microbiologytoday microbiology vol36|aug09 quarterly magazine of the society today for general microbiology vol 36 | aug 09 microbes in sport community-acquired mrsa in sport herpes gladiatorum – scrumpox improving sports turf with microbes swine ’flu update contents vol36(3) regular features 122 News 164 Going Public 132 Microshorts 169 Addresses 150 Conferences 170 Hot off the Press 152 Schoolzone 173 Reviews 160 Gradline other items 159 Diphtheria and a death mask – Peter Wildy’s Story Michael Carlile articles 134 Can I catch MRSA 144 Can microbes be used from playing sport? to produce ‘greener’ Jodi Lindsay sports turf? MRSA is a big problem in health care settings, but what Alan Gange threat does it pose in the community? Soil microbes are a different kind of player on the sports field. 138 Herpes Gladiatorum: a combative virus 176 Comment: Sw-H1N1-ng on disease about ’flu again Julia Colston & Judy Breuer Wendy Barclay Players of contact sports can sometimes end up How ready is the world to cope with the new swine ’flu with an unexpected virus after the game. pandemic? Cover image Rugby scrum. Bob Thomas / Getty Images The views expressed Editor Dr Matt Hutchings––Editorial Board Dr Sue Assinder, Dr Paul Hoskisson, Professor Mark Harris Managing Editor Janet Hurst by contributors are not Editorial Assistant Yvonne Taylor––Design & Production Ian Atherton––Contributions are always welcome and should be addressed to the Editor c/o SGM HQ, Marlborough House, necessarily those of the Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, Reading RG7 1AG–Tel. 0118 988 1809–Fax 0118 988 5656–email [email protected]–web www.sgm.ac.uk Society; nor can the Advertising David Lancaster, Ten Alps Publishing, London Office, 10 Savoy Street, London WC2E 7HR–t 0207 878 2316–f 0207 379 7118–e [email protected] Regular feature images pp. 123 SGM; 151, 153, 173 Comstock / Jupiter Images; 161, 171 Stockbyte; 165, AbleStock; 169 Digital Vision / Getty claims of advertisers © 2009 The Society for General Microbiology––ISSN 1464-0570––Printed by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd, Plymouth, UK be guaranteed. news Sir Howard Dalton Prize Free access to SGM Council and Fellowship H1N1 influenza May meeting highlights Sir Howard Dalton, who was SGM President virus papers Within the next year an Advisory Council of 12 members 1997–2000 and who sadly died unexpectedly in Honorary membership Because of current public health will be formed. 2008, made a bequest of £2,000 to the Society. interest in swine influenza, SGM Council decided unanimously to support the President’s After careful deliberations, Council decided has made all papers on H1N1 nomination of Dr Julian Davies, Professor Emeritus of SGM finances that it would like use the money to support influenza viruses published in JGV Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Council accepted the 2008 Annual Accounts and attendance at an SGM meeting by a microbiology and JMM freely available online. Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, for Honorary Membership. authorized the Treasurer to sign the Letter of Representation student from The Gambia, where Sir Howard and Under normal circumstances, papers His scientific work focuses on all aspects of microbial to the auditors. They also noted that the commercial sales his wife Lady Kira were involved in educational published in these journals are ecology and he is a keen supporter of SGM; in the past tiered pricing project was underway. The general economic activities. Lady Kira was delighted to accede to under access controls for 12 months few months alone having written not only an article for recession has not left SGM untouched. However, at present this suggestion and the scheme will be put in after publication. See http://vir. Microbiology Today, but also been a keynote speaker at the its finances are stable. place. Council also decided to rename the Young sgmjournals.org/misc/news_060509 Harrogate conference. Microbiologist of the Year Competition, which Education activities fosters science communication in early career SGM Prizes The Education Officer Sue Assinder reported that in 2009 microbiologists, in honour of Sir Howard. Council members were requested to send nominations for SGM staff will continue to participate in the joint Science the 2010 SGM Prize Medal to the General Secretary in May, Swine ’flu talk at Careers stand with other bioscience organizations at the in readiness for the discussion at the July 2009 Council autumn conference Higher Education Conventions aimed at 6th-formers meeting when a decision will be made. Fred Griffith Prize Wendy Barclay, Professor of Influenza making university choices. She showed Council two new Virology at Imperial College London, SGM meetings publications. Microbiologists make a difference, a stylish and Lecture will be giving delegates at the interesting guide to careers in microbiology for the 16 