 66 trench foot? Find out about the work of the Policy Committee. Lorena Fernandez-Martinez, Shaun Heaphy, Paul Hoskisson, Gavin Thomas Rob Atenstaedt Address Society for General Microbiology, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU T +44 (0)20 7685 2683 E [email protected] A fungal cause was questioned during the Great War. 86 Champion your Society Design Ian Atherton, Corbicula Design (www.corbiculadesign.co.uk) Volunteer scheme for passionate communicators. Printed by Charlesworth Press, Wakefield Frederick William Twort: © 2014 Society for General Microbiology ISSN 1464-0570 70 not just bacteriophage 88 Meet the Committees The views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect official policy of the Society; nor can Gavin Thomas Find out what the Society’s Committees do. the claims of advertisers be guaranteed. Twort’s discoveries during World War I and his post-war legacy.

94 Obituary – Sir Michael Stoker FSC Logo Acetone production during the Looking back at Michael Stoker’s work and life. 74 First World War Preben Krabben 95 Comment – The 500-year Innovative processes that aided the war effort. Microbiology Experiment British soldiers in France during World War I. US Air Force/Science Findings to be confirmed in 2514. Photo Library From the President Council 2013–14

This issue of Microbiology Today is bracketed by two important events. The first is our Annual Meeting in Liverpool. Due to the production schedule, this is written before the event, but the programme is excellent and, as long as the coffee arrives on time Executive Officers (for on such things the reputation of a meeting often hangs!), I President – Professor Nigel L. Brown University of Edinburgh, c/o Society for General Microbiology, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU; [email protected] am sure that we will have had a scientifically rewarding and General Secretary – Dr Evelyn M. Doyle enjoyable time.

School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland; [email protected] Ian Atherton Photo Treasurer – Professor Chris Thomas School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT; [email protected]

his is the first Annual Meeting, biography of Peter will appear in the launched a Society Champions scheme. rather than our having separate next issue of Microbiology Today. I, and They will represent the Society locally. Elected Members TSpring and Autumn Meetings. As other members of Society’s Council, Initially this will be a short pilot scheme, Professor Andrew Davison far as microbiology is concerned, I agree very much look forward to working with which, if successful, will subsequently MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Church Street, Glasgow G11 5JR; [email protected] with G. K. Chesterton that ‘there is no him to take the Society forward over the be expanded across the UK and Ireland. Dr Stephen Diggle such thing on earth as an uninteresting next few years. Society Champions will also be provided School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD; [email protected] subject; the only thing that can exist is an This issue of Microbiology Today with promotional materials and Dr Pat Goodwin uninterested person’, so I am sure that all acknowledges the centenary of the resources, such as those described by C3 Collaborating for Health, c/o Society for General Microbiology, Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London WC1N 2JU members will have found something of outbreak of the Great War in 1914 James Redfern on page 81. However, Professor Ian R. Henderson interest. through the microbiological impact of even if you have not applied for the Division of Immunity & Infection, University of Birmingham Medical School, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2QU; [email protected] The second event is the the great changes that happened across elections to Council, Committees or Professor David Pearce appointment of our new Chief Executive. those four years and beyond. We are all Divisions, you can still help the Society Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 8ST; [email protected] Dr Peter Cotgreave starts work at the aware of the H1N1 influenza epidemic by letting me, or a member of one of Professor John H. Sinclair Society at the beginning of June. He and of the oft-repeated aphorism that these bodies, know what you would like Department of Medicine, Level 5, Laboratory Block, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ; [email protected] comes to us with a strong background more people died of influenza than the Society to do. in public engagement and working of war wounds, but the role of micro- for the benefit of UK science, both at organisms in other infections and in Nigel Brown the Royal Society and at CaSE (The industrial fermentation are possibly President Chairs of Committees Campaign for Science and Engineering). less well known. [email protected] Communications Committee – Dr Paul A. Hoskisson It is important that we engage with A century is but a short time Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE; [email protected] opinion formers and various public compared with the experimental Finance Committee – Professor Chris Thomas groups to ensure that awareness of the ambitions of my Edinburgh colleague See ‘Treasurer’ above importance of microbiology in the 21st Charles Cockell, who describes his Professional Development Committee – Dr Sara Burton Century is not overlooked. Emerging and plans for a 500-year experiment in Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD;[email protected] re-emerging diseases with resistance this issue. Policy Committee – Professor Maggie Smith to antimicrobials, the opportunities One of the most important Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD; [email protected] represented by synthetic microbiology, attributes of a learned society is its Publishing Committee – Professor Colin R. Harwood the role of micro-organisms in food and membership. In order to support Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Baddiley Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4AX; energy production, and their place in our members and encourage [email protected] a functioning ecosystem are all major microbiologists to join us in promoting Scientific Conferences Committee – Professor Mark Harris issues that are important for the society the art and science of microbiology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT; [email protected] to understand and consider. A brief as our Strategic Plan states, we have

52 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 53 JMM Case Reports reaches 100 submissions Announcement of AGM JMM Case Reports, the Society’s new online-only open access The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society will be journal, has received over 100 submissions since it was announced held at Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London News in September last year. WC1N 2JU, on the afternoon of Thursday 11 September The journal, the Society for General Microbiology’s first new 2014. Further details will appear in the August Edition ‘The Real publication in nearly 50 years, has attracted a wide range of case of Microbiology Today and also on the website. Superheroes’ on display at reports from researchers and clinicians across the globe. the Society’s Professor Peter Borriello, one of JMM Case Report’s Editors-in- Strategy Chief, said: ‘We have been overwhelmed by the incredible response stand at The The Society’s Strategic Plan for 2012–17 to the new journal and are delighted to have reached this number Big Bang Fair (microb.io/1l6Yo42) was reviewed in 2013. This of submissions so quickly. We are particularly pleased by the wide 2014. revised version was approved by Council in December international authorship of the case reports we have received, with 2013 to commence in 2014. Microbes – submissions coming in from over 30 different countries so far. Usage has also been very high and we are excited to see how the rest of the The Real Superheroes success at The Big Bang Fair 2014 year unfolds for the journal.’ News of Members The Society is proud to have been a sponsor of The Big Bang Fair since it first JMM Case Reports is a gold open access publication, meaning Congratulations to Dr Julian Parkhill, a Society began in 2009. It has grown tremendously since those early days and is now the that articles are free to read as soon as they are published. The Member since 1990, who has been elected as a UK’s largest single celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. This Society is waiving open access fees for all authors in the journal’s Fellow of the Royal Society, and to Honorary Member year the event attracted over 75,000 attendees, including young people, teachers launch period. Visit the journal website (www.sgmjournals.org) to Professor Julian Davies who has been elected to the and parents. read the latest case reports and find out how to submit your own. American National Academy of Sciences. The Society’s interactive stand focused on ‘The Real Superheroes’ – microbes. This followed the theme of our February edition of Microbiology Today (microb. io/1iOulLe). The aim was to inspire and excite the attendees about some of the Nuffield Research Placements Death amazing things that microbes can do. Armed with animations, models, plasticine, The Society is pleased to support the Nuffield Research Placements by offering It is with great sadness that we report Petri dishes and microbe passports, over 3,000 visitors were able to explore funding for 10 students to work alongside professional microbiologists on authentic the death of Professor Lorna Casselton this fascinating, microscopic world and discover why microbes are so important projects through four- to six-week placements in universities, commercial companies CBE FRS, an eminent mycologist and in our daily life. We would like to thank our amazing team of Society members and research institutes. Students in the first year of a post-16 science, technology, fungal geneticist. Lorna was a member of who volunteered to help at the event and who had a fantastic time sharing their engineering and maths (STEM) course are eligible to apply. They particularly the Society for 40 years, joining in 1974. enthusiasm for all things microbiological. encourage students who don’t have a family history of going to university or who New schools resource If you are interested in getting involved in our outreach work contact Theresa attend schools in less well-off areas and they make sure no-one is excluded on a Viruses: a practical resource for Hudson, Education and Outreach Officer at the Society, [email protected] . financial basis by covering students’ travel costs. Listed below are some examples Summer Science Exhibition post-16 biology teachers We are currently in the process of putting together the resources, including the of the microbiology projects that students took part in this year. The Royal Society’s Summer Science animations and microbe passports, into a format that can be downloaded by Exhibition will take place at their main This resource has been developed to Project provider Project title Supervisor Society members to use in their outreach work. Watch this space for further premises in central London from 30 provide a series of well-tested practical Edinburgh Napier Construction of a Salmonella gene promoter: lacZ fusion Craig information. June to 6 July 2014. This is their main activities for use in teaching biology University reporter plasmid Stevens public event of the year and is open to at post-16. The practical activities all University of Abertay Beyond Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25: seeking Wrinkly Andrew the general public as well as students, focus on the micro-organisms known Launch of Society Champions Dundee Spreaders amongst related pseudomonads Spiers University of Investigation on how increased exposure to sand particles Aras teachers, scientists, policy-makers as viruses. All the bacterial cultures and The Society is looking for members who are passionate about microbiology Liverpool causes the rise in the number of cases of respiratory Kadioglu and the media. Showcasing exciting viruses are safe to use in the school and are keen to work with their local networks to increase the awareness and diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and cutting-edge research, it provides laboratory. The activities can be used to membership of the Society. Champions will have an important role in the delivery University of Inhibition of Escherichia coli biofilm formation by sodium Phillip Cash an excellent platform for the public to illustrate a range of topics, including: Aberdeen salicylate and development of an exciting programme of activities to grow and support the interact with researchers and question University of Testing the root length and shoot height of radishes grown Avice Hall • Visualising viral infection membership. For further information on how to get involved go to p. 86. Hertfordshire in sand and soil with or without PBSA and enumerating them about their work. This year Dr Matt • Estimating the number of viruses in microbiological activity Hutchings (University of East Anglia) a sample (total and viable count) The Society joins Access to Research initiative Imperial College The type 2 secretion system and how it allows Legionella James and his colleagues will present their London to thrive Garnett • Inactivating live viruses fascinating research on ‘Leafcutter ants The Society for General Microbiology Group, a Committee convened by the University of Reading Investigation into a possible conformational linkage Ben Neuman and their antibiotics’. If you can’t visit the • Using PCR to diagnose viral disease between the haemagglutinin and matrix proteins present in is pleased to announce its participation UK government, to explore how access exhibition follow their story on his blog in the Access to Research initiative. to publicly funded research could be the influenza A virus Society school members should site – microbelog.wordpress.com have received their copy of this resource. The initiative, launched in late 2013, expanded. The five journals published by University of Protein modifications in Campylobacter and Helicobacter Dennis Manchester bacteria Linton It is also available free of charge to gives free, walk-in access to a wide the Society will be included in the pilot MRC National Institute Creation of a plasmid construct to conditionally delete Michael Society members involved in outreach range of academic research in public from April 2014. More information can for Medical Research merozoite surface protein 1 in the malaria parasite Blackman Dariel Burdass work. Price to non-members is £15. For libraries across the UK. It was launched be found at www.accesstoresearch. Plasmodium falciparum Head of Communications further information or to request a copy, as a two-year pilot in response to org.uk University of Glasgow Recombinant expression of beta-2-microglobulin in Cheryl [email protected] email [email protected] recommendations from the Finch Escherichia coli Woolhead

