Welcome to the Microbiome
Getting to Know the Trillions of Bacteria and Other Microbes In, On, and Around You
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Suddenly, research findings require a paradigm shift in our view of the microbial world. The Human Microbiome Project at the National Institutes of Health is well under way, and unprecedented scientific technology now allows the censusing of trillions of microbes inside and on our bodies as well as in the places where we live, work, and play. This intriguing, up-to-the-minute book for scientists and nonscientists alike explains what researchers are discovering about the microbe world and what the implications are for modern science and medicine.
Rob DeSalle and Susan Perkins illuminate the long, intertwined evolution of humans and microbes. They discuss how novel DNA sequencing has shed entirely new light on the complexity of microbe-human interactions, and they examine the potential benefits to human health: amazing possibilities for pinpoint treatment of infections and other illnesses without upsetting the vital balance of an individual microbiome.
This book has been inspired by an exhibition, The Secret World Inside You: The Microbiome, at the American Museum of Natural History, which will open in New York in early November 2015 and run until August 2016. It will then travel to other museums in the United States and abroad.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
DeSalle and Perkins, science curators at the American Museum of Natural History, explore a "paradigm shift from a focus on single pathogenic organisms to understanding communities of organisms living in and on us," presenting a historical perspective and describing some recent scientific developments. New molecular genetics techniques have dramatically expanded the number of identifiable microbial species, forcing scientists to reconsider the interactions these species have with each other and with humans. The authors reveal the astounding diversity of species composition that exists across body parts and systems within both individuals and groups. As with any complex ecosystem, the human microbiome is composed of species playing varied roles; when a critical species begins to decline, it alters the entire ecosystem. In one striking example, the authors describe the human relationship with Helicobacter pylori, the organism largely responsible for peptic ulcers. Researchers have found ways of dramatically reducing the presence of H. pylori, but this may have led to increased rates of heartburn, esophageal cancer, and asthma. They also present compelling evidence that obesity can be caused in part by gut-bacteria composition. DeSalle and Perkins make it easy and fun to learn about this rapidly expanding field.
