URLs
To Be Used inURLs
To Be Used in
All
the Virology on the WWWhttp://www.virology.net
All the Virology on the WWW is a well-built site open to the public with many links to various resources, and it is a pleasure to explore. This site has an "upbeat" feel that encourages extra exploration. I would consider it more of a meta-site due to its wealth of links to other sites. Probing the various areas one will find a plethora of information and links to more information on the Web. There are also built-in search engines to search other sites (check out http://www.virology.net/garryfavwebCDC.html). This is a nice touch. There are links to educational resources, and although they were often out-of date (not being updated by their authors), that doesnít mean that they arenít useful. They offer some basic information and research bibliographies that are quite fruitful. One can pull down videos and audios of bugs and lectures in the online course section, research topics in the Big Picture Book of Viruses, look for a book, look for graduate work, look for a job, find professional conferences and groups, check out bioterrorismÖyou get the picture. The site is well-constructed and visually pleasant for the most part, and there are few technical "glitches". There is an area to send comments, and a graffiti area provides some comic relief. The only "negative" to the site is that entering could be like a journey to Oz except there are lots and lots of yellow-brick roads. Sometimes the best solution is just to start over at "home" rather than try to back up (in the real world youíd have to click your heels 3 times, but in this case you always have a "home" button!).
http://biology.about.com is a very good commercial, public site. It has links to a lot of information that is quite useful. It may not be the scholarly fare that some would think to consult for information, but once one gets over his or her initial snobbishness and drills down into the content, he or she will find that there are some great links and resources available. They arenít PhD information, but they are a great way to start understanding the field and getting some basic, yet complex topics, under control. For example, see http://biology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://personal.tmlp.co m/Jimr57/textbook/chapter3/chapter3.htm. This is basic information, but who doesnít need to refresh concepts every now and then? And sometimes it helps to have some good pictures and different descriptions of processes to keep things "fresh" when youíre reading--or when youíre writing. This site has areas that are currently fashionable (e.g., the forensics site is quite hot). This site seems to primarily be a resource for high-school and introductory students, but it should be reviewed by all for interesting and entertaining information. Since this is a commercial site, it is well-funded and has a lot of advertisers. The links are fast and well-maintained, and itís obvious that the site is well-funded. The irritating pop-up ads are, well, IRRITATING (-; but they can be controlled if you want. -Ronda Schultz
Virology is an informative site for anyone researching infectious diseases. After exploring the many sites available, Virologyís its clarity and organization is far better than other sites available. Listed on the homepage are the five major resources the site offers. These options include: "All the Virology on the World Wide Web", picture book, course notes, bookshop, and life science products. "All the Virology on the WWW," features a table of contents of all of the sites and links dealing with virology. This feature of the Virology site is very impressive. Not only are you given different categories of virology to choose from, there is an extensive list of diseases to chose from, and they are even in alphabetical order. The "Big Picture Book of Viruses," is also a great resource of information. This option allows you to view pictures of infectious diseases. Not only can you choose to view pictures by the name of the virus, but also by itís family or genome. The picture book is helpful for anyone, and it allows the researcher to get a full grasp of what the disease may entail. "The Online Virology Course Notes," is a an excellent resource. In this section there are course notes, diagrams, tutorials, and videos available. These are important options for anyone truly interested in infectious diseases. "The Virology Bookshop," is also very helpful to researchers. If Virology does not have the information you are looking for, or if you wish to explore virology further, this option gives resources to find extensive literature on infectious disease. Similar to this link is the "Life Science Products" link. This option provides information on buying software related to virology. Additional resources available include the following: a virology dictionary, virology job opportunities, virology news, and the option to subscribe to a daily newsletter. In the future, Virology will serve as my primary resource for infectious disease research.
http://www.hopkins-id.edu After searching many websites, I found that the Johns Hopkins Infectious Diseases Website was by far the most useful. Unlike some other sites, Johns Hopkins makes clear the resources and information available on their website in an extremely organized fashion. Its main categories include: "Medical Education," TB and Hepatitis research," "Jobs," "Travel," and "Top Ten." All of these main topics are very informative. The "Medical Education," portion list all the clinical cases on infectious disease studied at the Johns Hopkins. Accessibility to these cases extremely useful for students, teachers, and scientists. The "TB and Hepatitis Research" and the "Job," options are also useful and educational. The two most interesting and useful categories on their website are: "Travels," and their very own "Top Ten" lists! The Travels section focuses on possible diseases that people can contract while traveling to other countries. So, for any traveler worldwide, Johns Hopkins can help them to take proper precautions before they travel. The top ten lists were outstanding. There were many different top ten list, in categories ranging from "Top 10 Infectious Diseases of the 20th Century," to the "CDC Top 10 Public Health Achievements for This Century." Other informative topics and options on the website include an antibiotic guide, lists of the faculty at the school, a site map on infectious diseases, links to other websites, and news updates. Overall, the Johns Hopkins website on infectious diseases is an excellent resource.-Harlan Nelson
American
Society for Microbiology Microbe Libraryhttp://www.microbelibrary.org
"Bugs"
Index -Organisms http://www.medinfo.ufl.edu/year2/mmid/bms5300/bugs/index.html
Bugs
in the News!http://people.ku.edu/~jbrown/bugs.htmlThis site has all the essential literature and history for inquiring on the microbiological aspects of diseases, bacteria, and antibiotics in order to apply them to medicine and to other current research. The home page has a featured article from the What the Heck link.This link is very easy and straight forward. It first provides easy explanations to detailed microbiological process and then presents related current research which makes the articles easy to understand. It is a great link for reviewing, refreshing, or getting exposure and a good understanding of microbiology. The General Interest link has various interesting articles and is designed for ìthe curiousî who have a good understanding of scientific material and of scientific literature.The More Bug Bytes link is categorized into the topics of fun, books, information, and education which have many links to the microbe world concerning facts and world wide research, including, a link to the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). This site is designed to be fun, exciting, and the web user can easily understand microbe information.
