Some Historical Elements of Microbial Ecology
2
Pierre Caumette, Jean-Claude Bertrand, and Philippe Normand
Abstract
We present briefly, first, the history of the discovery of microorganisms and particularly
bacteria with the pioneering works of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert
Koch, essentially. In a second and more detailed part, the history of microbial ecology is
presented with particularly the very important work of Sergei Winogradsky and his
discoveries of the main bacterial groups active in biogeochemical cycles. It is followed
by a description of the major microbial ecologists who have been very active in promoting
and developing microbial ecology throughout the world. Their role in the advances of
microbial ecology is presented and discussed.
Keywords
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek History of microbiology Louis Pasteur Microbial
ecology Microorganisms discovery Robert Koch Sergei Winogradsky
2.1
Introduction
Ecology, from the Greek words “oikos” (the house and its
operation) and “logos” (knowledge, discourse, laws), can be
defined as “knowledge of the laws governing the operation of
the ‛house,’” i.e., the science that studies the relationships
between organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments.
Thus, the German biologist Ernst Hae ¨ckel (1866) was the first
to propose this word and to use it in that sense. By extension,
microbial ecology is the science that studies the interrelationships between microorganisms and their biotic and abiotic
environments. Since the early 1960s, this term has been
commonly used and this discipline has developed considerably. These studies have been mainly focused on determining
the role of living organisms and especially microorganisms in
maintaining the ecological equilibrium of ecosystems and the
wider environment. Since the 1970s, ecology has become
popular as it developed not only into a science but also turned
into a major social and political issue. Later, microbial ecology became a full-fledged discipline of microbiology. Today,
it is particularly necessary in view of the marked deterioration
of our environment and the need to “make the house livable”
for the survival of humanity and the wider living world
(biodiversity), that is to say, for the maintenance of quality
and ecosystem balance in our environment. This discipline
requires knowledge of microorganisms, their biodiversity,
and their role in their immediate surroundings but also, to
know at the cellular level, their metabolism and functional
abilities. Thus, in this discipline, it is necessary to analyze
closely the links between field approaches that study
P. Caumette* (*)
Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour
l’Environnement et les Mate ´riaux (IPREM), UMR CNRS 5254,
Universite ´ de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, B.P. 1155,
64013 Pau Cedex, France
e-mail: pierre.caumette@univ-pau.fr
J.-C. Bertrand
Institut Me ´diterrane ´en d’Oce ´anologie (MIO), UM 110, CNRS 7294
IRD 235, Universite ´ de Toulon, Aix-Marseille Universite ´,
Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
e-mail: Jean-Claude.bertrand@univ-amu.fr
P. Normand
Microbial Ecology Center, UMR CNRS 5557 / USC INRA 1364,
Universite ´ Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
e-mail: philippe.normand@univ-lyon1.fr
* Chapter Coordinator
J.-C. Bertrand et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology: Fundamentals and Applications: Microbial Ecology,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9118-2_2, # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
9
2
Pierre Caumette, Jean-Claude Bertrand, and Philippe Normand
Abstract
We present briefly, first, the history of the discovery of microorganisms and particularly
bacteria with the pioneering works of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert
Koch, essentially. In a second and more detailed part, the history of microbial ecology is
presented with particularly the very important work of Sergei Winogradsky and his
discoveries of the main bacterial groups active in biogeochemical cycles. It is followed
by a description of the major microbial ecologists who have been very active in promoting
and developing microbial ecology throughout the world. Their role in the advances of
microbial ecology is presented and discussed.
Keywords
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek History of microbiology Louis Pasteur Microbial
ecology Microorganisms discovery Robert Koch Sergei Winogradsky
2.1
Introduction
Ecology, from the Greek words “oikos” (the house and its
operation) and “logos” (knowledge, discourse, laws), can be
defined as “knowledge of the laws governing the operation of
the ‛house,’” i.e., the science that studies the relationships
between organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments.
Thus, the German biologist Ernst Hae ¨ckel (1866) was the first
to propose this word and to use it in that sense. By extension,
microbial ecology is the science that studies the interrelationships between microorganisms and their biotic and abiotic
environments. Since the early 1960s, this term has been
commonly used and this discipline has developed considerably. These studies have been mainly focused on determining
the role of living organisms and especially microorganisms in
maintaining the ecological equilibrium of ecosystems and the
wider environment. Since the 1970s, ecology has become
popular as it developed not only into a science but also turned
into a major social and political issue. Later, microbial ecology became a full-fledged discipline of microbiology. Today,
it is particularly necessary in view of the marked deterioration
of our environment and the need to “make the house livable”
for the survival of humanity and the wider living world
(biodiversity), that is to say, for the maintenance of quality
and ecosystem balance in our environment. This discipline
requires knowledge of microorganisms, their biodiversity,
and their role in their immediate surroundings but also, to
know at the cellular level, their metabolism and functional
abilities. Thus, in this discipline, it is necessary to analyze
closely the links between field approaches that study
P. Caumette* (*)
Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour
l’Environnement et les Mate ´riaux (IPREM), UMR CNRS 5254,
Universite ´ de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, B.P. 1155,
64013 Pau Cedex, France
e-mail: pierre.caumette@univ-pau.fr
J.-C. Bertrand
Institut Me ´diterrane ´en d’Oce ´anologie (MIO), UM 110, CNRS 7294
IRD 235, Universite ´ de Toulon, Aix-Marseille Universite ´,
Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
e-mail: Jean-Claude.bertrand@univ-amu.fr
P. Normand
Microbial Ecology Center, UMR CNRS 5557 / USC INRA 1364,
Universite ´ Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
e-mail: philippe.normand@univ-lyon1.fr
* Chapter Coordinator
J.-C. Bertrand et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology: Fundamentals and Applications: Microbial Ecology,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9118-2_2, # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
9