With two weeks to go till Microcosm's publication date, I'm happy to direct your attention to an adapted excerpt that's running in tomorrow's New York Times. In this passage, I discuss what I like to call E. coli's fingerprints.
We like to think that genes equal identity. If that were true, then a colony of genetically identical E. coli should be nothing but a robot army of clones. But diversity rules E. coli's world, because there's more to life than DNA, even when you're just a microbe. Check it out.
I've also set up some pages over at carlzimmer.com with news, reviews, and other information about the book. And, of course, you're encouraged to make your way over to Amazon...
Finally, if you're interested in hitting some of the scientific literature, here are a few papers...
Stochastic Gene Expression In A Single Cell
Persister cells, dormancy and infectious disease
Predicting stochastic gene expression dynamics in single cells
[Update: NYT link fixed]
Life Science
Medicine & Health
Comments
the NYT link's busted.
Posted by: PaulH | April 21, 2008 11:58 PM
Good stuff, Carl. Now if you can only get the press to get MS-Word to stop capitalizing the c in coli.
Posted by: Jim Hu | April 22, 2008 10:48 AM
Carl,
Do you expect "Microcosm" to go paperback like your other books?
thanks,
Mark
Posted by: Mark | April 22, 2008 5:58 PM
Mark--
I certainly hope Microcosm goes into paperback. If everyone buys a hardback, then the publisher will be sure to make it happen. (Hint!)
Posted by: Carl Zimmer | April 22, 2008 8:22 PM
I loved the NYT article. I'm buying your book. :)
Posted by: Anne | April 23, 2008 12:32 AM
Thanks for the freebies.
Will make sure to grab a copy as soon as it hits the other side of the pond... Hell, even a hardback, may be I'll gift it to a sexy microbiologirl I know...
Posted by: luca | April 23, 2008 7:36 AM