54 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 55

y to Librar ence Pho Conferences mers/Sci m inclair Sta Caenorhabditis elegans. S Modelling Microbial Infection Annual Monday 17–Tuesday 18 September 2014 – Charles Darwin House, London Conference 2015 Infection models are essential for models for drug discovery/development dissecting microbial–host interactions, will also be discussed. This meeting is International unravelling disease processes and in relevant to any researcher working in the development of novel therapeutic the area of microbial pathogenesis and Conference Centre, New Focused Meetings agents. This Focused Meeting will offers the opportunity to learn about discuss the range of models available to the range of models and resources Birmingham study microbial pathogenesis and will available. The meeting will appeal to 30 March–2 April In 2014 the first two events in the new programme of Focused Meetings, namelyEmerging Challenges explore how technological advances, scientific researchers at all levels, and in and Opportunities in Soil Microbiology and Modelling Microbial Infection, will take place. As the such as in vivo imaging, can increase particular PhD students, clinicians and Following the success of the Annual Conference 2014, the Society is happy name suggests, each meeting will entirely focus on a specific area of microbiological science, the information obtained from these those with an interest in translational and models. Bacterial, viral, fungal and commercial research. to announce that the next Annual bringing together microbiologists in the field to exchange ideas, network and explore the parasitic infection models will be Conference will take place from Monday latest developments. Visit the Society’s website for full details: www.sgm.ac.uk discussed and the use of alternative Co-organisers: Donna MacCallum and 30 March to Thursday 2 April 2015 at infection models debated. The use of Carol Munro (University of Aberdeen) the International Conference Centre, We would be grateful if you could encourage colleagues and other members who have an Birmingham. The conference will feature interest in the below topics to register. Do you have an idea for a Focused Meeting or need funding four packed days of microbiological for your own microbiology meeting? science aimed at scientists of all levels. Emerging Challenges and Opportunities in Soil Microbiology Please keep up to date with information Focused Meetings are stand-alone events that take place outside of the Society’s as it is confirmed by visiting the events Annual Conference and concentrate on one specific area of microbiology. Monday 1–Tuesday 2 September 2014 – Holywell Park Conference Centre, University of Loughborough section of the website: microb.io/ Organisers retain control of the scientific content with the support of the A fundamental knowledge of soils. Soil microbial community composition, dynamics and NwyJmq Society’s Scientific Conferences Committee. The proposal forms and full details on the functioning of healthy functioning can now be probed into depths not possible before. how to apply are now available online at www.sgm.ac.uk natural and agricultural This Focused Meeting will bring together soil Dates for the diary soils and their resilience is a microbiologists, ecologists, soil scientists, geographers and prerequisite to meeting the technologists providing expertise in environmental ‘omics’, Society-supported Conference Grants Irish Division Autumn Meeting 2014 many natural and man-made imaging and bioinformatics to present and discuss emerging Members can now also apply for a Society-supported Conference Grant to fund Microbe–Host Dialogue challenges of the 21st Century, challenges and opportunities in soil microbial ecology and reasonable speaker expenses associated with a microbiological conference they Thursday 21–Friday 22 August 2014 such as climate change, food and to promote multidisciplinary collaborations. Early-career are organising. Support is in the form of a grant up to £2,000 but does not include University of Limerick (fresh) water security, nutrient scientists are especially encouraged to participate. secretariat support. Application forms are available online. cycling and availability, carbon

y Emerging Challenges and Opportunities r a r ib capture, pollution and biodiversity. Topics will include: L Let’s talk in Soil Microbiology to o h Microbial communities in soils can • The impact of climate change, water scarcity, flooding P If you are thinking of submitting proposals/applications for any of the above you are e Monday 1–Tuesday 2 September 2014 c n e ci affect these processes and also have and agriculture on soil microbial community functioning /S actively encouraged to discuss your proposal prior to submission with the relevant Holywell Park Conference Centre, es ag to be able to adapt to changes in the and vice versa t Im Division. Alternatively, contact the conferences team at [email protected]. University of Loughborough ini g, M soil interface with e.g. water distribution, • Structural and functional soil microbial diversity ntin Contact details are available at www.sgm.ac.uk anz La Cracked soil. Fr soil/nutrient particles, plants and other soil • Biophysical processes affecting the life of soil microbes Modelling Microbial Infection biota, and gas exchange with the atmosphere. • Bioengineering soil sustainability Monday 17–Tuesday 18 November 2014 The last decade has seen tremendous advances in next- • Spatial ecology, biogeography and (changes in) land use Deadlines Charles Darwin House, London generation nucleic acid sequencing, mass spectrometry and • (Re)cycling of nutrients, waste and pollution The above will be reviewed by the Society’s Divisions and the Scientific Conferences high-resolution imaging technologies such as atomic force Committee. SGM Annual Conference 2015 and confocal microscopy, X-ray computed tomography and Organisers: Geertje van Keulen (Swansea University), Alex Society-supported Grants 2015 Monday 15 December 2014 Monday 30 March–Thursday 2 April 2015 International Conference Centre, neutron radiography, which offer exciting opportunities for Dumbrell (University of Essex) and Wilfred Otten (University of Annual Conference 2016 Monday 15 December 2014 soil microbiologists to study the crucial ecological roles of Abertay, Dundee) Birmingham

56 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 57 (a)

Typhus (b) in World War I

from human to human. The term Fig. 2. R. prowazekii-infected (a) or uninfected (b) dead P. humanus humanus. The louse infected with Fig. 1. Coloured electron micrograph of a bacterium ‘exanthematic typhus’ was introduced in R. prowazekii became red and developed rectal bleeding before dying. Reproduced from Houhamdi, L. & others of the genus Rickettsia. CNRI/Science Photo Library Rezak Drali, Philippe Brouqui & Didier Raoult 1760 by the French physician, Boissier (2002), J Infect Dis 186, 1639–1646; license no. 3337041496430; Oxford University Press de Sauvages. Thanks to PCR testing of dental pulp from ancient remnants Prize in 1928 for his findings. Nicolle from typhus after confirming Ricketts’ of bodies from graves, we now have was able to transmit the typhus from observations. In 1916, Rocha Lima evidence that typhus and trench fever humans to chimpanzees and then to described the bacterium and named were involved in the decimation of the macaques through blood transmission it Rickettsia prowazekii in honour of besiegers of Douai, 1710–12, during and, finally, from macaque to macaque Ricketts and Prowazek. the War of the Spanish Succession, via a body louse. Body lice infected by R. prowazekii and afflicted the soldiers of Napoleon’s Between 1903 and 1908, Ricketts become red and die shortly thereafter Grand Army in Vilnius in 1812 after their identified Rickettsia rickettsii (Fig. 1), the (Fig. 2). Humans are the principal retirement from Russia (Table 1). agent of spotted fever that is closely reservoir of typhus during outbreaks. In 1909, epidemic typhus was related to the agent of typhus. In 1910, However, a zoonotic reservoir of R. found to be transmitted by Pediculus he contracted typhus and died in Mexico prowazekii exists. In addition to the humanus humanus, the body louse, by while conducting his experiments. detection of antibodies against R. Charles Nicolle, and he received a Nobel In 1914, von Prowazek in turn died prowazekii in a wide range of domestic and wild animals, R. prowazekii was Table 1. Potential typhus outbreaks through the history of mankind isolated from the blood of Egyptian Period Outbreak Probability Other possible disease donkeys and from the spleens, fleas and lice of the flying squirrel in Florida, USA. 15th Century Conquest of Granada Likely R. prowazekii was also isolated from 16th Century Mexico Likely Smallpox Hyalomma spp. ticks recovered from 16th Century Hungarian disease Likely livestock in Ethiopia and Amblyomma Epidemic typhus has always accompanied disasters striking he original description of typhus 1710–12 War of Spanish Succession Proven Trench fever spp. ticks in Mexico. (France, Europe) humanity. Famine, cold and wars are its best allies. Typhus, also is thought to have been made in A typhus outbreak requires the T1546 by Fracastoro, a Florentine 1812 Napoleonic Wars Proven Trench fever occurrence of both body louse outbreak known as historical typhus, classic typhus, sylvatic typhus, red physician, in his treatise of infectious (Vilnius, Eastern Europe) and a case of bacteraemic typhus louse disease, louse-borne typhus and jail fever has caused diseases: De contagione et contagiosis 1914–18 World War I (Russia, Europe) Proven Trench fever (Brill–Zinsser disease or epidemic morbis. His observations during the 1917–25 Bolshevik Revolution (Russia) Proven Other louse-borne typhus) (Fig. 3). These two conditions Italian outbreaks in 1505 and 1528 are often combined in wartime, where mortality and morbidity through the centuries, and on the Eastern diseases allowed him to separate typhus from stress, lack of hygiene and non-changing 1940–45 World War II (Europe, North Africa) Proven Trench fever Front during World War I it led to the death of thousands. the other pestilential diseases. It also of clothes during the winter months are 1997 Burundi Civil War (Central Africa) Proven Trench fever recognised the transmission of typhus common.

58 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 59 “ “ lesions on the skin. R. prowazekii enters to the extremities (Fig. 4). The rash, relapsing fever and caused by Borrelia Epidemic typhus is an the skin through these lesions or by which may be hard to see in darker- recurrentis. the contamination of conjunctivae or skinned individuals, except in the axilla, unpredictable disease that can mucous membranes with louse faeces is classically described as sparing the Conclusion containing rickettsiae. Infection through palms and soles. Gangrene and necrosis Epidemic typhus is an unpredictable suddenly re-emerge when social the aerosols of faeces-infected dust has of toes and fingers that necessitates disease that can suddenly re-emerge also been reported and is the major risk amputation has been observed. when social organisation is disrupted, as organisation is disrupted among physicians. Neurologic symptoms include confusion Fig. 5. Soldiers’ kit bags being placed into gas chambers to be deloused during World War I. Otis Historical was observed in 1997 among Burundi’s and drowsiness. Coma, seizures and Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine/Science Photo Library Civil War refugees in central Africa. Clinical manifestations of epidemic focal neurologic signs may develop in a Wars are optimal conditions for body Body louse outbreak typhus minority of patients. The mortality rate Typhus in the First World War standards of hygiene among the troops louse proliferation and their associated The body louse is a blood-sucking Epidemic typhus is a life-threatening, varies from 0.7 to 60% for untreated The declaration of war by Austria to prevent body lice infestations (Fig. 5). diseases. Thus, the control of lice with ectoparasite, specific to humans, that acute exanthematic feverish disease cases, depending on the age of the against Serbia in 1914 following the On the Western Front, although the combination of oral Ivermectin, lives and multiplies in clothing. During that is primarily characterised by the patient, with a case fatality ratio lower assassination of Archduke Ferdinand body lice were also endemic among clean clothes and insecticides will help its life cycle of approximately 35 days, abrupt onset of fever with painful than 5% in patients less than 13 years quickly expanded into an uncontrollable the troops, there was no outbreak of to avoid disasters caused by typhus, the female louse lays an average of 200 myalgia, a severe headache, malaise old. In self-resolving cases, R. prowazekii global conflict in World War I. typhus. The situation lacked the R. trench fever and relapsing fever during eggs, which can increase the number and a rash. Non-specific symptoms can persist for life in humans, and under On the Eastern Front, intense prowazekii bacteraemia to trigger a humanitarian catastrophes. “of lice from a few to thousands on sometimes include a cough, abdominal stressful conditions recrudescence may shelling of Serbian cities destroyed typhus epidemic, as had happened on the same individual. The body louse pain, nausea and diarrhoea. The rash occur as a milder form of Brill–Zinsser the existing infrastructure and drove the Eastern Front. Another disease, Rezak Drali, Philippe Brouqui & ingests an average of five meals a day, that is characteristic of epidemic typhus disease. R. prowazekii bacteraemia the population to the streets, and at described for the first time and also Didier Raoult generating extremely dry dejections. It classically begins a few days after the occurs in Brill–Zinsser disease so it can least 20,000 Austrians were taken vectored by the body louse, was raging Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, injects various substances when biting onset of symptoms, appearing as a red initiate an outbreak of epidemic typhus prisoner by the Serbs. There was a in the trenches among the troops. It CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, 13005 that cause itching, compelling the host macular or maculopapular eruption on when body lice are present on the lack of physicians and other medical is caused by the bacterium Bartonella Marseille, France and Institut Hospitalo- to scratch vigorously thereby generating the trunk that later spreads centrifugally infected individuals. professionals because they had been quintana and was named trench fever. Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, seconded to the army, which led to the On the Russian front, throughout the 13005 Marseille, France; Corresponding rapid collapse of the health status of last two years of the conflict and during author Tel. +33 491 32 43 75 (1) (2) (3) defenceless populations. Malnutrition, the Bolshevik revolution, approximately Body lice infection [email protected] overcrowding and a lack of hygiene 2.5 million deaths were recorded. R. prowazekii-infected paved the way for typhus. In November Typhus was latent in Russia long before body lice infestation Further reading 1914, typhus made its​​ first appearance the beginning of World War I. The Bavaro, M. F. & others (2005). History of US among refugees and prisoners, and it mortality rate rose from 0.13 per 1,000 military contributions to the study of Rickettsial then spread rapidly among the troops. in peacetime to 2.33 per 1,000 in 1915. diseases. Mil Med 170 (Suppl. 1), 49–60. One year after the outbreak of hostilities, Soldiers and refugees imported typhus Bechah, Y. & others (2008). Epidemic typhus. typhus killed 150,000 people, of whom and propagated it across the country. It Lancet Infect Dis 8, 417–426. 50,000 were prisoners in Serbia. A third was during the hard winter of 1917–18 Raoult, D., Woodward, T. & Dumler, J. S. of the country’s doctors suffered the that the biggest outbreak of typhus in (2004). The history of epidemic typhus. Infect same fate. The mortality rate reached modern history began in a Russia that Dis Clin N Am 18, 127–140. an epidemic peak of approximately 60 to was already devastated by famine and Tschanz, D. W. (2008). Typhus Fever on the 70%. This dramatic situation dissuaded war. The great epidemic started in the Eastern Front in World War I. Insects, Disease the Germano-Austrian commandment big cities and eventually reached the and History Website, Entomology Group of Wars Crowding, lack of hygiene Brill–Zinsser from invading Serbia in an attempt to distant lands of the Urals, Siberia and Montana State University, microb.io/1kLupfa and cold and no clothing change Body lice outbreak Disease Typhus outbreak prevent the spread of typhus within their Central Asia. (accessed 18 January 2008). borders. Drastic measures were taken, After World War I, between 1919 Zinsser, H. (1935). Rats, lice and history: A Fig. 3. Outbreak of epidemic typhus. When social organisation is disrupted, (1) body louse outbreak occurs Fig. 4. Diffuse petechial rash of epidemic typhus. such as the quarantine of people with and 1923, there were five million deaths chronicle of pestilence and plagues. New York: among defenceless populations and (2) the presence of a case of Brill–Zinsser can initiate (3) an outbreak of URMITE (Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies the first clinical signs of the disease, in Russia and Eastern Europe because Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers. epidemic typhus. Rezak Drali, Philippe Brouqui & Didier Raoult Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes) but attempts were also made to apply of a third disease vectored by body lice,

60 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 61 the Home and Western Fronts such that they agreed an armistice rather than an attack on Germany itself for a true A deadly victory.