Chamberlian, Neal R. Medical Microbiology. 19 Dec. 2001. Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. http://www.geocities.com/medmicro.geo/
This is excellent site for information on microbiology relating to medical field and also for students who plan to enter medical school. This medical microbiology site is designed as a Computerized Teaching Materials for Infectious Diseases Course at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM). There is a Skin Rashes 1-6 link that provides a summary and photos of the most common skin rashes, including, a link for a photo gallery. The Bacterial Pathogen Pronunciation Station link is an essential tool for categorizing bacteria according to the famous Gram Stain Test; in addition, there is a Gram Stain Index link. The Medically Important Fungi link is a list of common fungal pathogens in the US and their resulting infectious diseases. There is a link called Notifiable Diseases that list 52 diseases which have been identified by the CDC. Other interesting links are the Clinical Cases and the Computerized Clinical Cases which list various case studies with steps to finding the appropriate pathogen. Interestingly, there are various links to actual Infectious Disease Course Lectures at KCOM covering every topic on infectious diseases, in addition, there is a link of final exam questions/answers for those who would like to test their knowledge. Other helpful topics that can be found are the Infectious Disease Names and Their Etiologies and Agents link, Common Cause link of various diseases in the US, Nearly all the Bugs that Cause link, an Immunizations and Vaccinations link, and an Infectious Disease Laboratory Notebook link. The Suite 101 link connects to other microbiology sites and has microbiology articles. This site is a full of facts and medical information on infectious diseases. -Christina Olvera
This down-to-earth site, written by Dr. Jack Brown (a professor at the University of Kansas) is free and does not require online registration. It is a user-friendly, yet factual resource for researching recent outbreaks of microorganisms, with access to all the old articles published on this site. Feature Articles contains articles on the most recent micro topics in the news. What the Heck is...? is a section of articles dedicated to basic public education on micro-related topics, such as Antibiotic Resistance and Genetic Engineering. Bug Bytes contains links to sites for microbiology education, information, and to Web search engines, as well as recently published books, humor links, and the KU Microbiology home page.
FDA CFSAN http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov
This site is free and does not require online registration. It is a large, searchable resource designed for public education related to food safety. CFSAN contains recent news, basic microorganism information, links to other government health-related web sites, and information for increasing public knowledge in many general and special interest areas. The interactive Question & Answer page contains a list of commonly asked questions, and allows you to search the site. Recent News provides articles and facts about ongoing or recent events. Program Areas contains a variety of sections ranging from food to cosmetics. The best section for micro-related topics is Foodborne Illness, which contains The Bad Bug Book, outlining each microorganism in depth. Interacting with the Center provides phone numbers, email addresses and other ways for the public to give feedback to the FDA and the resources it offers. Overview outlines the history and goals of the FDA CFSAN, and lists other agencies with food responsibilities. National Food Safety Programs Special Interest Areas addresses issues from foodhandling and storage to Infant, Women, and Seniorsí health issues. Obtain FDA Documents allows the public access to FDA regulations and documents. Other Sources of Food Information lists links to other Internet sites that are similarly related. - Bethel Stovall
The site I have chosen comes from the University of Kansas. It is free and requires no registration. It is an easy site to navigate and caters to all by offering a selection three categories which differ in the amount of detail they contain. It is a general site which answers questions about all aspects of bacteria, viruses and even fungal diseases. The opening page contains some featured articles that are current hot topics in infectious diseases and treatment. In the first room ,"for the curious," you can find answers common questions that most people ask about infectious diseases and more detailed information as well. The next room,"for the curious and interested," offers a choice of articles of varying topics that are more abstract that would interest most biology students. The third room,"For the Curious, Interested & Who Like to More Than Scratch the Surface," offers a great variety of online links in three categories, fun, education (university sites) and information (government, private and university sites).
