A child-centric microbiology education framework
The Amazingly Curious Microbial Phenomena Gallery
Moonmilk sampling in the Lamalunga cave in Puglia (Teresa Rinaldi)
“Moonmilk”, “Fairy Rings”, “Sailor’s Eyeball”, “Star Jelly/Witch’s Butter/Mare’s Eggs”, “Glacier Blood” and the “Artillery Fungus”, which goes “pop” and shoots its spores for distances up to six meters at speeds up to 44 km an hour: just a few of many examples of amazingly curious phenomena orchestrated by the activities of some microbes going about their daily business.
These strange apparitions, which were not at all understood until their microbial origins were demonstrated, impressed observers enough to be given colourful, sometimes dramatic names.
Let’s discover together some amazingly curious microbial phenomena and understand what microbial activities produce them!