Public health specialists took action against emerging influenza in 1918 synergy: but ignored an early warning signal on the Western Front in 1916 At this point I would not want anyone to conclude that scientists, bacteriologists and doctors, our fore the Great bearers, were inactive: totally the opposite. Pneumococcus vaccines were formulated, disinfectant sprays and masks introduced and social distancing and school closures were started, War and especially in American cities. Those cities which used all these measures quickly and at the same time, suffered less than comparable ones who hesitated or had a step-by-step strategy. the Great As the infection quickly gripped England and the world, countless nurses and doctors succumbed. Twenty-three thousand citizens died in London alone. Morbid anatomists risked their lives to Pandemic collect and store lung samples, which today are the basis of molecular studies Coloured transmission electron micrograph of H1N1 1918 influenza to unravel the pathology of the disease. John S. Oxford virus particles. AMI Images/Science Photo Library In the British Army influenza casualties of 498,188 exceeded the Battle of the Somme (463,697), but laboratories were set up on the Western Front, filtration his virus is the supreme the other: they were intertwined worked in synergy to allow spread and experiments started to investigate a Attention to microbiology was not in the front of minds of opportunist. Our leaders and synergistic. global dispersion of the virus. In turn, viral origin of the disease and macaques Twere stumbling towards a The war provided the Perfect the virus disrupted the war economy imported for animal transmission work. politicians, nationalists and military men as the war began. fateful decision that would embroil Storm conditions for an influenza in the UK and altered the course of Bacteriologists identified co- But influenza A is a Darwinian virus driven by the vast Europe, bankrupt England and finish pandemic to arise; millions of young the war. The final great and ultimately infection of the lung with classical its Empire, and cause the deaths of over people in army holding and training unsuccessful challenge, March to Streptococcus pneumoniae and unfathomable laws of nature and emergence, re-emergence six million soldiers worldwide by war camps, some of them gassed and May 1918 by Ludendorff, to knock the Staphylococcus aureus. Indeed modern and even more startling a further 80 all stressed. During 1917 and 1918, British Expeditionary Force out of the analysis of post-mortem samples from and resurgence of natural disease and moves with alacrity. million civilians by pandemic influenza. malnutrition and overcrowding in the war was slowed by influenza in the the 2009 ‘Mexican’ pandemic, caused by To me these two events were not Home Fronts throughout Europe and German Army. Within months the virus a distant relative of the 1918 H1N1 virus, adjacent, one closely following after the mass movements of soldiers all attack destabilised the Allies on both showed a remarkably similar pathology.

62 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 63 “ “ USA laboratories by reverse genetics An extraordinary and clear proudly served, must have acted as a and the virus pathogenicity studied in message is emerging from this sad major conduit whereby the virus reached An extraordinary and clear message is animal models in category III and IV tale, which tells us to build our public out to the world in the second wave in emerging from this sad tale, which tells laboratories. Most surprisingly to my health infrastructure and continue to November in 1918. mind, the virus is not overly pathogenic expand our epidemiological vigilance and us to build our public health infrastructure in mice and ferrets. To date, no single surveillance against all these infectious John S. Oxford gene has shown to be solely responsible viruses and bacteria. Virus surveillance Centre for Infectious Diseases, Blizard and continue to expand our epidemiological for the extremely high human mortality. at the interface of humans and birds and Institute and Retroscreen Virology Ltd, But we have to acknowledge that only pigs is recklessly thin. Indonesia has 1.67 Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation vigilance and surveillance against all a handful of nucleotide sequences are billion chickens but has only sequenced Centre, London E1 2AX, UK to hand from the 80 million victims and 719 influenza viruses and Brazil with [email protected] these infectious viruses. these show remarkable genetic identity. 1.27 billion chickens has failed to raise a The surface glycoprotein haemagglutinin single nucleotide sequence. (HA) from a sample from my own I personally feel we should now Further reading hospital the Royal London, only has a set our goals for completed pandemic Gill, D. & Putkowski, J. (1985). The British Base Historical French caricature of the 1918 influenza pandemic. single mutation compared with a sample plans and mine is timed for 2018 when Camp at Étaples 1914–1918. Musée Quentovic: CCI Archives/Science Photo Library from an American soldier who died given our speed of travel and nature of Étaples. 3,000 miles away and months apart. overcrowding of our world a new virus Phillips, H. & Killingray, D. (editors) (2003). “ Could the 1916 virus have The Spanish Influenza Pandemics of 1918–1919: But at the back of my mind is a In August 1998, our combined But this single nucleotide change is whether H2, H10, H7 or H5 could be nagging query about whether previous been widely seeded because of the USA, Canadian, Norwegian and British near the receptor binding site of the upon us. With our preparations complete New Perspectives. Social History of Medicine herald waves of influenza in Europe and war while needing a few mutations to expedition to Spitsbergen attempted HA responsible for attachments of the we would then be ‘at the end of the Series. Oxon: Routledge. early warning signals were ignored. enable person-to-person spread, which to recover virus genes from frozen virus to the upper and lower respiratory beginning’ as regards protection of all Winternitz, M. C., Wason, I. M. & McNamara, My students identified two British it accrued in the next two years? Spanish influenza victims who died there tract of birds, pigs and humans, and citizens. F. P. (1920). The Pathology of Influenza. New Army camps where there were serious Recently, we have identified a link in October 1918. At the grave opening, could be more important than we have But, in a final twist to the story, Haven: Yale University Press. influenza outbreaks in the winter of 1916, between Étaples and Harvard Medical on the mountainside, our team found thought so far. the Royal Navy, in which my father so in the huge British Army base on the School in Boston where doctors and seven bodies with soft tissue remnants edge of the sea at Étaples in Northern nurses criss-crossed the Atlantic that included respiratory tract and France in the winter of 1916 and in between 1916 and 1918 after working kidney organs. In contrast, Dr J. Hultin, Aldershot barracks north of London. The at Étaples and who could have, exhuming in Alaska, was more fortunate. Étaples camp housed 100,000 soldiers on inadvertently, transferred the new He uncovered the lung of a well- any one day and over one million soldiers virus to the USA from 1916 onwards preserved frozen Inuit, whom he called suffered and recuperated there en route (Gill and Oxford, in press). We speculate Lucy, which had influenza RNA that could from England to the Western Front or that the final mutations could have be amplified. vice versa between 1916 and 1918. occurred there as millions of young In the UK a number of lead-encased From an influenza virology perspective Americans congregated in vast army bodies in crypts near St Bartholomew’s Étaples was on the Picardie migration camps in late 1917 and in early 1918. Hospital and in the North of England flight for swans and geese, known now have been shown to be well preserved to be carriers of new pandemic influenza Nucleotide sequence analysis of the for 200 years. My own group has viruses, while inside the camp the army 1918 pandemic virus and laboratory exhumed three such 1918 influenza had set up piggeries, and hen and duck studies of a ‘reconstructed’ virus victims, but the coffins were either houses. Pigs are the classic ‘mixing The advent of specialised real-time crushed or split or were wood or zinc vessels’ since they can be co-infected polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) rather than lead. To date, high-quality with avian and human viruses which then whereby traces of virus RNA can be soft tissue from the respiratory tree has re-assort genes, while chicken and ducks amplified from ancient or formalin-fixed not been retrieved. are also a conduit for avian influenza to clinical samples opened a scientific Fully infectious 1918 influenza Molecular model of haemagglutinin 1 from the 1918 their keepers. window upon the 1918 pandemic. virus has been reconstructed in the influenza virus.Laguna Design/Science Photo Library

64 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 65 A microbiological cause for trench foot?

2014 is the centenary of the beginning of the Great War. This important anniversary provides a great opportunity to review one of the diseases that appeared in the trenches of this conflict, namely trench foot. This condition constituted a grave problem in the British army, especially in the winter periods. The total number of admissions during the war was estimated at about 75,000 with 41 documented deaths. It became the focus of an interesting debate amongst clinicians around aetiology.

Above Canadian troops going ‘over the top’ during training near St Pol, France, Rob Atenstaedt in October 1916. US Air Force/Science Photo Library

A new disease? conditions. Although trench foot was emerged that trench foot stemmed from 1916, asserting that trench foot was their opinion, therefore, the disease was of Hygiene in Paris in November 1919, Trench foot first came to the attention accepted as a new disease during World a compromise to the circulation of the caused by the fungus Scopulariopsis fungoid in nature, similar to Madura foot Dr Émile Roux, Director of the Pasteur of the medical profession in France and War I, subsequent historical research lower limb, with factors such as cold, koningii. Jacques Parisot was later to (Mycetoma); the microbe gained entry to Institute, proclaimed that the conclusions Belgium in the winter of 1914. It was has discovered that this condition has wet, pressure, immobility, poor nutrition serve as Professor of Hygiene and Social the feet at the grooves on the side of the of Raymond and Parisot had been observed that the disease largely attacked occurred in many military campaigns and lack of exercise being contributing Medicine at the University of Nancy and nails or through scratches on the skin. soundly discredited. the toes; but in many cases, the leg throughout history, including Napoleon’s factors (the ‘environmental/circulatory’ also president of the Health Committee of Raymond and Parisot hypothesized that There were four major investigations became swollen up to the knee. In severe 1812 campaign in Russia, the Crimean theory). In addition, the disease could the League of Nations from 1937 to 1940. the micro-organism became pathogenic into the aetiology of trench foot. Working cases, large blisters, filled with clear, War of 1853–56, the American Civil War also be exacerbated by the soldiers’ Raymond and Parisot claimed to have when immersed in cold water, and in Edinburgh, Professors J. L. Smith and ‘gangrene smelling’ fluid, were present. of 1861–65 and the Balkan Wars of 1912. trench equipment, with the standard isolated this microbe, first described readily invaded the body through the J. Ritchie and Dr J. Dawson reproduced The military-medical authorities issue boot being blamed, for example. by Oudemans and named by Vuillemin macerated epidermis; cold, therefore, animal models of trench foot and had to decide whether this was an Search for a cause The ‘environmental/circulatory’ in 1911, from smears taken from the was of secondary, rather than primary, provided evidence that trench foot was existing condition, namely frostbite, or a Before reaching the trenches, troops causation for trench foot strongly liquid of blisters on trench feet; it was aetiological importance. However, Sir caused by cold and its direct effect on novel disease, never before described. often had to march several miles conformed to accepted ideas about also found in trench mud. According to William Leishman, Pathological Advisor the blood vessels of the foot and not However, there seems to have been along wet and muddy roads. When lower limb physiology and temperature them, a culture of this organism, when to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), bacterial invasion. Research done by little controversy on the matter. By the they eventually arrived, they had to regulation. Because of this, infective inoculated into animals, produced all the expressed the view that the French Professor Sheridan Delépine and Dr middle of 1915, the majority of doctors wade through semi-liquid mud and theories did not gain many supporters. symptoms and signs of the condition. conclusions were doubtful; their findings N. C. Lake in England, and the Americans seemed to have taken the view that the water, often at a temperature only a However, two French officers, Médicin Furthermore, autopsies of some fatal had not been confirmed by other Majors J. E. Sweet, G. W. Norris and disability, by now termed ‘trench foot’, few degrees above freezing point, and Majors Victor Raymond and Jacques cases of trench foot had shown the investigators. Subsequently, the British Lieutenant H. B. Wilmer, working at a was dissimilar from classical frostbite, remain motionless at their posts for Parisot, were involved in circulating a presence of mycotic germs in their were proven correct in their scepticism: general hospital in France, supported as it occurred under non-freezing many hours. Gradually, the consensus memorandum to the Allied Forces in livers, spleens, lungs and kidneys. In at a meeting of the Inter-Allied Congress an alternative explanation that the

66 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 67 SGM004_v5.pdf 2 23/03/2014 17:21

