ABSTRACT
The total mindset in microbiology is fundamentally reductionist, based on emphasis on individual bacterial species and not on complex communities. Bacterial activities have generally been at the forefront of the public view of disease. Bacterial diseases have impacted the development of all societies throughout history. Roman armies lost more men to diseases than to battle! Societies have always demanded control of disease and many common social practices can be directly linked to avoidance of disease. For example, the accepted practice of washing hands, particularly after going to the bathroom, reduces the risk of transmitting disease. Similarly, the custom of walking on the sunny side of the street arose from the observation that sunlight dries the ground; solar radiation therefore impacts certain bacteria and hence reduces risk of infection.
