named Babesia bigemina which is carried by a tick, is not able to live in climates
which are cold enough to kill the ticks. He stated that presumably the parasite cannot
survive in pasture soil unless the parasite is protected within the body of the tick.
Bowman mentioned the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, which
occurred in 1929. Fleming had noticed that Staphylococcus growing on a culture
plate were being lysed by a contaminating Penicillium mold. Fleming modestly
suggested that perhaps the antibacterial substance in a broth culture of the mold
might be used clinically to help infections caused by those bacteria which he found
susceptible to it. We now understand that in the struggle for survival which is
represented by antibiosis, microorganisms produce many antimicrobial compounds
and also evolve defenses against those antimicrobial compounds which are produced
by other organisms.
Acknowledgement I wish to thank Kerry Oliver for reviewing this essay and also for his helpful
suggestion that I include Paul Buchner’s book.
Christon J. Hurst “Have Passport–Will Travel”
References
Beyerinck MW (1888) Die Bacterien der Papilionaceen-Knöllchen. Bot Ztg 1888 (46):725–735;
(47):741–750; (48):757–771; (49):781–790; (50):797–804
Bowman HHM (1947) Antibiosis. Ohio J Sci 47(5):177–191
14 Discovering the Symbiotic Nature of Microbial Life: Summarizing Milestone. . .
239
which are cold enough to kill the ticks. He stated that presumably the parasite cannot
survive in pasture soil unless the parasite is protected within the body of the tick.
Bowman mentioned the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, which
occurred in 1929. Fleming had noticed that Staphylococcus growing on a culture
plate were being lysed by a contaminating Penicillium mold. Fleming modestly
suggested that perhaps the antibacterial substance in a broth culture of the mold
might be used clinically to help infections caused by those bacteria which he found
susceptible to it. We now understand that in the struggle for survival which is
represented by antibiosis, microorganisms produce many antimicrobial compounds
and also evolve defenses against those antimicrobial compounds which are produced
by other organisms.
Acknowledgement I wish to thank Kerry Oliver for reviewing this essay and also for his helpful
suggestion that I include Paul Buchner’s book.
Christon J. Hurst “Have Passport–Will Travel”
References
Beyerinck MW (1888) Die Bacterien der Papilionaceen-Knöllchen. Bot Ztg 1888 (46):725–735;
(47):741–750; (48):757–771; (49):781–790; (50):797–804
Bowman HHM (1947) Antibiosis. Ohio J Sci 47(5):177–191
14 Discovering the Symbiotic Nature of Microbial Life: Summarizing Milestone. . .
239