Free access to all Microbiology Editor’s Choice articles essential pathological mechanism was a application of ointments, fomentations, vasomotor reaction. However, although exercise, massage, galvanic baths, and they gave different explanations, all these electrotherapeutics. This approach was throughout May and June studies supported the ‘environmental/ based on the general belief that the circulatory’ theory trench foot was a condition was caused by circulatory physiological condition, predisposed to changes and not by an infectious agent, by cold, wet and pressure – conditions which meant that treatment was largely prevalent in the trenches. However, localized to the lower limbs, physical, it was eventually acknowledged that symptomatic and not aimed at killing In November 2013, Microbiology introduced a new Editor’s Choice there could be secondary infection in microbes. trench foot resulting from the lowered feature that highlights one paper in each issue that oers notably resistance of the tissues which could Conclusion compelling insight into the field. Each Editor’s Choice article is made ultimately lead to gangrene. Trench foot first appeared in the winter of 1914 and became a serious threat free for one month after publication however throughout May and Treatment to men in the trenches. The opinion Trench foot before (top) and after (bottom) June 2014 there will be free online access to all previous selections. Therapy for trench foot involved a emerged that trench foot was caused amputation of necrotic tissue. Otis Historical Archives, number of conventional, tried-and-tested by circulatory changes in the foot due to National Museum of Health and Medicine/Science methods, including deep cleansing, the cold, wet and pressure and not due to Photo Library C The Editor's Choice articles are chosen by When told about the award, Dr Bowden stated: a microbial cause. Predisposing factors M Microbiology’s Editor-in-Chief, Agnès Fouet, or included dietary inadequacy and fatigue. Y one of the Senior Editors. When announcing “It is very rewarding to have this prestigious All these features were very much CM the feature last year, Dr Fouet said: recognition. We feel that this is a very associated with trench warfare. MY eective way to highlight our research and CY “The Senior Editors and I are very excited disseminate it to as broad a readership as Rob Atenstaedt CMY about this new feature being launched by possible. For early career researchers such Consultant in Public Health Medicine & K Microbiology. We look forward to using our as myself, this is especially important to help Associate Director of Public Health for North Wales, Honorary Senior Lecturer, expertise to highlight particularly significant get our research noticed and make an impact School of Medical Sciences, Bangor articles.” on the wider scientific community”. University, Abergele Hospital, Llanfair Road, Abergele, Conwy LL22 8DP, UK The first Editor’s Choice was awarded to Dr To stay informed about future Editor’s Choice Tel. 01352 803483 Steven D. Bowden and his co-authors for the articles, sign up to receive the Microbiology [email protected] article entitled, “Surface swarming motility by electronic table of contents alerts which will Pectobacterium atrosepticum is a latent highlight the Editor’s Choice clearly. Otherwise, Further reading Atenstaedt, R. (2006). Trench foot: the medical phenotype that requires O antigen and is look out for the Editor’s Choice label on the response in the First World War 1914–18. regulated by quorum sensing”. online or print table of contents for every issue. Wilderness Environ Med 17, 282–289. Atenstaedt, R. L. (2011). The Medical Response Read the free Editor’s Choice selections online at microb.io/1hvWNPI to the Trench Diseases in World War One. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. CONNECT WITH SGM PUBLISHING

US Army soldiers lined up in preparation for a foot inspection during World War I. • Follow us on Twitter: Library of Congress/Science Photo Library @PublishingSGM • Read the Publishing blog: sgmpublishingblog.com 68 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 69 Fig. 1. Transmission electron micrograph of bacteriophage particles (turquoise) attacking a bacterial cell (red). AMI Images/Science Photo Library

acteriophage (Fig. 1) has Twort developed into an exceptional fermentative patterns was potentially become the tool of the pioneering experimental bacteriologist. By 1905 he flawed, but probably more significantly Frederick Bmolecular biologists, such as the had published his first research papers he demonstrated that new phenotypes eponymously named ‘phage group’ of and had invented a new stain of Neutral could be experimentally evolved in Hershey, Luria and Delbrück that started Red and Light Green, known later as the controlled laboratory experiments using in the 1940s and which led to many ‘Gram-Twort stain’, which was used more prolonged selection. Nobel-Prize-winning discoveries based widely in microbiology to reveal the fine William around microbial genetics. structure of a number of eukaryotic Independence at the Brown Institution Much has been written about the microbes. After eight years in Bulloch’s lab, and discovery of bacteriophage by Twort emerging as one of the best young (Fig. 2). He published his work on this Experimental evolution of bacterial bacteriologists in the country, Twort was ‘infectious disease of the micrococcus’ in phenotypes seeking independence and applied for Twort: the Lancet in 1915. The second scientist While most of his work was routine the Superintendentship of the Brown credited with the discovery of phage, bacteriology, Bulloch allowed his Institution on the Wandsworth Road Felix d’Herelle, published his work in scientists to undertake independent in Vauxhall, London (Fig. 3). This was 1917 and his name, bacteriophage (for research. Around this time the really a medical/veterinary position as not just bacteria eater) has stuck to this day. bacteriologist, MacConkey, working the institution was set up as an animal In this short article I introduce at the newly opened Lister Institute, hospital for poor families in South Twort, a bacteriologist working in the had described a typing system for London, but he fancied it would give early 20th Century, and describe two the Enterobacteriaceae based on him opportunity to undertake original other significant discoveries he made fermentation patterns of different research and he was duly appointed in bacteriophage in the years immediately preceding sugars. Twort, who was using this June 1909. The building that Twort found World War I. I then briefly examine the system for his routine work, found was a small one set back behind a row contrasting impacts of World War I on to his surprise in 1907 that these of houses with a large exercise yard both Twort and d’Herelle and the impact phenotypes were not stable and that and housing for animals. They treated Gavin Thomas of their work in the post-war period. one strain could, over time, change its all sorts of animals, but before the war fermentative behaviour. In a series of this was mainly horses, which were The discovery of bacterial viruses, or bacteriophage, by Twort was an A budding bacteriologist experiments, which resemble modern ubiquitous parts of life and key assets important milestone in the history of microbiology. It broadened our Twort, the eldest son of a local GP, grew experimental evolution, he serially for poor families. It was at the benches up in Surrey. After a limited education subcultured bacteria grown in a base of these buildings in an unfashionable understanding of the fundamental forms of life that exist in nature and he managed to get up to London to train medium supplemented with a sugar that and polluted part of London (Fig. 4), that provided a potential route to treat bacterial infections, which has seen in medicine at St Thomas’s hospital, this strain couldn’t use. After growing Twort was to discover bacteriophage, aged only 16. After graduating he for 14 days ‘to try and induce the microbe but before this he discovered another a renaissance in the last decade. After his work on bacteriophage, Twort decided that his career was to be in to attack the sugar’, the cells were important aspect of microbial laboratory research and he found a subcultured and the process repeated. biochemistry. continued his research and made further noteworthy discoveries. position at St Thomas’s to start work He managed to experimentally evolve a on bacteria. Later, in 1901, he moved to number of bacteria, including Salmonella Bacterial growth factors work at the London Hospital under the enterica subsp. Paratyphi, to grow on At the Brown his research naturally Fig. 2. Frederick William Twort (1877–1950). Science Photo noted bacteriologist Professor William sucrose as a carbon source. In the short focused on veterinary-relevant Library Bulloch FRS. It was in Bulloch’s lab that term this meant that typing based on bacteria, including members of the

70 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 71 nothing, Twort joined the Royal Army “ Fig. 3. The site of the Brown Medical Corps in late 1915 to run a Institution on the Wandsworth Road bacteriological lab in Salonika (now More significantly he demonstrated that new ca 1890, with the author’s suggestion Thessaloniki), Greece (Fig. 6). Again, as to the site of the discovery of this was intensive routine work, under phenotypes could be experimentally evolved bacteriophage marked with a star. oppressive conditions, and any ideas Note the close proximity of smut- he had of continuing work on bacterial in controlled laboratory experiments using belching L&SW railway and smelly viruses soon vanished. While malaria Beef Tea works. The stabling was was the major problem in Salonika, prolonged selection. for the animals being treated at the dysentery was also rife and he clashed institution. © Crown Copyright and with senior officers who pronounced it Landmark Information Group Limited therapy across the world and was slowly Bacteriology at the University of London was amoebic dysentery, when Twort, 2014. All rights reserved. gathering evidence for its successful in 1931. However, world war and Twort’s who was examining the specimens, application. It was during this period that research at the Brown Institution had could see it was of bacterial origin. d’Herelle, who had not acknowledged one more terminal encounter, when in Disenchanted by the army medical Twort in any of his work, was forced to July 1944 a German bomb destroyed the hierarchy, he served out his 12-month recognise that he was not the first to lab where phage had been discovered, commission and returned to England in describe phage and the naming of their leaving us with no way to mark this 1917. combined observations as the Twort- important site of microbiological “d’Herelle phenomenon was recognition history for the many of us 21st Century D’Herelle on the Western front of this. For Twort, the war had brought microbiologists still using and learning Fig. 5. Twort & Ingram’s important monograph on the While the war stopped Twort’s work the Brown Institution to its knees and more about this intriguing parasite. Johne’s bacillus, published in 1913. Ingram tragically on phage, it was the catalyst for the yet he managed to keep it running died of tuberculosis a few years later. Author’s collection French-Canadian microbiologist Felix on a shoestring. His obsession with d’Herelle’s independent discovery of Fig. 4. F. W. Twort at the bench in ‘primitive viruses’ and frequent clashes Gavin H. Thomas Further reading the same phenomenon. In mid-1915, the lab of the Brown Institution. with funders kept him on the fringes Department of Biology, University of York, Biographical information for this article is d’Herelle was following an outbreak of Reproduced courtesy A. E. P. Twort of scientific society, but his work was YO10 5DD, UK gavin.thomas@york. largely based on the excellent full biography dysentery in French soldiers near Paris, recognised by his election as FRS in ac.uk, @GavinHThomas of Twort written by his son Dr Anthony E. P. Mycobacteriaceae. Much of his work not until 1936, when growth factors when he mixed cell-free filtrates from 1929 and appointment as Professor of Twort: Twort, A. E. P. (1993). In Focus, Out of was on a species of Mycobacterium that were known as vitamins, that Twort’s cultures of Shigella dysenteriae with Step: A Biography of Frederick William Twort causes a wasting disease in cattle and work was recognised and later the living bacteria of the same species on F.R.S. 1877–1950. Gloucestershire: Alan other ruminants and which was known ‘essential substance’ in this case was agar plates and he observed the familiar Sutton Publishing. as Johne’s bacillus (Mycobacterium identified as vitamin K. rings of clearing that he named plaques. Duckworth, D. H. (1976). Who discovered avium subsp. paratuberculosis). Twort His work was presented to the French bacteriophage? Bacteriol Rev 40, 793–802. won international acclaim as he was Captain Twort in Macedonia Academy of Science in 1917 and despite Twort, F. W. (1907). The fermentation of the first to develop a growth medium Twort’s seminal work on the discovery of d’Herelle’s immediate thoughts on how glucosides by bacteria of the Typhoid-coli for this bacterium and he published a bacterial viruses was completed shortly phage might be used to treat patients group and the acquisition of new fermenting widely used monograph in 1913 with after this in 1913–14, but in 1914 with with dysentery, this was not used as a powers by Bacillus dysenteriae and other his colleague Ingram (Fig. 5). The critical the outbreak of war the shortage of treatment during World War I. micro-organism. Proc R Soc Lond B 79, component of Twort’s breakthrough for funding effectively stopped all of Twort’s 329–336. growing the microbe was that he had research. Not out-of-character with Post-war and legacy Twort, F. W. & Ingram, G. L. Y. (1913). A supplemented the medium with extract some of Twort’s later clashes with the After the war Twort didn’t seriously monograph on Johne’s Disease. London: from other dead bacteria. There was funders, he mentions this in the closing pursue his studies on phage, but spent Balliere, Tindall & Cox. clearly some preformed molecule in lines of the famous Lancet paper – ‘I many years looking for ‘primitive Twort, F. W. (1915). An investigation on the these extracts that was essential for regret that financial considerations have viruses’ that he thought he would nature of ultra-microscopic viruses. Lancet 2, growth of Johne’s bacillus, which he prevented me carrying these researches be able to culture. In stark contrast, Fig. 6. Capt. F. W. Twort Royal Army Medical Corps at the Base laboratory in Salonika, Greece, in 1916. 1241–1243. called an ‘essential substance’. It was to a definite conclusion’. Instead of doing d’Herelle was flying the flag for phage Reproduced courtesy A. E. P. Twort

