H. W. Jannasch to isolate bacteria from their deep-sea
environments by avoiding the decompression shock
(Jannasch et al. 1982). Moreover, through the construction
of a continuous culture system under pressure, he was able to
study the kinetics of growth of barophilic bacteria at
temperatures between 3 and 8
C in the presence of low
concentrations of carbon sources, both of which being characteristic of deep environments; he demonstrated that
barophily, psychrophily, and oligotrophy were closely
related (Jannasch et al. 1996). Through its expertise in the
field of microbiology of deep environments (Jannasch and
Taylor 1984), he also approached the study of prokaryotes
living near the sites of deep oceanic hydrothermal vents. He
thus contributed significantly to the microbiological study of
these ecosystems based on chemosynthesis (cf. Sect. 10.3.1),
in particular the role of sulfur-reducing bacteria living in
symbiosis with Riftia pachyptila, the giant worm, devoid of
mouth, digestive tract, and anus that harbors in its
trophosome (cf. Sect. 10.3.1) endosymbiotic chemolithoautotrophic bacteria (Cananaugh et al. 1981).
With H. Jannasch many microbiologists were inspired by
the teachings of Cornelius Van Niel. Among them:
– Roger Stanier (1916–1982) did his graduate studies at the
University of Vancouver (Canada) and then at Stanford
University (USA). In 1938, he met Prof. Van Niel at the
Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University in
California during a summer course of microbiology; he
then worked on the taxonomy of bacteria in Van Niel’s
laboratory (Pacific Grove). In 1947, he became professor
of microbiology at the University of Berkeley (California,
USA) and participated in the development of the Bergey’s
Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, which is the reference work for identification of bacterial species. In 1957,
he published with his colleagues the first edition of The
Microbial World that has been reedited five times (Stanier
et al. 1976). He contributed greatly to knowledge on
photosynthetic bacteria, including the positioning of
Cyanophyceae (blue-green algae) in the “kingdom of
prokaryotes” and thus renamed Cyanobacteria. In 1971,
he accepted the position of department head of the microbial
physiology unit offered him by the Pasteur Institute; he was
appointed professor at the Pasteur Institute and developed
the reference cyanobacteria laboratory. He initiated
with Norbert Pfennig and Moshe Shilo a series of triennial
symposia on photosynthetic prokaryotes that continues
to the present days, with the 14th edition in 2012.
– Norbert Pfennig (1925–2008) studied microbiology at the
University of Go ¨ttingen. After his doctorate in 1957, he was
appointed assistant at the same university. Stimulated by
Schlegel, he devoted himself to the study of purple and
green phototrophic bacteria. He then went on to work in the
laboratory of Cornelius Van Niel at the Hopkins Marine
Station (California, United States) where he met Roger
Stanier. He then returned to the University of Go ¨ttingen
as professor and, with his collaborators, developed the
physiological, systematic, and ecological study of
phototrophic bacteria involved in the sulfur cycle. His
work brought him to isolate hundreds of strains constituting
many new species and genera not only of phototrophic
bacteria but also of sulfate-reducing bacteria and fermentative bacteria. He became a world reference for photosynthetic (Stanier et al. 1981) and sulfate-reducing bacteria
(Pfennig et al. 1981). He was responsible for new concepts
on the role of these bacteria in the biogeochemical cycles of
carbon and sulfur. He showed their important role in the
biodegradation of organic compounds and even some
xenobiotics under anoxic conditions. He helped with the
committee of the Bergey’s Manual, to reorganize the whole
systematics of phototrophic bacteria with his colleague,
Hans G. Tru ¨per, professor at the University of Bonn from
1972 to 2001, founder of the Institute of Microbiology and
Biotechnology of Bonn and FEMS president from 2000 to
2005. In 1980, Norbert Pfennig was appointed professor of
microbiology and limnology at the University of Konstanz
where he was still professor emeritus at the end of his days.
Throughout his teaching career, he was renowned for his
qualities as a thinker and humanist with a very open mind;
he stimulated many students such as Bernhard Schink,
Friedrich Widdel, Heribert Cypionka, and Jo ¨rg Overmann,
who became professors of microbiology, and continued his
leadership in these areas of research in microbial ecology.
– Moshe Shilo (1920–1990), born in Moscow, emigrated to
Israel in 1934. He studied at the University of Jerusalem.
After his appointment as professor at the University Givat
Ram in Jerusalem, he founded the institute for the study of
fish diseases in 1949 and the Marine Station of Eilat in
1964. He was the initiator of microbial ecology in Israel and
spent his life as a researcher in the study of biotic
interactions between organisms or between hosts and
parasites and to the study of cyanobacteria in aquatic or
marine coastal lakes. Inspired by the “Delft School” after
the pioneering work of Beijerinck and after working in the
laboratory of Cornelius Van Niel at the Hopkins Marine
Station (United States), he became interested in the biology
and blooms of cyanobacteria in aquatic environments. He
initiated studies of cyanobacteria in microbial mats on
which he worked with colleagues in many aquatic
environments such as freshwater, marine, and hypersaline
biotopes. Thus, he and his collaborators could demonstrate
the existence of anoxygenic photosynthesis in cyanobacteria that are probably the origin of stromatolites, the
diurnal regulatory pathways of photosynthesis and sulfate
reduction in the vertical gradients established in microbial
mats, and the interrelationships between microorganisms in
2 Some Historical Elements of Microbial Ecology
19
environments by avoiding the decompression shock
(Jannasch et al. 1982). Moreover, through the construction
of a continuous culture system under pressure, he was able to
study the kinetics of growth of barophilic bacteria at
temperatures between 3 and 8
C in the presence of low
concentrations of carbon sources, both of which being characteristic of deep environments; he demonstrated that
barophily, psychrophily, and oligotrophy were closely
related (Jannasch et al. 1996). Through its expertise in the
field of microbiology of deep environments (Jannasch and
Taylor 1984), he also approached the study of prokaryotes
living near the sites of deep oceanic hydrothermal vents. He
thus contributed significantly to the microbiological study of
these ecosystems based on chemosynthesis (cf. Sect. 10.3.1),
in particular the role of sulfur-reducing bacteria living in
symbiosis with Riftia pachyptila, the giant worm, devoid of
mouth, digestive tract, and anus that harbors in its
trophosome (cf. Sect. 10.3.1) endosymbiotic chemolithoautotrophic bacteria (Cananaugh et al. 1981).
