MicroStar Portrait Galleries

IMiLI - The International Microbiology Literacy Initiative

A challenge in teaching microbiology is the fact that microbes are invisible, and hence abstract, which complicates the need to create mental associations of microbial activities under discussion with the relevant microbes. Portrayal of the actors via images is thus vital.

Moreover, because microbes are invisible, they also have no personalities. But children love personalities, to the extent that some may become role models.

To rectify this serious deficit – to portray the actors and reveal their “personalities” – we are creating the MicroStars Portrait Galleries, concise descriptions of the most interesting features of microbes with star standing in the field, generously illustrated to provide full frontal visuals of some of our most fascinating bugs.

Discover here who are the movers and shakers of the microbial world, and what kind of characters they are.

And learn here about all the things that can be done with the Gallery Portraits.