72 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 73 who was a senior lecturer of industrial of the synthesis of new rubber wrote fermentation at the Pasteur Institute. ‘This miserable substance, which has This collaboration led to the filing of yet been trumpeted as ‘tenacious’, ‘nervy’, another patent on 29 June 2011 that etc., is no more equal to fine hard Para or Acetone covered the formation of acetone from plantation rubber than brown paper is the a carbohydrate feedstock that included equal of shoe leather’. The bad news for potato starch and acid-hydrolysed synthetic rubber production didn’t stop wood by fermentation using a butylic there; the monopoly of Brazilian rubber production bacillus of the type Fitz. The idea of was disrupted in 1912 when Malaysian a second-generation ‘biochemical’ plantations maturated and rubber prices had arrived. This fermentation was fluctuated (generally downwards) over a complex process that needed full the next eight years, crashing from $1.02 anaerobic conditions, reduced pressure, to $0.115 per pound. during potatoes as a carbon source and peptide supplements obtained by fermentation World War I of autoclaved yeast cells with Tyrothrix The Synthetic Products Company Ltd tenius. Although the nature of both had started to extend their fermentation bacillus Fitz and T. tenius is unknown, facility in Rainham, Essex (Fig. 2). In the First (the cultures are lost), T. tenius is thought March 1912, Mr Kane, the work-manager to belong to the Bacillus subtilis species. at Rainham, discovered that a significant amount of acetone was formed besides Commercialisation the n-butanol they desired for butadiene World War The commercial side of this adventure synthesis. The importance of acetone began on 11 May 1910 when The production was not lost on Edward Research Syndicate Ltd was set up Strange, who understood the British with £12,000 capital and a subsequent government and especially the Admiralty £20,000 of capital was then raised. More needed acetone for cordite production. money was needed in 1912, and the Mr Kane was not only involved in the Organic Products Syndicate Ltd was set acetone process development, but he up in May of this year. On 17 June 1912, reportedly isolated novel acetone- and Molecular model of acetone. K. Seddon & T. Evans, Fig. 1. Chaim Weitzman. Library of Congress/ Matthews presented Professor Perkins butanol-producing strains and in 1912 Queen’s University Belfast/Science Photo Library Preben Krabben Science Photo Library paper on synthetic rubber production at he isolated ‘strain 160’ from barley. The Burlington House. Sir William Ramsey strain was sent to Fernbach and his stated ‘One almost feels, in circumstances assistant Moïse Schoen in Paris and in n 1909 in Germany, the pharmaceutical natural rubber, caoutchouc. In order to bench while he went on holiday. On his like these, how easy it is to do the thing 1916 it was subsequently sent to the ‘You can have my distillery’, company Badishe Anilin- und Soda- avoid a repeat of the indigo disaster, the return he saw that they had solidified as if one had only known how’. Sir Ramsey acetone plant Les Usines De Melle, in IFabrik (BASF) introduced synthetic British scientific community, including synthetic rubber. He managed to patent knew that he and the Strange/Matthews/ France. and with these words in indigo, dealing a severe blow to the Dr Francis Matthews, Nobel Prize winner his discovery three months before the Perkins group were about to launch one In the second half of 1912, the 1915–16 Colonel Gooderham Indian plantation industry. It was the Sir William Ramsey and Edward Strange, Germans independently discovered the of the biggest and the most discussed Synthetic Products Company began British, however, that controlled the focused their attention on producing process. initial public offerings of shares. On converting an oil-cake factory at generated the second largest entire trade in indigo and a manufactured artificial rubber. On 17 December 1909, Professor William Perkins Jr at the 1 July 1912, the Synthetic Products Alexandra Dock in King’s Lynn into an supply meant that an indigo monopoly no Matthews and Strange filed a patent University of Manchester also became Company Ltd asked for the huge sum acetone plant and, with a demonstration fermentation process in the longer existed and the price of indigo fell. describing a process that synthesised a involved with the Strange group and of £500,000. The offering caused much of acetone production to Nobel’s world. The German pharmaceutical industry, natural rubber monomer, isoprene, from they hired Chaim Weizmann (who discussion throughout the British Empire, Explosives Company in November 1914, including BASF and Bayer, had also set acetone and acetylene. Subsequently, by subsequently became the First president not always positive; a reporter from New acetone production began at King’s its sights on synthetic rubber to replace serendipity, Matthews left tubes on his of Israel; Fig. 1) and Auguste Fernbach, Zealand who attended a demonstration Lynn. By April 1915, Blaire, Campbell

74 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 75

& McLean, a Glasgow company, were Bacillus butyricus was sequenced contacted to deliver a continuous still and published and shown to be almost capable of distilling 50,000 gallons of identical to the type strain of Clostridium potato mash to produce 1.4 tonnes of acetobutylicum, which is recognized as acetone and 2.2 tonnes of butanol per the same species as the Weizmann day. The still was delivered in December strain. The capability of the original 1915, and was commissioned in January butylic bacillus of the type Fitz to grow 1916. By March 1916, the Synthetic “ on starch, glycerol and produce Products Company still had problems propanediol indicates that it is most fulfilling their contract with the Ministry likely to be a strain related to either of Munitions, resulting in the British Clostridium diolis or C. butyricum. government nationalising the King’s Unfortunately, many of the strains Lynn plant and renaming it His Majesty’s used in the early days are lost to science, Explosive Factory (HMEF) King’s Lynn. or their origin has been poorly documented. In the summer of 1912, Weizmann Hopefully, the genome sequencing of the had been dismissed by Perkins over remaining cultures will provide further Fig. 2. Fermentation vats being erected at Synthetic Products Rainham, Essex during the Fig. 4. Fred Carter and Horace Speakman in the bacteriological laboratory at British Acetone Toronto. salary disagreements but he continued insight into history of the clostridial Autumn of 1912. Martin, 1913 Courtesy City of Toronto Archives to work on butanol production from acetone/butanol/ethanol process. starch. However, the ‘eureka’ moment was led by Horace Speakman, whose eye Post War for Weizmann arrived in 1914 when for detail led to a continual production Back in the UK, in 1923, the King’s Lynn Preben Krabben he decided to try to isolate starch- The ‘eureka’ moment for Weizmann arrived in 1914 when of acetone that lasted for two years with plant was returned to the Synthetic Head of Innovation, Green Biologics Ltd, degrading bacteria from maize meal, the exception of two short periods when Products Company and they restarted 45A Western Avenue, Milton Park, and in March 1915 he patented the strain he decided to try to isolate starch-degrading bacteria corn and coal was unavailable; 3,958 the plant to produce acetone using the Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RU, UK he had obtained by adaptive laboratory fermentations were inoculated with a Weizmann strain, but were subsequently [email protected] evolution using 100 to 150 subcultures. from maize meal. failure of only 24 fermentations, mainly sued for patent infringement by the Interestingly, the HMEF plant that had in the first period of production (Fig. 3). In owners of the Weizmann patent, the Further reading continued to use Mr Kane’s strain 160 the 27 months that the plant was active, Commercial Solvent Corporation. The Bud, R. (1994). The Uses of Life. Cambridge: switched to the Weizmann strain in it produced 2,450 tonnes of acetone and famous microbiologist Sir Frederick Cambridge University Press. the middle of 1916 and the plant ran 4.900 tonnes of butanol, much more than Andrews testified in the trial and Martin, G. (1913). Synthetic rubber. Knowledge continuously on maize until December the 225 tonnes of acetone per year it was concluded that strain 160 seemed to be Jan–Feb, 34–46. 1916. asked to produce. identical to the Weizmann strain and was Reinharz, J. (1985). Science in the service of The continuing need for acetone When the Americans joined World quite different to the inferior Fernbach politics: the case of Chaim Weizmann during production led to the scale-up of the War I, the US Army decided to convert butylic bacillus of the type Fitz. It was the First World War. The English Historical Weizmann process to a 7,000 gallon two distilleries in Terre Haute, Indiana, suggested that the 160 cultures had Review CCCXCVI, 572–603. scale at a plant in the Naval Cordite site in into acetone plants. Nathaniel Frutkow, become contaminated with the Weizmann Speakman, H. B. (1919). An example of Holton Heath, Dorset, in early 1916. This the chief bacteriologist for plant number strain, which had been heavily used at the industrial research in Toronto. University of move was not immediately successful “ 1, received only six days training at the King’s Lynn site during World War I. Toronto Monthly, 313–316. as seven out of ten fermentations Toronto plant. For the second Terre Interestingly, Christian Aage Thuysen Underhay, F. G. (1926). Commercial Solvent were failures and discharged onto Haute acetone plant, a more experienced a bacteriologist at the Naval Cordite site Corporation v. Synthetic Products Company the neighbouring heath – much to the clostridial bacteriologist was chosen, in Horton Heath, deposited two strains Ltd. Reports of Patent, Design, and Trade Mark displeasure of the neighbours. The offer Fred Carter, Horace Speakman’s in the strain collection, which later Cases 46, 185–238. of the Toronto plant was made in the assistant bacteriologist at the Toronto became the NCIMB. One of the strains Weizmann, C. (1915). Improvement in the latter part of 1915, and in May 1916 plant (Fig. 4). After the war the Terre he submitted as Bacillus butyricus and bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates and work began on the British Acetone Haute plants were privatised and the other as Strain Weizmann. Strain in bacterial cultures for the same. British Toronto plant. The microbiology and the successful Commercial Solvent Weizmann has never been sequenced. Patent 4845. fermentation work at the Toronto plant Fig. 3. Fermentors installed at British Acetone Toronto. Courtesy City of Toronto Archives Corporation was born. But in 2011 the genome sequence of

76 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 77 Schoolzone

Bacteria was in the patient’s wound, What are antibiotics? and the infection was spreading. His doctor, Charles Fletcher, had heard Antibiotics are a range of medicines that are capable of killing, or inhibiting, of the work of Florey and Chain. With bacterial species. They are chemical compounds/substances that are produced limited options and the bleak outlook by bacteria and fungi. They have revolutionised medicine and the treatment for his patient, Fletcher used some of bacterial infections. Prior to their discovery and development there was penicillin from Florey and Chain’s no effective treatment for a huge range of infections, from the lung infection, research laboratory. The wound cleared War infections and pneumonia, to sexually transmitted gonorrhoea, to a cause of food poisoning, very quickly, but unfortunately the Salmonella. The word ‘antibiotic’ was first used in 1942 by Selman Waksman dose wasn’t large enough to kill all the and colleagues to describe any substance produced by a micro-organism that infection and the patient died. The main the advent of antibiotics inhibits or prevents the growth of other microbes in high dilution, although some limitation of the use of penicillin to treat of these substances are now made synthetically. infections at this time was the volume Fleming, while still interested in scratched his mouth on a rose bush in required. With no medication to treat infection, injured the use of penicillin in a laboratory February 1941. It was a minor incident Fortunately, after early trials in environment, didn’t pursue the research that he didn’t give a second thought to. treating human wounds, collaborations soldiers during World War I were at a high risk of as a medical treatment for infection. However, after a few days, a septicaemia with British pharmaceutical companies He had other research interests at the infection had set in. He had a fever, and later an American drugs company developing a range of bacterial infections, and many time of this discovery and his work into and his eyes, face and lungs were soon ensured that the mass production of died after their initial injuries from infections such penicillin soon stopped being his main covered in life-threatening abscesses. penicillin was possible. By D-Day in focus. Days after an injection of penicillin, 1944, penicillin was being widely used Two researchers at the St administered and overseen by Florey’s to treat troops for infections both in as septicaemia. Alexander Fleming’s microscope. William Dunn School of Pathology at the research team, he was completely the field and in hospitals throughout Taken at the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum University of Oxford, Howard Florey and cured. Europe. n 1915, Alexander Fleming, the certain time points after injury were of 3 September 1928 cleaning up his Ernst Chain, and numerous colleagues, In 1941, a man who was close then relatively unknown bacteriology associated with different symptoms. laboratory at St Mary’s Hospital in were trying to purify penicillin and to death in a hospital in Oxford became The legacy of penicillin Iresearch scientist, described the During World War I, Fleming saw many London. While looking through a series understand its chemistry around 1939. the second known recipient of penicillin. By the end of World War II, penicillin most likely cause of infection soldiers die from secondary infections of Petri dishes containing cultures The start of World War II meant that was nicknamed ‘the wonder drug’ and as bacterial and as a result of being injured. He was of Staphylococcus, he noticed mould this was a difficult and challenging had saved many lives. Fleming, Florey observed able to predict the most likely cause growing in one of the dishes. The area time for scientific research. In trying to and Chain were recognised for their that of infection depending on when the around the mould was completely isolate pure penicillin, Florey and Chain work and received the Nobel Prize for injury had taken place. While helpful in clear of the Staphylococcus that he had needed to process 500 litres of mould Medicine in 1945. identifying the cause of infection, it was placed in the dish in question, a bacteria filtrate a week (a huge amount) for the The success of penicillin in little help in treating the wound. that was known to cause sore throats, experiments and clinical trials required treating bacterial infections ensured boils and abscesses. This mould was for testing. A large team of scientists that other research groups continued to The discovery of penicillin Penicillium notatum. Further investigation formed this ‘factory’ of pure penicillin search and test for new antimicrobial Following the war, Fleming by Fleming found that this substance production during the backdrop of drugs. This hunt continues today, and returned to his lab in search of could kill not only Staphylococcus, World War II. is becoming increasingly important compounds that would protect but a range of other bacteria, such as Florey’s experiments in 1940 amid the new challenges of antibiotic against such infections. Streptococcus, meningococcus and were promising and showed that resistance of some bacteria. After returning from a holiday, diphtheria bacillus. His two assistants, penicillin could protect mice against Alexander spent the morning Stuart Craddock and Frederick Ridley, streptococcal infections and so the attempted to isolate pure penicillin from team decided it was time to start Theresa Hudson Education and Outreach Officer Fleming’s original culture plate of the fungus the culture, with limited success – it testing penicillin on people. The first [email protected] Penicillium notatum. St Mary’s Hospital Medical was very unstable, making it difficult to human recipient of penicillin was called False-colour scanning electron micrograph of the School/Science Photo Library grow and experiment on. Albert Alexander, a policeman who had fungus Penicillium sp. E. Gueho/Science Photo Library

