jamie goode's wine blog: Human bacteria hybrids

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Human bacteria hybrids

I thought I'd share a perspective from a meeting on sepsis that I'm attending (with my science hat on). One of the participants described people as human/bacteria hybrids: each of us carries in our bodies about 1 kg of bacteria.

Later today I attend the second annual installment of 'Portugal's 50 best wines'. Last year the choice seemed slightly 'political'. I wonder if it will be again this year?

3 Comments:

At 3:05 PM, Blogger Jamie said...

Just back from the 50 best Portuguese tasting. Some really lovely wines - Tim Atkin, who put the selection together, did a really good job. Controversial statement: if the tasting had been 50 best Spanish wines, it wouldn't have been any more interesting, and possibly less so. That's how good the current crop of Portuguese high achievers are.

 
At 7:39 PM, Anonymous Jean-Pierre said...

Jamie, more on the kilogram of bacteria please? Is this all in the gut? Some in the mouth? On the skin? What about the big companies' war on bacteria with the soaps that protect, enrich, smell fine, etc.?

 
At 9:15 AM, Blogger Jamie said...

J-P, I think the idea that bacteria = germs = bad has changed - more people are aware that the notion of a sterile environment is nonsense, and it's more about good versus bad bacteria. That message has been getting through to consumers with the advertising of probiotics.

I guess most of the commensal bacteria live in our guts, plus some in the skin, mouth, nasal passage and upper respiratory tract. Most of the time we get along just fine.

 

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