With H. Jannasch many microbiologists were inspired by
the teachings of Cornelius Van Niel. Among them:
– Roger Stanier (1916–1982) did his graduate studies at the
University of Vancouver (Canada) and then at Stanford
University (USA). In 1938, he met Prof. Van Niel at the
Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University in
California during a summer course of microbiology; he
then worked on the taxonomy of bacteria in Van Niel’s
laboratory (Pacific Grove). In 1947, he became professor
of microbiology at the University of Berkeley (California,
USA) and participated in the development of the Bergey’s
Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, which is the reference work for identification of bacterial species. In 1957,
he published with his colleagues the first edition of The
Microbial World that has been reedited five times (Stanier
et al. 1976). He contributed greatly to knowledge on
photosynthetic bacteria, including the positioning of
Cyanophyceae (blue-green algae) in the “kingdom of
prokaryotes” and thus renamed Cyanobacteria. In 1971,
he accepted the position of department head of the microbial
physiology unit offered him by the Pasteur Institute; he was
appointed professor at the Pasteur Institute and developed
the reference cyanobacteria laboratory. He initiated
with Norbert Pfennig and Moshe Shilo a series of triennial
symposia on photosynthetic prokaryotes that continues
to the present days, with the 14th edition in 2012.
– Norbert Pfennig (1925–2008) studied microbiology at the
University of Go ¨ttingen. After his doctorate in 1957, he was
appointed assistant at the same university. Stimulated by
Schlegel, he devoted himself to the study of purple and
green phototrophic bacteria. He then went on to work in the
laboratory of Cornelius Van Niel at the Hopkins Marine
Station (California, United States) where he met Roger
Stanier. He then returned to the University of Go ¨ttingen
as professor and, with his collaborators, developed the
physiological, systematic, and ecological study of
phototrophic bacteria involved in the sulfur cycle. His
work brought him to isolate hundreds of strains constituting
many new species and genera not only of phototrophic
bacteria but also of sulfate-reducing bacteria and fermentative bacteria. He became a world reference for photosynthetic (Stanier et al. 1981) and sulfate-reducing bacteria
(Pfennig et al. 1981). He was responsible for new concepts
on the role of these bacteria in the biogeochemical cycles of
carbon and sulfur. He showed their important role in the
biodegradation of organic compounds and even some
xenobiotics under anoxic conditions. He helped with the
committee of the Bergey’s Manual, to reorganize the whole
systematics of phototrophic bacteria with his colleague,
Hans G. Tru ¨per, professor at the University of Bonn from
1972 to 2001, founder of the Institute of Microbiology and
Biotechnology of Bonn and FEMS president from 2000 to
2005. In 1980, Norbert Pfennig was appointed professor of
microbiology and limnology at the University of Konstanz
where he was still professor emeritus at the end of his days.
Throughout his teaching career, he was renowned for his
qualities as a thinker and humanist with a very open mind;
he stimulated many students such as Bernhard Schink,
Friedrich Widdel, Heribert Cypionka, and Jo ¨rg Overmann,
who became professors of microbiology, and continued his
leadership in these areas of research in microbial ecology.
– Moshe Shilo (1920–1990), born in Moscow, emigrated to
Israel in 1934. He studied at the University of Jerusalem.
After his appointment as professor at the University Givat
Ram in Jerusalem, he founded the institute for the study of
fish diseases in 1949 and the Marine Station of Eilat in
1964. He was the initiator of microbial ecology in Israel and
spent his life as a researcher in the study of biotic
interactions between organisms or between hosts and
parasites and to the study of cyanobacteria in aquatic or
marine coastal lakes. Inspired by the “Delft School” after
the pioneering work of Beijerinck and after working in the
laboratory of Cornelius Van Niel at the Hopkins Marine
Station (United States), he became interested in the biology
and blooms of cyanobacteria in aquatic environments. He
initiated studies of cyanobacteria in microbial mats on
which he worked with colleagues in many aquatic
environments such as freshwater, marine, and hypersaline
biotopes. Thus, he and his collaborators could demonstrate
the existence of anoxygenic photosynthesis in cyanobacteria that are probably the origin of stromatolites, the
diurnal regulatory pathways of photosynthesis and sulfate
reduction in the vertical gradients established in microbial
mats, and the interrelationships between microorganisms in
2 Some Historical Elements of Microbial Ecology
19