78 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 79 SGM003-v3-307x220_5mmbleed.pdf 1 18/03/2014 21:57

Submit your next case report to Outreach a new open access journal from the Society for General Microbiology Microbiology, school science and science communication – a PhD with a difference In December 2013 I completed my PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University, part I couldn’t have completed the funded and supported by the Society for General Microbiology. My three-year project PhD without the time and effort of my supervisory team, particularly Professor combined microbiology, school science education and science communication. It Joanna Verran (Manchester Metropolitan JMM Case Reports is a peer-reviewed, gold open access, aimed to develop novel, interesting and reliable microbiology laboratory activities University) and Dariel Burdass (Society that would be published and distributed to Society member schools to help promote for General Microbiology). My aim over the last four years was to promote the online-only journal publishing original case reports on medical, and encourage practical microbiology lessons in the classroom. science of microbiology to a variety of dental and veterinary microbiology and infectious diseases, arly in the project we realised (including students, teachers and the school audiences. I think I have made including parasitology. that there was very little analysis public). An 18-month follow-up survey a good start, but we must continue to Ein the literature on the current of users showed that the resource build on and encourage projects like this status of practical microbiology in the was being used as intended and that to ensure that others can share our love C The journal also accepts case series, case reviews and case school laboratory. A survey of 248 the activities were able to support of all things microbiology! M teachers revealed that only two-thirds topics across biology in over 22 biology believed practical work was important teaching specifications (data which I am James Redfern Y quizzes, as well as submissions for its image of the month in teaching microbiology and a similar planning to publish soon!). @Microbioeduguy CM competition. number used practical microbiology in A second resource Viruses: a microbioeduguy.wordpress.com MY their teaching. Many of the limitations practical resource for post-16 was CY (both real and perceived) to teaching developed following a similar process. Further reading CMY Benefits of publishing include: practical microbiology described The aim of this resource was to Redfern, J. (2012). Algae: a practical resource

K included time constraints, cost, lack encourage the use of bacteriophage in for secondary schools. Society for General • Papers are free to read of equipment, lack of expertise and schools, as an example of a relatively Microbiology. • Article processing charges waived during launch year not enough available support. It was easy to handle virus, as well as Redfern, J. (2014). Viruses: a practical also clear that teachers focused on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This resource for post-16 biology teachers. Society • No page charges for standard length articles relevance of all practical activities to the has been sent to all school members for General Microbiology. • Fast, rigorous peer review details of the curriculum, and that there and we hope for similar positive Redfern, J., Burdass, D. & Verran, J. (2013). was considerable demand for support evaluation results. Practical microbiology in schools: a survey of • Continuous publication from professional societies, and the As well as my work on practical UK teachers. Trends Microbiol 21, 557–559. expertise of their members. microbiology for schools, I have designed Redfern, J., Burdass, D. & Verran, J. (2013). • International Editorial Board With this information, I developed and delivered a number of microbiology Transforming a school learning exercise into • Fully compliant with funding body mandates the resource entitled Algae: a practical science communications activities a public engagement event: ‘The Good, the resource for secondary schools, which at festivals and events across the Bad and The Algae’. J Biol Edu 47, 246–252. contained five well-tested activities country, many in collaboration with and Redfern, J., Burdass, D. & Verran, J. (2014). that supported many science curricula supported by the Society. Most notably, Using Soxhlet ethanol extraction to produce Submit your case report at jmmcr.sgmjournals.org taught in the UK and aimed to I redesigned an activity from the algae and test plant material (essential oils) for address limitations faced by teachers. resource so that it could be delivered their antimicrobial properties. J Microbiol Biol Written with consideration to current to over 2,000 individuals comprising Edu 15, 101–104. pedagogical thinking and the philosophy different audiences in different Redfern, J., Burdass, D. & Verran, J. (2014). CONNECT WITH SGM PUBLISHING of science, the resource underwent environments. This was the main activity The development of a new practical activity: stringent trialling (for design, readability, for which I was awarded joint-winner of Using microorganisms to model gas cycling. • Follow us on Twitter: usability and ability to run activities the Society Outreach Prize 2013 – for School Sci Rev, in press. @PublishingSGM successfully) with a range of audiences which I am very grateful. • Read the Publishing blog: sgmpublishingblog.com 80 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 81 What are the professional challenges Good results always compensate for course) and a good air-conditioning that present themselves and how do hard work! system! you try to overcome them? Tell us one thing that your work Membership There are certainly plenty of challenges, Who is your role model? colleagues won’t know about you! like the difficulties of carrying out a I have two: Francis Crick and James They probably know this already, but I new experiment, implementing fresh Watson. They made such a significant really can’t cook! ideas or working on unknown micro- discovery – the structure of DNA – a organisms, but I’m fortunate to work huge milestone in the history of biology. If you weren’t a scientist, what would with helpful and supportive colleagues. you be? Q&A That, combined with hard work, usually What do you do to relax? Probably a statistician because of my means that challenges aren’t quite so I like swimming; and enjoy sleeping on passion for statistics, or a paediatrician insurmountable. my couch – to relax and to enhance my as I love being around children. This is a regular column making them drug-resistant. However, memory! experiments suggest that chemicals What is the best part about ‘doing If you would like to be featured in this to introduce our members. secreted from various P. aeruginosa science’? What one record and luxury item section or know someone who may, strains can affect the lifestyle of C. contact Paul Easton, Membership Nina Konstantinidou. N. Konstantinidou The results – definitely! I really look would you take to a desert island? This issue, we’re pleased albicans. Specific experiments show forward to the outcome of the research. That’s easy! Any Mozart, and an Manager at [email protected] that the fungus is unable to form drug- It makes all the hard work worthwhile. expensive car with a CD player (of to introduce Nina resistant biofilms in the presence of PhD under the supervision of Dr John bacterial molecules. Morrissey. I was instantly attracted by Konstantinidou. The primary aim of my research this project in medical microbiology. is to identify C. albicans pathways that I have the opportunity to work with mediate the fungal response to bacteria two scientifically important micro- Where are you currently based? signals. Typically, signals are sensed by organisms: yeasts and bacteria, and my School of Microbiology, University membrane receptors and the message experiments generate a huge amount College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland. is transferred by signal transduction of data that I really enjoy processing systems, like protein kinases. At the statistically. Recently, I completed an What is your area of specialism? moment I am screening a C. albicans animal handling training course and Medical microbiology, involving both protein kinase library to find mutants obtained Irish (LAST) and UK certificates bacteriology and mycology. with differential responses to bacterial that enable me to test the hypothesis molecules. Additionally, I am developing developed via in vitro studies on animal And more specifically? a molecular reporter with green models in vivo. I am investigating a ‘language’ of two fluorescent protein (GFP) to enable opportunistic pathogens – a dimorphic rapid screening of C. albicans mutants Where did your interest in fungus Candida albicans and a bacterium using confocal microscopy. microbiology come from? called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. I am Even in childhood I was always curious looking at the nature of their dialogue. Tell us about your education to date and detail-orientated. I remember Interactions between C. albicans and P. As soon as I graduated from Aristotle myself generating a mini wild plant aeruginosa are well-documented. They University of Thessaloniki (Greece), with herbarium, which is still well conserved. are co-isolated from many infected a BSc in Molecular Biology, Genetics At school, I had the classical questions areas of the human body, including the and Biotechnology, I applied for an MSc such as: why are the leaves green and lungs and wounds. In addition, both can in Bioinformatics at University College the sky blue, how can medicines treat form biofilms on the surface of medical Cork due to my passion for biostatistics, infected people and what are the rules equipment, such as urinary catheters. data analysis and programming. After that govern the ‘microscopic’ world of Biofilms protect the germs from completing my Master’s studies I stayed pathogens. Hence, microbiology – it had antifungal and antibiotic treatments in Ireland to carry out research for my all the answers!

82 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 83 of national research capacity. In 2013, we took active steps by issuing Profiles of the Policy Committee: three new members consultation responses, briefings and a policy statement, and attending Name: Pat Goodwin Policy parliamentary meetings. Why I joined the Policy Committee: I have enjoyed dealing A recent paper by Mike Head et al. with a range of policy issues in previous roles and welcome the published in the Journal of Antimicrobial opportunity to be involved in the development of policy relevant Chemotherapy raises questions about to the Society for General Microbiology. our infectious disease research What issues matter most to me: I think that it is important Setting the Society’s policy agenda capacity. Head and colleagues showed that the Society continues to address key issues relevant to the that the UK’s public sector capacity is future of UK science as well as those specific to microbiology. seriously underpowered in areas such Name: Scott Nicholson For the Society for General Microbiology’s Policy Committee, 2014 is about as gonorrhoea, yet these are also the Why I joined the Policy Committee: Although working most areas that are most pressing in terms of of my career as an NHS scientist and now a PhD student, my working out how we can position ourselves as the go-to organisation on the future of antimicrobial resistance. long-term career aspirations are political. I joined with the microbiology. Here we describe what we have done and preview what’s coming up. aim of using my political knowledge and experience to aid the We would like to know: Committee’s work but also to gain a greater understanding of • Do we have the research capacity research policy. What is policy? Infectious disease to respond to the major infectious What issues matter most to me: I feel that antimicrobial Policy is part of the Society’s Strategic Plan, which includes the following actions: research – where next? threats? resistance is as great a threat to mankind as climate change and would like to Influencing policy: to ensure that appropriate scientific information and • If not, what research areas need make policy-makers more aware of this issue. I disagree with the disproportionate allocation of research funding to the South East of England and would like to see expert opinion are made available to policy- and decision-makers and that the The Chief Medical Officer, Sally Davies, strengthening? investment in research in poorer areas. I would also like the general population to improvement of resources and infrastructure for microbiology is supported. grabbed headlines last year with her • What could the learned societies see careers in science as more than merely academic research and for students Create a positive policy environment for microbiology: the Society will campaign on antimicrobial resistance. do to help? from poorer backgrounds to have the confidence to undertake them. expand its policy work to ensure that the knowledge gained from the science of Virtually unknown outside the health With these questions in mind, microbiology is appropriately considered by policy- and decision-makers. policy community was volume II of her we have formed an alliance with six Name: Maggie Smith The Society will inform policy-makers of the importance of microbiology and annual report, a 154-page review of the other learned societies: the Biochemical Why I joined the Policy Committee: I joined the policy encourage them to support the resources and infrastructure necessary for such entire gamut of infectious diseases in Society, the British Pharmacological Committee because I wanted to get involved in issues that research, in order to maintain the future of high-quality microbiological research. the UK. Society, the British Society for affect people generally. Policy is an opportunity to really think Davies gave three reasons why Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, the Royal about big issues, and that is different and refreshing from doing Sexually transmitted infections statement launch she chose to focus her report on Society of Chemistry, the Society for mostly reductionist research. infectious disease. ‘(1) New infectious Applied Microbiology, and the Society What issues matter most to me: Antibiotic resistance, public In December 2013, the Society took Professor Pete Borriello was diseases are emerging every year and of Biology. perception of issues associated with genetically modified organisms and synthetic over a room in the House of Commons chair of the expert panel who wrote older diseases which we managed to This alliance intends to bring about biology, science funding, training and opportunities for young microbiologists, and to launch its policy statement on the statement. He clearly outlined his control are re-emerging as they become real change in the research landscape, the lack of scientists generally in politics. sexually transmitted infections (STIs). backing for research to develop new resistant to our antimicrobial drugs. (2) but it can only succeed with member The document highlighted the burden diagnostic devices, antimicrobial drugs As advances in medicine in other areas input – so please support us by getting Policy Committee members are: of STIs in Britain, including premature and an HIV vaccine. extends lives, it is also creating new involved! Maggie Smith (Chair), Pat Goodwin (Chair Elect), Nigel Brown, Martin Cranage, death, pelvic inflammatory disease With the support of Dr Julian groups of generally older individuals that Colin Harwood, Scott Nicholson, Gill Stephens and Jeremy Webb. and infection passed from mother to Huppert MP, the Liberal Democrats’ ‘de are particularly vulnerable to infection. (3) unborn child. facto science spokesman’, and Sir Peter The supply of new antimicrobial agents Shaping the future of microbiology Get involved – Professor Maggie Smith, Chair Bottomley MP, a long-term advocate has slowed and levels of antimicrobial of the Society’s Policy Committee for sexual health, over 100 guests from resistance are increasing, limiting our Do you like to put the world to rights in university venue in the summer. send your ideas said ‘We take infectious disease policy across the industry, science, patient and treatment options.’ the coffee room, in the bar, or around This workshop will ask participants Email Policy Officer, William Burns: extremely seriously, which is why we’ve public health communities turned out to She highlighted ‘it is essential that the dinner table? The Society for to consider the question: ‘What are [email protected] worked with numerous charities and support the launch. we continue to develop our defences General Microbiology Policy Committee the most pressing issues that William Burns government agencies to produce this Dr Huppert filed an Early Day against infectious disease and to do this wants members to put forward their concern you as a professional Policy Officer report. We highlight the need to support Motion in the House of Commons we must align policy, science, innovation ideas about the future of microbiology. microbiologist?’ microbiological research to provide new backing the statement, which 20 MPs and clinical excellence.’ In partnership with the Society for Your answers will be used to drive Maggie Smith ways of controlling and treating these signed. The Society’s Policy Committee puts Applied Microbiology, the Society will be the Society’s policy activities through to Chair of the Policy Committee diseases.’ particular emphasis on the issue launching a pilot policy workshop at a 2016.

