This little documentary is talking about Microbes and why some are good, some are bad and what they have done for mankind.
Microbes have given us some devastating diseases, everything from the Black Death to cholera, syphilis, typhoid and the occasional yeast infection. But our microbial friends have also done us some good.
The video investigates: The origins of beer and brewing in Ancient Egypt, and the role microbes play in the process. Microbial origins of the Black Death. How do microbes destroy the food that we eat and how has humankind sought out different ways of preserving foodstuffs?
How critical microbes are to life on Earth with their role in nitrogen fixation - providing the essential elements that we need to survive. Experts reveal how the natural processes of microbes are used to fight disease.
The ways in which humans are learning to exploit microbes to produce medicines, fuel and food. How the discovery and examination of microbes in meteorites suggests that the planet Mars could have supported life in the same way as Earth.