A long series of discoveries, made with E.coli as the experimental system, have elucidated the mechanisms of DNA replication and transcription, regulation of gene expression, and basic metabolism. And of course no book on E.coli would be complete without re-tracing its role in molecular biology. Most pointedly, E.coli populations offer clues into the nature of cooperation and competition, altruism and spite.
Zimmer reinforces this theme with repeated mention of a Jacques Monod quote, 'What is true for E.coli is true for the elephant. The theme running throughout is that E.coli is a microcosm for understanding all of life. E.coli's normal and pathological roles in the animal body have taught us volumes about the inventive potential of life. This simple bacterium and its various strains have always been there since we first started looking for the microbes involved in human disease. As Zimmer points out, E.coli has held a central role in microbiology since its first description by German pediatrician Theodor Escherich in the 19th century. In Microcosm, Zimmer has eloquently condensed a century of scientific study surrounding Eschericia coli into an accurate and flowing story readable by anyone with even just a modest understanding of biology.
