Some Historical Elements of Microbial Ecology
Résumé
We present briefly, first, the history of the discovery of microorganisms and particularly bacteria with the pioneering works of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert Koch, essentially. In a second and more detailed part, the history of microbial ecology is presented with particularly the very important work of Sergei Winogradsky and his discoveries of the main bacterial groups active in biogeochemical cycles. It is followed by a description of the major microbial ecologists who have been very active in promoting and developing microbial ecology throughout the world. Their role in the advances of microbial ecology is presented and discussed.