The Complete Idiot's Guide to Microbiology

Jeffrey J. Byrd, PhD, teaches undergraduate courses in microbiology, virology, and genetics at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the honors college of the state of Maryland. Involved in research on bacterial genetics, bacterial disease, and antimicrobial products, Dr. Byrd is the editor in chief of the American Society of Microbiology journal, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Tabitha M. Powledge is an award-winning science and medical journalist whose articles have appeared in Popular Science, Health, Scientific American, Salon.com, and the Washington Post. She was a senior editor of the journal Nature Biotechnology and a founding editor of The Scientist.