Historical Perspective
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FeaturesMicrobiome research and a paradigm shift in urban building design
There is increasing evidence that this association between a host and its microbes not only determines health and disease but also influences the behaviour of humans and other animals.
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Long ReadsAgar and the curse of purity
Discover for the first time, new information and images about Fanny Angelina Hesse, and one of the most important inventions in microbiology.
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FeaturesShining a light on microbes from the past with molecular paleomicrobiology
Is there a way to objectively address the history of microorganisms?
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FeaturesVirgin soil effect: how did European diseases impact native populations in The Americas
The so called ‘Age of Discovery’ was a period of exploration, exchanging new foods, gold and culture. However, with the exchanges between Europe and The Americas, there was also the exchange of pathogens with native populations.
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FeaturesThe pandemic potential of poxvirus infections
What can the causes of ancient pandemics, smallpox and viral evolution tell us about future threats?
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FeaturesSir Graham Wilson
Sir Graham Wilson was a pioneer in the area of public health, wartime bacteriology and food hygiene.
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Long ReadsHow war sets the stage for epidemics
On 19 June 2022, Iraq’s health authorities announced a cholera outbreak after at least 13 cases were confirmed across the country and thousands of hospital admissions for acute diarrhea were reported.
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Article‘t time’: why students prefer Guinness
‘Student’s t test’ to compare the means of two groups always seems to enjoy particularly high esteem amongst students; so much so that some may believe that the test’s name was conferred in their honour.
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FeaturesThe life and times of Sir Henry Wellcome
Wellcome was committed to high-quality science and founded other laboratories to join the WPRL, including the Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratory in Khartoum.
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FeaturesMaking us keen for quinine
In 1817, quinine became the first chemical compound used to treat an infectious disease.
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FeaturesIce, ice, maybe? Francis Bacon and frozen meat
The scientific pioneer’s ill-fated investigation into whether flesh could be preserved in snow.
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FeaturesToasting Alice Ball
Alice Ball became both the first African-American and the first woman to be awarded a Master’s degree in Chemistry in 1915.
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FeaturesThe rise of India Pale Ale
We chart the rollercoaster emergence of the India Pale AleThe emergence of the India Pale Ale.
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FeaturesSanitas, a public health hero
The Sanitas Company Limited: a once well-known concern deserving remembrance for its contribution to public health.
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FeaturesA passport to Pimlico for streptococci
Fred Griffith played a key role in the foundation of molecular genetics.
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FeaturesCitric acid's journey from sunny Sicily to industrial London
Like other major seaports, the hinterland of London’s docks was once a hive of industrial activity.
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FeaturesThe perplexing progress of pickling and preservation
In 1819, two former school friends, Thomas Blackwell and Edmund Crosse, were apprenticed to a firm making pickles and sauces.
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FeaturesBlue plaque microbiology
Marking sites associated with notable people or events is an estimable and widespread practice.
