A Historical Perspective on Commerce and the Spread of Disease

Volume 14, Number 2 284 that live under some of the harshest conditions on the planet invigorating. Understanding how the structural and physiological adaptations of these microorganisms allow them to live under these harsh conditions provides insight into what life had to endure when our own world was a much more inhospitable place. The new text Polar Microbiology: Life in a Deep Freeze by Robert V. Miller and Lyle G. Whyte (ed) delves into the secrets of those organisms that have adapted to living in environments that are consistently around zero degrees Celsius or lower. I was delighted to see that the overall scope of the material covered in this text does not focus only on the cryosphere environments (ice glaciers, etc.), but on polar terrestrial and marine systems as well. Unlike the recent Polar Microbiology: The Ecology, Biodiversity and Bioremediation Potential of Microorganisms in Extremely Cold Environments (2010), edited by Bej, Aislabie and Atlas, which is more focused in its scope and meant for a more advanced academic reading audience, the Miller and Whyte Polar Microbiology text is written to be accessible to a more general audience. Each chapter was written by leading scientists in Arctic and Antarctic microbiology who set up their topics with an informative introduction meant for those who have little experience in microbiology, let alone polar microbiology. They then delve into the current research on that topic without being overwhelmingly technical and, finally, they discuss where future research may lead. The bibliographical information provided on the authors’ research is sufficiently detailed with primary literature for the academic reader who has further interest in each chapter’s topics. I am also pleased with how Miller and Whyte have organized the text. They have divided the topics into four parts, focusing on the different aspects of microbiology. Part I addresses microbial diversity in polar environments, looking not only at bacteria and archaea, but eukaryotic and bacteriophage diversity as well. Part II addresses structural and physiological adaptations to the cold, while Part III looks at the importance of these modifications and how they play a role in the ecology of their native habitats. Part IV addresses the challenges these microbes face while living in the current, rapidly changing polar environments of our planet. This part also explores the lower limits of microbial life and its implications for potential life on other planets. Overall, I found Polar Microbiology an enjoyable reading experience. It is well written, informative and thoughtprovoking. While it is a bit too general to be used as a text for a college-level course, it is a solid resource for those interested in learning more about life at the extremes. For the microbiologist, it is an excellent summary of our current knowledge of the diversity, adaptations, ecology, and challenges of the microbes thriving in the coldest zones of our planet. I hope that, as the authors continue to answer the scientific questions posed in their chapters, a new edition will be organized to highlight these advances in the future. Michael R. Leonardo Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA E-mail: [email protected]