Microbe of the month
- ARTIS-Micropia
Each month at ARTIS-Micropia, a special microbe is featured. It’s only on display for that month, so be sure not to miss it!
Which microbe is on display this month?
You may know it as the well-known poop bacterium. Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli. It lives in the intestines of almost all humans and other warm-blooded animals. Most variants are extremely helpful: they aid in the digestion of food, protect you from harmful microbes, and produce important vitamins.
E. coli ends up in the environment via our feces. We excrete billions of them every day. Sounds gross? Yet this bacterium actually helps us check whether our drinking water is clean.
Among the many variants are a few pathogens, but also real ‘lab heroes’. For more than a hundred years, E. coli has been helping scientists with their research and playing an important role in the production of medicines.
Curious to find out why this poop bacterium is indispensable?
Come and visit Microbe of the Month in February, next to the laboratory, and marvel at this important poop bacterium.