The Curious World of Bacteria

Molecular biologist Wess makes his English-language debut with this captivating primer on the world of bacteria. He offers an overview of the evolution, biology, and functions of bacteria through 50 “portraits” of distinctive species. Spotlighting the “record holders” of the microscopic world, Wess notes that Pelagibacter ubique, found in salt water, is the “smallest independently living bacterium, but also the most efficient” in genome size and makeup. He explains how bacteria can help humans, describing how steelworks in China have put Clostridium autoethanogenum to work converting industrial exhaust fumes into ethanol and how a Dutch microbiologist has come up with a plan to incorporate Bacillus cohnii into concrete, where the bacteria’s ability to produce lime could help repair cracks. The author details bacteria that thrive under extreme conditions, such as Deinococcus radiodurans, which can withstand extreme levels of radiation, and Colwellia psychrerythraea, whose specialized polymers and enzymes enable it to survive temperatures of −320 ºF. Wess’s focus on the oddities of the bacterial world makes for an entertaining introduction to a critical, if underappreciated, facet of planetary life. Readers will come away with a deeper appreciation for the diversity of living organisms. (Feb.)