84 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 85 Champion your Society

The growth and success of the Society for General Microbiology has always been inextricably linked to the enthusiasm, commitment and dedication of its members. Put simply, we are a membership organisation, run by its members (with a little staff help) for its members. This has helped establish us as the leading learned society for microbiology professionals across Europe and beyond.

hese same qualities are The second objective will see be free to initiate and manage their own either gives themselves, or arranges also receive free Society membership now being sought from a new Champions contribute to building a activities to achieve this. These activities for others on their behalf, two to and have their Champion-related Twave of members, to help more fulfilling and rewarding could include: three talks and attends one or two expenses met too. support and grow the organisation membership experience. We are keen • Arranging talks within their events. Becoming a Champion will We are initially looking for a across its next phase of development. to strengthen our local presence and workplace/learning environment more clearly suit those with the time relatively small number of Champions The launch of the Society’s Champions provide more points of contact for on the Society’s behalf to commit. The Champions role is to work with across the UK. Over the will see the coming together of members to engage with the Society. a voluntary one. Clearly this is a coming months it is our intention to • Promoting membership of the members who want to help take the This could be through local events, talks, significant opportunity to ‘give work with them to develop and refine Society to their immediate Society to its next level of development. social activities, or specific networking something back’ not only to the the scheme further, with a view to colleagues, students, networks We have some exciting plans for the opportunities. Society, but also to those potential rolling it out in 2015. future and Champions will play a Who are we looking for? In two • Visiting relevant neighbouring new recruits considering joining. significant part in helping deliver words, ‘passionate people’. Our ideal institutions and workplaces A positive and enthusiastic them. Champions will be good communicators • Gathering data for future Society introduction to the Society at Paul Easton The Society Champions initiative with a passion for their subject follow up this point in their membership Membership Manager has two main objectives. Firstly, to material – no matter what it is – and a will go a long way towards • Arranging for the display of Society identify UK-based members (initially) willingness to share this with others. ensuring they remain promotional materials within their who would like to help raise the profile People relate to people, and our members for a considerable If you would like to put your name forward work place/at events of the Society with the intention of Champions will be no exception. They time to come. Champions or would like to find out some more about increasing Society membership. will be natural communicators, keen • Helping produce online content for may also benefit Champions, please get in touch with our Strong personal relationships and to share and enthuse those they come the Society personally. Those who Membership Manager, Paul Easton. Paul endorsements have always been major across. A deeper understanding of the We recognise our members are are early in their is contactable on 020 7685 2680 or at drivers when it comes to recruiting Society, its priorities and work is not already very busy people and many careers can use their [email protected] new members. The authoritative essential as appropriate training will be do a lot for the Society already. The Championship as recommendations of tutors, teachers, provided as necessary. decision to become a Champion an opportunity lecturers and enthusiastic work The Champions role will be needs to be a considered one and will to enhance their colleagues have always played a primarily one of active profile raising, ultimately depend on the individuals’ CVs and expand very significant role when it comes to with the aim of recruiting more own circumstances. However, our hope their networks. influencing prospective new recruits. members. Champions will essentially is, over a 12-month period a Champion Champions will

86 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 87 Finance Committee

The Finance Committee oversees the Society’s finances at Why did you join the Committee? strategic and policy levels, providing guidance to senior staff Well, the main reason is that the Society is, as far as with responsibilities for income, expenditure and investments. I’m concerned, the key society in the UK that supports The Committee is chaired by Chris Thomas, Professor of my broad scientific interests although I’m a member of Molecular Genetics at the University of Birmingham. other learned societies, the Society is the one I’ve done most with and one I recommend my students join. I’ve been Meet the Committees What’s your scientific background? associated with the Society for many years, I feel that at I’m a bacterial geneticist investigating bacterial plasmids and this stage of my career, it’s good that I can give back some antibiotic biosynthesis. I started off as a biochemist looking of the experience that I’ve gained. at DNA replication, I then got interested in plasmids and how If you’re reading this article there’s a good chance that you’re they function as mobile genetic elements. This is what led to When you step down as Chair, what do you hope the Committee my current research, looking at how microbes manufacture will have achieved? aware that the Society for General Microbiology is a membership antibiotics and how resistance occurs. Since becoming Treasurer, I’ve learnt what a transition the organisation, and it has been since its inauguration in 1945. Society has been having. I hope that I’ll be able to contribute What would you say is the Committee’s main function? to the development of a stable ‘new-SGM’ that is fit for the We’re responsible for the Society’s big financial decisions. We 21st Century. I also hope that we will have a robust financial Key decisions about the Society – including our Strategic Plan and recent rebrand – maintain the reserves that the society has built up, ensuring base for the Society’s future plans and will have a clear that the business plan remains appropriate. We’re also financial investment plan for the future. are taken by Council, a group of 14 members who represent the breadth of research looking at things on the horizon – open access publishing, for knowledge within the Society. Many of the decisions made by the Council are informed example – and how they may impact on our finances. by the Society’s Committees, which are chaired by a member of Council and normally include one or more elected members plus relevant members of Society staff. But what are the different Committees and what role do they play in the Society? We spoke to their respective Chairs to find out.

Policy Committee

Communications Committee The Policy Committee’s job is to ensure that appropriate public. We’re interested in issues that might have been scientific information and expert opinion are made available forgotten – such as our recent work on STIs – and issues that The role of the Communications Committee is to microbiology to everyone: from the general public to policy- and decision-makers and that the improvement of might have a public interest: food microbiology and synthetic inspire and educate people about the discipline of through to university researchers. We want to inspire resources and infrastructure for microbiology is supported. biology, for instance. microbiology, including members, students, teachers, people about the subject; after all, it’s a huge part of The Committee: supports the development and publishing of journalists and the wider public. their daily life. reports to inform parliamentarians, organises and attends Why did you join the Committee? The Communications Committee advises on parliamentary events, responds to consultations and works I wanted to be part of the Policy Committee as it gives me content for our quarterly magazine, Microbiology Today, Why did you join the Committee? with other organisations to respond to science policy issues. an opportunity to move away from reductionist research and and all communications activities. In addition, the I think it’s important that we get out there and The Committee’s chair is Maggie Smith, Professor of think about the bigger picture and what microbiologists are Committee helps to develop outreach initiatives and communicate science – we shouldn’t keep it to Microbiology at the University of York. doing. educational resources. The Committee is chaired by ourselves. The subject’s too important for that. Paul Hoskisson, Senior Lecturer at the University of What’s your scientific background? When you step down as Chair, what do you hope the Committee will For my PhD, I studied how Escherichia coli takes up antibiotics, Strathclyde. When you step down as Chair, what do you hope the have achieved? Committee will have achieved? but I wanted to move from microbial physiology to genetics so I hope that the Committee will have highlighted a number I went to the University of Leeds Genetics Department. From of serious issues in microbiology. We’ve already done one What’s your scientific background? I really want to leave a legacy of innovative there I moved to Glasgow, which is where I started to work – our briefing document on STIs bit.ly/17MzSd5( ) – and I’m a microbiologist and a biochemist with an interest communication about microbiology. We’re making with Streptomyces, which I still do now. a current issue that we’re really grasping is antimicrobial in the Actinobacteria, both antibiotic producers great strides; I want to continue the Society’s resistance. We’re interested in how the subject moves and pathogenic strains, such as Streptomyces and embracing of digital media to reach a wider audience What would you say is the Committee’s main function? forward in terms of rebuilding our research infrastructure Corynebacterium. and to develop new ways of reaching out to a more We alert policy makers to issues that have a microbiological in order to confront this very serious problem. diverse audience that would otherwise not know emphasis. We focus on parliamentarians, the research What would you say is the Committee’s main function? about microbiology! councils, those in public bodies and, of course, the general We’re here to communicate the science and art of

88 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 89 Professional Development Committee

The Professional Development Committee oversees conferences and beyond may aid career development, delivery of the Society’s strategic priority to promote through other routes including the Higher Education Scientific Conferences Committee microbiology as a career and to support the Academy Fellowships. professional development of microbiologists. The The Scientific Conferences Committee oversees make decisions on applications for Society-supported Committee’s activities include: the awards of grants Why did you join the Committee? the delivery of the Society’s strategic priority to conference grants. and prizes, degree accreditation, post-18 education I really wanted to enable members through broad deliver international conferences disseminating and career development for individuals at all career opportunities available through the Society and the research knowledge and providing an opportunity Why did you join the Committee? stages. The Chair is Sara Burton, Senior Lecturer discipline, and also to help develop personal development for communication between microbiologists. This is I’d previously been Chair of the Virus Division at the University of Exeter. opportunities, which may be recognised by the Society’s achieved by selecting world-renowned speakers, while Committee and gained a good idea of how activities through routes including HEA Fellowships. still providing opportunities for those new to the field conferences were organised, so I felt this was a What’s your scientific background? to present their work via interactive workshops and natural progression – to apply that knowledge to a My career’s been quite varied: I spent a year working When you step down as Chair, what do you hope the Committee poster sessions. The Committee’s chair is Mark Harris, broader range of activities within the Society. at the National Collection of Marine Bacteria in will have achieved? Professor of Virology at the University of Leeds. Aberdeen then in a small biotech company in Cardiff The Committee’s already changed hugely from When you step down as Chair, what do you hope the Committee for four years. I did a PhD in plant molecular biology; what was previously the Education Group. I hope What’s your scientific background? will have achieved? I fell in love with the molecular biology, not the plants that in its current form we’ll continue to identify I’ve been a virologist since I completed my PhD at the We’ve gone through a lot of change in the Society, and so I moved back to microbiology, working on opportunities for the Society’s diverse membership, University of Glasgow in the mid-80s. My lab works going from two conferences down to one, bringing in microbial ecology. through broadened opportunities for involvement in on hepatitis C virus, looking at how it replicates and the Focused Meetings and working closer with the the Society, which is formally recognised as career assembles into new viruses. Biochemical Society on conference infrastructure. I What would you say is the Committee’s main function? development. hope that we’ll continue to have successful meetings We are considering how Society opportunities at What would you say is the Committee’s main function? and a strategy that won’t need too many tweaks over Currently, the main function is the organisation and the next few years. running of the Society’s Annual Conference. We also have oversight of the new Focused Meetings and

Publishing Committee

The Publishing Committee’s role is to support the remain viable, with any surplus revenue being used to success and sustainability of the Society’s publications, fund our charitable activities. providing input and feedback to the Society’s publishing management on the development of new Why did you join the Committee? publishing products and services, and to ensure the I originally joined because I was Treasurer; the ongoing success of existing publications. The Chair is journals represent the main source of our income. We’re always keen to have enthusiastic members Colin Harwood, Professor of Molecular Microbiology Because I’ve been Editor-in-Chief of another learned at Newcastle University. society’s journal, I’ve had a lot of experience in the join our Committees – they help shape the Society field over the past 20 years. What’s your scientific background? and make the Society what it is. When a particular I started working as a microbial geneticist, but When you step down as Chair, what do you hope the now I’m a molecular microbiologist. My focus is on Committee will have achieved? Committee is looking for a new member, the position bacteria from the Bacillus genus; I work on their We’ve undergone a huge reorganisation of the protein secretion and responses to environmental Publishing Department recently. I lead the initial is advertised on our website, (in Microbiology Today) stress. review of the department’s activities and have been supporting the subsequent reconfiguration. As a result, and is highlighted in our monthly e-newsletter. What would you say is the Committee’s main function? I think we now have a modern publication business First and foremost, that the Society produces high that is fit to compete against strong competition in quality academic journals for the microbiology the sector. community and secondly, ensure that the journals

