Ever wished you could see the invisible world teeming around you? Microbes, those tiny organisms we can’t see with the naked eye, play a crucial role in everything from brewing beer to fighting disease. If you know someone fascinated by these fascinating life forms, finding the perfect gift can be a challenge.
No worries! This guide provides some fabulous gift ideas guaranteed to spark joy (and maybe a little scientific curiosity) in any microbe lover. We’ll explore everything from stunning photography books to portable microscopes, leaving you with a list of unique presents to suit any budget.
This post contains affiliate links — see my disclosure policy.
1. A Field Guide to Bacteria
You know about field guides for birds and plants. How about a field guide to bacteria? That’s right, this exists! A Field Guide to Bacteria by Betsey Dexter Dyer helps you identify bacteria in the wild or in your home without a microscope. Individual bacterial cells are invisible to the naked eye, but this guide tells you how to find bacteria based on “signs” that they are around. In the introduction to this book Dyer says, “I suggest looking for the manifestations, or field marks, of bacteria, which can be surprisingly visible and obvious once you know the signs.” How exciting! I can’t wait to finish reading this fantastic guide.
2. Life at the Edge of Sight: A Photographic Exploration of the Microbial World
In April 2019, I published a post called “Travel Destinations for Microbe Lovers,” and Scott Chimileski, PhD contributed some of his photos to the post. Well, here’s a whole book-full, along with tons of exciting information about microbes in Life at the Edge of Sight: A Photographic Exploration of the Microbial World. He wrote this book with Roberto Kolter, PhD, and Moselio Schaechter, PhD contributed the foreword. I highly recommend it if you want to learn about many of the fascinating microbial activities that make the world beautiful and interesting and our food delicious.
3. Foldscope
Would you believe it if I told you that it’s possible to make a microscope with little more than a few pieces of paper and a lens? Foldscope has created a microscope that is inexpensive and easy to carry with you anywhere. They want any given person to be able to make microbial discoveries. The Foldscope website says that they would love to see the day when every child has their own microscope. What an incredible vision.
4. “Microbiologist” pin by Science On A Postcard
These last two gifts were not part of my birthday present, but I wanted to include them because they are delightful and perfect for microbe enthusiasts.
Science On A Postcard sells many science-related pins—so even if you are not a microbiologist, they have something for you. But one pin that any microbiologist would love is the “MICROBIOLOGIST” pin. Pin this to your lab coat, backpack, or tie to share with the world that you are a microbiologist.
5. Petri dish keychain by Microbi
Microbi is a new online shop that launched in May 2019. Shortly after their launch, they ran a giveaway and I won one of their delightful keychains! Oh my goodness, I was thrilled. This company creates life-like Petri dish keychains painted with different microbes struck out for isolation.
What does “struck out for isolation” mean? Here’s a little microbiology lesson for those who may be unfamiliar with this technique. Sometimes microbiologists need to isolate a single strain/species from a mixed population (or potentially mixed). To get these microbes in isolation, we use a method that dilutes the bacteria by streaking them across a Petri dish. So, if you look at the photo, the part of the Petri dish that has dots is where one single colony of the microbe is growing. A single colony came initially from one cell—which is invisible to the naked eye—that reproduced over and over until it was visible and became a colony.
Microbi has taken this procedure that is near and dear to microbiologists and made it into a keychain. It’s a great conversation piece if you ask me.
So, there you have it! These are just a few ideas to get you started on finding the perfect gift for the microbe enthusiast in your life. Whether they crave knowledge, love a conversation starter, or dream of peering into the unseen world, there’s a gift here to ignite their scientific passion. Now go forth and spread the love for microbes!
Need more microbiology gift ideas? Check out this Gift Guide For Microbe Enthusiasts
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