year- Council heard that the Spring 2009 meeting in Harrogate Professor Jeff Errington will deliver SGM conference in Edinburgh all old, describes 9 job profiles by young microbiologists and was a great success with good attendance at the scientific his prize lecture entitled From spores to the latest news and research findings contains advice on training routes and career opportunities sessions and particularly the prize lectures. This was the first antibiotics via the cell cycle, on Tuesday, on swine ‘flu. As Microbiology Today in microbiology. The good, the bad and the ugly – microbes, conference under the new system, which was considered to 8 September at the Society’s meeting went to press, the World Health a colourful 68-page book for key stage 3 and 4 pupils which have worked well. The arrangements will be reviewed by at Edinburgh Conference Centre, Organization declared the current includes a CD on microbiology, has been sent to all school the new Scientific Meetings Officer, Chris J. Hewitt, in Heriot-Watt University. The Fred outbreak an official pandemic. Wendy members of the SGM (now over 500!), and a marketing 2010. Griffith Prize is awarded in recognition has been in much demand by the campaign aimed at all UK and Ireland secondary schools is of long and distinguished service in media to provide information about European Society for Virology (ESV) underway. any area of microbiology. the virus and the infection it causes, The President attended the First General Assembly of Dual use of micro-organisms appearing on television as well as Jeff did a BSc in Genetics and the new ESV which took place in Rome on 24 April 2009. being interviewed on radio and by the Zoology at Newcastle University He reported that the ESV sees itself as the equivalent in In the light of the Parliamentary Office of Science and press. Her talk takes place at noon on (1977) and then a PhD in microbial Europe of the American Society for Virology (ASV). It Technology (POST) canvassing opinion on this issue from Wednesday 9 September. genetics at what is now the University will be responsible for organizing the triennial European some of the SGM Editors-in-Chief for one of their ‘POST of Greenwich. In 1981 he made a Wendy has also agreed to participate Congress of Virology. The next (4th) congress will take place Notes’, Council had a general discussion. In conclusion, career-defining move to Oxford to work with Prof Joel Mandelstam on in an event for the general public in Cernobbia, Lago di Como, Italy, in April 2010. Council it saw no cogent reason to change the Policy on Scientific spore formation in Bacillus subtilis. Captivated by the power of B. subtilis as during the Heriot-Watt meeting, under agreed that SGM should support the new society and Publication, Security and Censorship that they had agreed an experimental organism, he has continued to work on fundamental aspects the banner ’Flu and You: catch it, become a corporate member. Robin Weiss was elected the on 2 May 2003 (see www.sgm.ac.uk/pubs/policy.cfm). of its cell and molecular biology ever since. In 2006 he moved his lab to bin it, kill it. She will give a talk that Chair of the European Virology Award (EVA) Committee. Ulrich Desselberger, General Secretary Newcastle to take over as Director of the Institute for Cell and Molecular covers seasonal ’flu as well as swine Biosciences and realize a dream of building a research centre focused on ’flu and provide information on ’flu fundamental studies of model bacteria – the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology – vaccines. The talk will be followed New member of Council which will be housed in a brand new building in 2010. Jeff has published nearly by an interactive demonstration on AGM 2009 150 full research papers, many in high ranking journals including Cell, Science hand hygiene by SGM staff using their Dr Karen Robinson, Associate Professor, Centre for The AGM of the Society will be held on Tuesday, 8 and Nature. His contributions have been honoured by election to Fellowship of exciting glowing gel to show how Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, has September 2009 at the Society Meeting at Edinburgh the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the American Academy of viruses are transmitted by touch. The been elected unopposed to serve on Council for a Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University. Agenda papers, Microbiology and EMBO. Jeff embraces the idea that basic science can provide event will take place after the end period of 4 years from 8 September 2009. A profile of including reports from Officers and Group Conveners and opportunities for drug discovery and founded Prolysis Ltd, which now has several of scientific sessions on Tuesday 8 Dr Robinson will appear in a future issue of Microbiology the Accounts of the Society for 2008 are circulated with novel antibiotics in the development pipeline. September. Today.