90 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 91 Reviews

Oral Microbiology and The Congress will be opened with a presentation by Anne Fields Virology, 6th Edition Europe’s Leading Congress Glover, Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission, By D. M. Knipe & P. M. Howley Immunology, 2nd Edition followed by a plenary lecture given by Jay Keasling, Berkeley. Published by Lippincott Williams and Edited by R. J. Lamont, G. N. Hajishengallis & on Biotechnology Other plenary lectures will be given by Sang Yup Lee, KAIST Wilkins (2013) H. F. Jenkinson (Korea) and Martin Fussenegger, ETH Zurich. The 16th European Congress on Biotechnology (ECB16) £296.00 ISBN 978-1451105636 Published by ASM Press (2013) 10% discount for SGM members £97.50 ISBN 978-1555816735 ECB16 will take place in Edinburgh from 13 to 16 July 2014. The latest edition of Fields remains The congress will be the focal point where research and As the Society for General Microbiology is a partner of ECB16, the definitive and authoritative textbook This book has been written specifically innovation at the cutting edge of biotechnology meet. all SGM members are entitled to a 10% discount off of the of Virology. The 76 chapters cover for dental students, dental practitioners, Representatives from around the world will be in Edinburgh to Standard Delegate registration fee (discount does not apply to both general virological principles and and healthcare professionals and learn, network and discuss the boundless potential for Student, Young Scientists & Academic rates). specific viruses, and are written by a application of the ideas presented at the congress. researchers working in the discipline To receive this discount, please enter the following code upon large panel of leading experts. As a of oral microbiology and immunology. ECB16 is expected to attract 1,400 delegates, 50+ exhibitors, registration: SfGMECB16discount result it is as up to date as possible The subject matter is divided in three 800 scientific posters and over 150 speakers. for a textbook. broad sections that provide logical Edinburgh—a city rich in scientific heritage The contents are highly detailed antibiotics and the treatment of progression through the major areas: The EFB—a household name in European infectious diseases, and infection control The beautiful and historic city of Edinburgh is a multi award- but nevertheless the quality of the 1) general principles of oral in dentistry). biotechnology winning tourist destination; a must-see cultural capital. From text makes it accessible, helped by the microbiology (including genetics, applied The book is academically written, stunning skylines to sandy beaches, festivals to fireworks: the comprehensive and clear illustrations. molecular biology and immunology), The congress is organised by the European Federation of and the content is relevant and city has something for everyone, day and night. The complete contents is also available 2) infection-driven oral diseases, Biotechnology (EFB). The EFB was established in 1978 by a online, although apart from the extended presented in an interesting way. There and finally 3) control of oral diseases collaboration of European scientists working to promote Many famous scientists who made ground-breaking reference lists I did not find this are key points at the end of each (including immunological intervention, biotechnology throughout the continent and beyond. discoveries in biological sciences, including Charles Darwin and particularly useful. chapter, but the text would benefit from Throughout its 36-year existence, the EFB has gone from Sir Alexander Fleming, once called Edinburgh their home. Only I expect that this edition will additional use of images/illustrations in strength to strength. With a membership of over 17,000, it recently, the ‘Dolly the Sheep’ project focused the eyes of the grace the office shelves of many an some sections to explain key concepts has become a household name in European biotechnology. world on science in the Scottish capital. This resulted in the academic, but it is most likely to be and theories in more detail. first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell using the found in institutional libraries as a The book will serve as an important The scientific programme process of nuclear transfer. reference volume for students and reference resource for undergraduate ECB16 will break new ground whilst still acknowledging researchers. As such, it will continue and postgraduate students as well as established areas of biotechnology. The 20 scientific symposia The gala evening to provide an in-depth introduction early career research investigators. will include many aspects of bioprocessing and biochemical to virology for those new to the area, Those in the discipline should consult Attendees can make the most of their congress experience by engineering, systems and synthetic biotechnology, industrial and a source of valuable background this extensive and well-informed book networking and celebrating with each other at the ECB16 gala biotechnology and biocatalysis. Plant and medical knowledge for all virologists. as an accompaniment to core texts. evening. This informal event will provide an opportunity to biotechnology will be well represented, but a major difference enjoy an evening of the best of Scotland’s food, drink and from previous ECB congresses will be the strong entertainment. Mark Harris Sladjana Malic representation of environmental biotechnology. University of Leeds Manchester Metropolitan University The evening will feature mouth-watering Scottish dishes with There will be a range of satellite events targeted to students a modern twist, entertainment with its roots firmly in the and young biotechnologists, as well as graduate schools and traditions of the highlands and lowlands, and a wide variety of companies in the SME sector. single malts and blends of whisky from the well-stocked bar.

92 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk TO REGISTER NOW VISIT WWW.EMicrobiologyCB16 .TodayCO MayM 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 93 Obituary Comment If we could fast forward to Sir Michael Stoker 1918–2013 antibodies. Renato Dulbecco, who had encouraged Michael’s interest in The 500-year Two former Society for General Microbiology Presidents reflect on the oncogenic viruses when Michael spent a 2514 and look at samples of tremendous influence of Michael Stoker on British virology and cell biology. sabbatical with him in California before moving to Glasgow, came to London Microbiology microbes from 2014, what (1972–77) where he was awarded t seems astonishing to recall that in the His success in Cambridge led to his the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Experiment changes may have taken late 1950s Sir Christopher Andrewes, appointment to the first UK Chair in Medicine. John Cairns, James Watson’s Idiscoverer of human influenza virus Virology in Glasgow. predecessor as Director of Cold Spring and Head of the Bacteriology & Virology Michael regarded his nine years Harbor Laboratory, directed the ICRF place in those organisms Division at the Medical Research in Glasgow as the most fruitful of Mill Hill laboratories, and modelled the Charles Cockell Council’s National Institute for Medical his career. With Ian Macpherson he epidemiology and causes of human – affecting their viability Research, still insisted that all members developed the first non-cancerous cancer through the penetrating eyes of a of his Division had to be medically immortal cell line, BHK-21/C13 cells, molecular geneticist. or their DNA? The 500-year qualified. One of us (D. C. Burke) was a which were useful both for lytic In 1979, Michael ‘retired’ to postdoc working with Alick Isaacs (who virus propagation and for malignant Cambridge to run a small lab, where he discovered interferon) and had to hang transformation by polyoma virus. discovered ‘scatter factor’ (hepatocyte Microbiology Experiment his coat in Chemistry. Such attitudes He recruited a group of outstanding growth factor), which plays a key role in changed in 1958 when Michael Stoker scientists, including Peter Wildy, Lionel embryo development, organ regeneration team are giving future was appointed as Professor of Virology Crawford, Ian Macpherson, Kenny Fraser, and cancer cell invasiveness. and founding Director of the Medical John Subak-Sharpe and Mike Fried. The mainstay of Michael’s life generations the opportunity Research Council (MRC) Unit of Virology Meanwhile, in the Glasgow Veterinary was his wife Veronica, to whom he was at Glasgow University. Largely thanks School, Bill Jarrett and collaborators happily married for 62 years, and they to find out. to Michael, virology in the UK became adopted the MRC Unit’s cell and frequently welcomed colleagues to their a fully fledged scientific discipline, molecular biology techniques to home. Sadly, Veronica predeceased no longer a Cinderella to medical discover feline leukemia virus and Michael by nine years. They are survived bacteriology in medical schools. Michael bovine papilloma virus. by their five children and seven One of the 500-year Microbiology Experiment oak understood the importance of viruses as In 1968, Michael became Director grandchildren. boxes. Charles Cockell tools for understanding cell biology and of Research at the Imperial Cancer Michael was elected a Fellow of icrobes have remarkable However, fundamental scientific yet created. Designed to investigate the there can hardly be a virologist in the UK Research Fund (ICRF) Laboratories in the Royal Society in 1968, and was tenacity. Many vegetative questions remain: what exactly is the survival of microbes and biomolecules – whether they know it or not – who is London (now part of Cancer Research the Royal Society Foreign Secretary microbes resistant to radiation rate of loss of viability of microbes over century time scales, it will go not indebted to his insights. UK). He arrived with key colleagues 1978–83. He was knighted in 1980, and M and desiccation inhabit the world’s when they are dormant, and what far beyond our existing incomplete Michael was medically qualified from Glasgow and recruited new cell was President of Clare Hall, Cambridge, most extreme deserts. Bacterial mathematical function describes knowledge. and gained his first taste of research and molecular biologists based on the 1980–87. He served on the Council of spores, too, can survive desiccation their rate of death over long periods? We know from anecdotal reports working on rickettsial Q fever while Virology Institute model – namely to European Molecular Biology Organization for at least centuries. The ability to Do some die quickly, leaving a core that vegetative cyanobacteria (Nostoc serving in the Royal Army Medical provide excellent facilities and give and on the Board of the Ludwig Institute become dormant and ride out some of resistant population able to survive sp.) cells can survive decadal time Corps in India during World War II. investigators free reign with lots of for Cancer Research. One recognition the Earth’s extreme conditions is one much longer periods? Do many survive, spans when desiccated. There have On demobilisation, he started his interchange and seminars. that Michael treasured, having joined way in which microbes have remained but then suddenly start to die after been many controversial reports of academic career at Cambridge in the Michael also persuaded three the Society in its early years, was to attic laboratories of the Pathology remarkable senior figures to join him at be elected an Honorary Member of the dominant in all of the Earth’s habitats a period of time when accumulated Bacillus endospores in amber and salt Department. In collaboration with Peter ICRF. Guido Pontecorvo, an authority on Society for General Microbiology. for well over three billion years. damage to DNA and other biomolecules entombed for multi-million year time Wildy (a future Society President), he the genetics of the fungus Aspergillus, Indeed, the survivability of microbes makes it impossible for them to be periods. In our own laboratory, we have studied herpes simplex virus. Michael took up mammalian cell biology and Robin A. Weiss in a dormant state drives concerns revived? observed that cells of Chroococcidiopsis about whether microbes on spacecraft To address these scientific sp., a cyanobacterium found growing used the new electron microscope at through his discovery of cell fusion [email protected] the Cavendish Physics Laboratories mediated by polyethylene glycol, he might even contaminate other planets questions, we have set up the 500- on, in and under rocks in some of to visualise virus particles, where greatly expanded somatic cell genetics, Derek C. Burke (‘planetary protection’), for which year Microbiology Experiment that the Earth’s extreme hot and cold he became friends with Max Perutz, which in turn led to the generation of [email protected] there are international protocols and will start on 1 July 2014. It will be the deserts, when dried down on agar and John Kendrew and James Watson. hybridomas producing monoclonal regulations. longest planned scientific experiment inadvertently left in a draw for ten years

94 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk 95 in 2003, were viable and able to resume collected. The experiment is carried questions. For example, what are the growth immediately after ten years. out in duplicate, one set of vials being pathways and rates of degradation These observations motivated us to exposed to background levels of of the key biomolecules, DNA, lipids set up a properly conceived, controlled radiation, the other being encased and proteins in desiccated cells? As experiment. within lead to significantly reduce this analytical methods vastly improve over Our experiment involves storing exposure. This tests the hypothesis that the next 500 years, our experiment 800 glass vials that contain either one background beta radiation from rock will provide valuable samples and of two micro-organisms. Endospores radioactive decay has a statistically research project possibilities for future of Bacillus subtilis in one set of vials significant influence on loss of viability researchers. will test the resilience of this well- (accepting that we cannot remove all For added interest, the boxes also known Gram-positive organism, which background radiation). contain images of the participating forms highly environmentally resistant In addition to biological samples, microbiology laboratories in the endospores. Another set of vials will passive radiation detectors, i.e. year 2014 and some of the thoughts contain dried down vegetative cells of thermoluminescence detectors (TLDs), and perspectives of the researchers Chroococcidiopsis sp. Every other year will be used to measure the radiation involved in the experiment. Quite apart for the first 24 years, triplicate vials of exposure including the terrestrial from its scientific value, the 500-year each organism will be removed from background (such as radon) and cosmic Microbiology Experiment also offers the box and the organisms studied for radiation, of the biological samples. TLD a wonderful focal point for education, viability, DNA damage and any other measures ionizing radiation exposure inspiring young people to think about assay available to researchers in the by measuring the intensity of visible microbes, their role in global processes future. After the initial 24 years the light emitted from a crystal in the and whether such hardy forms of life sampling regimen drops to once every detector when the crystal is heated. might exist elsewhere. These parts of 25 years, making the final sampling The intensity of light emitted depends the experiment, as well as articles like point 30 June 2514, by which time on the radiation exposure. One of the this one, we hope will remind people 31 time points of data will have been most common types of TLD is lithium that the experiment exists and will fluoride. In the 500-year experiment LiF- help ensure that the experimental time TLDs will be applied, which have been points are properly taken until the year previously used for several spaceflight 2514. experiments on board the International Space Station. The 500-year Microbiology The entire experiment is repeated Experiment team and contained in two separate oak Charles Cockell, Toby Samuels, Marisa boxes, to be kept in different locations. Mayer, Ellen Sirks and Indiarose Friswell Each box contains information on the UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of sampling interval and instructions on Physics and Astronomy, University of paper and electronically. At each 25- Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, UK year time point the researchers must [email protected] copy the instructions to ensure both Ralf Moeller1, Katja Nagler1, Marina their longevity and to prevent them from Raguse1, Andrea Schröder1, Thomas becoming out-dated with technological Berger2 and Petra Rettberg1 and linguistic development. German Aerospace Center (DLR e.V.), As well as testing the hypotheses Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation that vegetative cells and spores Biology Department, 1Astrobiology can survive intact under desiccated Research Group/2Biophysics Research conditions for 500 years and that loss of Group, Cologne (Köln), Germany Two of the glass vials that will go into the viability is linked to DNA damage, we will [email protected] experiment boxes. Charles Cockell also be able to answer other fascinating

96 Microbiology Today May 14 | www.sgm.ac.uk