Come learn about archaea, flavonoids & the discovery of a unique formulation for your health

Every living thing on this planet belongs to one of three branches on the tree of life. Bacteria make up one branch, while animals, plants and fungi together make up another. But the third domain of life wasn’t even discovered until the 1970s. This mysterious group of micro-organisms, the Archaea, remain one of the biggest puzzles in microbiology. They have been discovered in some of the most hostile environments on the planet, in conditions that would kill other forms of life. Even more strangely, we have yet to find a single species of Archaea that causes disease. Dr Thorsten Allers from the University of Nottingham explores how these fascinating micro-organisms were first discovered – and how they have even made us reconsider our own place on the tree of life. Microbiology Today is the Society's quarterly magazine. The content is balanced to meet the needs of the Society’s members. The magazine aims to provide informative and enjoyable broad-interest articles for all readers, including parliamentarians and policy-makers. Each issue focuses on a topic, and topics are chosen with the aim of covering all fields of microbiology. Read more about Archaea and the tree of life in the May 2016 issue of Microbiology Today: http://microbiologysociety.org/microbiologytoday The Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses. It is one of the largest microbiology societies in Europe with a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes and schools. Our principal goal is to develop, expand and strengthen the networks available to our members so that they can generate new knowledge about microbes and ensure that it is shared with other communities. The impacts from this will drive us towards a world in which the science of microbiology provides maximum benefit to society. Visit our website to find out more: http://www.microbiologysociety.org

Learn how flavonoids protect plants and play key roles in their symbiotic relationships with other life forms. And guess what! These remarkable molecules also contribute to supporting human health. Music Credit: All Sound by Bensound