Professor of Biology Amy Cheng Vollmer is devoted to increasing science literacy. She finds that the impact of microbes and microbiology on society is manifold: medical, environmental, as well as on the geochemical history of the earth itself. Using microbiology, Vollmer communicates the process of research and discovery - the content and application of science - to many audiences beyond her Swarthmore classroom, including those who attended her talk during this year's Alumni Weekend.

Astronomer Eric Jensen and microbiologist Amy Vollmer give an introduction to an interdisciplinary subject: astrobiology, the study of life beyond Earth. By trying to understand how Earth formed and evolved, and how microbial life forms have evolved and adapted to living in extreme environments on this planet, scientists are developing a better understanding of the possibilities for life elsewhere in the universe. Topics that Jensen and Vollmer explore include the early history of Earth, the formation of critical organic molecules, data from Mars, the likelihood of stars like our Sun and planets like Earth existing in the galaxy, and extreme environments on Earth that may give us clues about the limits of life elsewhere.

by Professor of Biology Amy Cheng Vollmer

"From the perspective of a typical bacterium or virus, the human body is a perfect incubator: constant temperature, filled with nutrients, bathed in moisture! So why are we still around? How do bacteria sense the presence of a host's immune response? How can both the bacterium and host survive? We'll consider these topics from a co-evolutionary and inter-dependent point of view," Vollmer says. "As well, we will explore the concept that there are many beneficial bacterial commensalisms, upon whom our lives depend. My talk will provide an overview to the intertwined worlds of humans and microbes. It will also include examples of how microbiology is an ideal vehicle for promoting science literacy throughout the Swarthmore curriculum."