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Microbiological processes have important roles in nearly all stages of food production. Therefore, microbiologists will be key players in making the improvements to food production that are required to feed the growing world population.
The response from the scientific community to two recent controversies has shown that although scientific progress is not always linear, the right answer will emerge in the end.
The scale of life in the microbial world is such that amazing numbers become commonplace. These numbers can be sources of inspiration for those in the field and used to inspire awe in the next generation of microbiologists.
Microbiology has been a foundation of our investigation into the basic principles of life, but much remains to be discovered. Therefore, the focus on basic microbiology research cannot be lost.
Better annotation of marker gene sequences and environmental parameters in sequence databases is essential to maximize their use for researchers both today and in the future.
Our understanding of the role of the microbiota in our gut and other sites in our body is rapidly improving and can lead to many new and innovative approaches for health care.
Pneumococcal vaccines and rotavirus vaccines will help to reach the goal, set by the United Nations Millennium Project, of a two-thirds decrease in child mortality by 2015.
Plans by several US federal agencies to fight the rapid spread of white-nose syndrome in bats are to be welcomed, but the benefits of further basic research into the causative agent should not be ignored.
