Professional and academic scientific organizations have long had a strong web-based presence, and many of them have contributed mightily to online educational initiatives. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has done their part by creating this set of resources for undergraduate educators working in the fields of bioterrorism, microbiology, and related topics. One of the strongest sections...

This week's Topic In Depth is about antibiotic resistant bacteria. The first site is a recent news report from BBC news (1) that describes some recent research on resistant strains of two "of the world's most dangerous bacteria. Next is a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) page (2) with a brief background on antibiotic resistance and how to prevent it. A much more in-depth report is provided by...

This educational Web site is provided by the American Society for Microbiology. Microbes live all around us; this site focuses on what they are, where they live, and how they both help and harm people. Several experiments are featured that allow students a hands-on opportunity to learn about microbiological principles, most of which can be completed using normal household items. Recent news...

The Microbe Zoo is a product of the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology (DLC-ME), a collaboration between Comm Tech Lab and Michigan State University to make tools for learning about microscopic organisms more readily available to students and teachers. This Web site is a fun way to learn about these communities of microbes, where they live, and how they help support life on earth....

The Marine Biology Laboratory of Woods Hole, Massachusetts and Montana State University are the collaborators on this easily navigable website of educational resources about microbial life. The goal of the site is to provide expert information about microorganisms for K-12 classrooms, university educators, and the general public. They effectively accomplish their goal here, with a host of...

The BioEdOnline website provides those persons with a penchant for biology and medicine access to dozens of lesson plans, videos, and other activities. This particular set of materials is part of the thematic Resource Collections area, and it includes two curricular units from the MicroMatters project. The units are "The Science of Microbes" and "The Science of HIV/AIDS." The resources were...

Getting ahead in the field of biology is important to young scholars, and staying on top of the material is important to their teachers. The Annenberg Media group has created this thirteen part video course for educators, and recently they placed the complete set of videos online here. The programs include interviews with expert scientists, detailed animations that provide a micro-level view of...

With its witty appellation, the Grapes of Staph website is the creation of one Professor Gary Kaiser, who teaches microbiology at the Community College of Baltimore County. Over the past few years, Professor Kaiser has assembled a prodigious collection of materials that can be used by fellow educators and aspiring microbiology students from Neah Bay to Nepal. First-time visitors will want to delve...