John Postgate describes this autobiography as essentially 'a book about doing science', and while it is an entertaining account of his life in the UK and abroad as he rose to international prominence in microbiology, it is also a book about playing and listening to his beloved jazz. Away from lab and lecture hall, Professor Postgate (brother of the late Oliver Postgate, creator of Bagpuss and the Clangers) has taken enormous pleasure in his hobby, playing cornet over the years with many musicians, some of whom became prominent names in jazz. His articles and reviews for magazines such as Gramophone and Jazz Journal have been as widely appreciated in jazz circles as his contributions to the understanding of certain key microbiological processes, including the sulphur cycle and nitrogen fixation, have been in the world of microbiology.

The fixation of nitrogen - the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to a form which plants can use - is fundamental to the productivity of the biosphere and therefore to the ability of the expanding human population to feed itself. Although the existence and importance of the process of biological nitrogen fixation has been recognised for more than a century, scientific advances over the last few decades have altered radically our understanding of its nature and mechanisms. This book provides an introductory-level survey of biological nitrogen fixation, covering the role of the process in the global nitrogen cycle as well as its biochemistry, physiology, genetics, ecology, general biology and prospects for its future exploitation. This new edition has been fully updated to include the most recent developments in the field, so providing an up-to-date and accessible account of this key biological process.

Microbes are everywhere. Normally invisible, they are abundant in the air we breathe, in soil, in water, on our skin and hair, in our mouths and intestines, and on and in the food we eat. They make the soil fertile; they clean up the environment; they change, often improve, our food; some protect us from less desirable microbes. Yet most people are scarcely aware that they exist--except when they become ill. Microbes, as "germs", are widely regarded as nasty--unpopular because a few can cause disease and a few can spoil food. Yet collectively microbes present a fascinating world of miniscule creatures, who together encompass all the processes of which terrestrial life is capable: creatures who have profound effects on our lives and surroundings. Extensively updated to include such topics as CJD, genetic manipulation, and gene therapy, this edition describes the extraordinary impact that the microbial community has on our everyday lives in an accessible and easy to read style.