One of the links is to "The Vaccine Page" (http://www. vaccine.org) which is a site with the latest vaccine information for many infectious diseases. It is also free and requires no registration. It is a simple site divided into several categories depending on the site visitor. There are rooms for adults, parents, practitioners and researchers. It also offers links to science and medical journals as well as links to other infectious disease organizations. The rooms contain lists of topics with short descriptions. Choosing a topic leads you to other sites that will answer those questions. These sites vary from the CDC to the U.S. Marine Corps. - Ofer Mintz
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention Home Pagehttp://www.cdc.gov/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a familiar organization to me and many in the health care professions. CDC has been providing credible health care information for years. It is a federal agency reputable for promoting health through strong partnerships around the world. This site provides specific and plausible facts across the nation pertaining to the most current health issues; environmental, prevention, educational activities, and more. The Page Contents covers topics from A-Z. A search on Pertussis alone gave me 2101 responses! There are publications, articles, technical information, clinical trials, statistics, and surveys from different time periods in history. A JOURNAL section concerns emerging infectious diseases. The Peer reviewed section shows tracking trends and analyzing of new and recurrent diseases from around the world. The CDC has public guidelines and recommendations by topic, title, and dates, under the OFFICIAL PREVENTION site. Hoaxes or "rumors" section discusses most accurate information possible to help keep facts straight. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, CDC is an agency for the Department of Health and Human Services. The director Dr. Jeffery Koplan is known for his contributions in one of CDC's greatest accomplishments, the eradication of smallpox in the mid-70s. This is an incredible amount of information at my fingertips. I could loose myself for hours researching the numerous sites. I believe most anyone would find this site a helpful source for health related concerns. CDC's Mission is: "To promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability."
http://www.kidhealth.org KidsHealth from the "Medical experts of The Nemours Foundation for Parents", Kids, and Teens. From general health to describing and explaining infections or illness, emotional and behavior issues, developmental growth, and positive parenting. Each division has its own sites, age appropriate, and easy to understand. Signs and symptoms on a selected illness or disease are in simple lay terms. Description, duration, contagiousness, incubation, prevention, when to call the doctor, and professional treatment vs. home treatments are discussed to help make informed decision regarding care. HOT TOPICS includes features like Breaking News in Children's Health. IN THE SPOTLIGHT offers parents more for Medical Research of Parents. You may then enter the month and year for a particular topic you are researching. There is also a free sign up for Express Email. Each category has itís own topics of interest some pictures included. The Contact Kids Health page is confidential and not "sold" or otherwise disclosed to third parties. Editorial Policies claims that articles and publications undergo "extensive and vigorous reviewed by Medical Professionals." KidsHealth is for "educational purposes" only. You are directed to "consult your physician" for advise, diagnosis, and treatment. I'm personally impressed with this site and its many links. I will bookmark this for my own use. It appears to be a legitimate source of information for family health. Iíd be willing to share my health questions with this group to gain current knowledge of health care issues. -Emilie Groves
This site is free and is a helpful tool designed to protect and promote better health and safety of people. CDC contains health statistics and surveillance reports on various infectious diseases and health topics. The Health Topics A to Z link provides further detailed information of various infectious diseases and health topics. The In the News link takes you to the latest CDC press releases of medical information dating back to 1995. This link also provides weekly morbidity and mortality rates, online publications, daily updates of health topics and health related rumors. The Subscription link allows you to join a free email, mailing list of your choice. It includes a broad range of publications such as, "Health in the U.S." to "HIV/AIDS" publications or even "Minority Health Statistics Grants Program."
http://hopkins-id.edu/ This website is also free and is a comprehensive resource of infectious diseases including HIV, STDs and tuberculosis. The Johns Hopkins website contains a link called The Medical Education and this offers case rounds from clinical cases taken from the Johns Hopkins Hospital weekly infection case conference. When you click on an individual case, information provided varies from history of present illness, medications, social and family history to information regarding the physical examination and possible diagnoses. The Travel Medicine link offers links to other travel medicine databases, and emerging infections epidemiology links related to travel and other countries. Once you choose a database the site takes you further into providing information on outbreak news, disease info and surveillance reports. Within the Johns Hopkins site are 3 more links, the TB, Hepatitis and AIDS Service link which provide further information of the infectious diseases. Information includes the latest discoveries, treatment and prevention, side effects and ask the expert links which allows you to email your questions and receive a response from a medical professional. - Teresa A Martinez
CDC
Parasitology Diagnostic Web Sitehttp://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdxFirst of all, I prefer sites that are easy to navigate and I don't like pages that are cluttered. I liked this site, because one, it's free and second, its pages are neat, well organized and very easy to navigate. The purpose of this site is to strengthen the diagnosis of parasitic disease via the Internet. The Parasite and Parasitic Disease section enables you to search a parasite from A to Z and you can also search by determining if a parasite is intestinal, blood borne or other. The Image Library allows you to search for slides and images of the disease. This section provides names of diseases from A to Z. I tested the section by clicking a few diseases and was surprised to see that every search brought up at least 4+ slides per disease and each slide explained what was being diagnosed. The Diagnostic Procedures section provides information on how to handle and identify Blood, Stool, Serum/Plasma and other specimens. Other sections of the site include: Diagnostic Assistance, Search, Training and Announcements, Requirements (computer browser requirements), and About DPDx. This site is especially helpful for laboratory personnel, pathologist, or other health professionals.
http://www.nfid.org/library/influenza/ This is one of the best sites I have visited. It's part of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases focusing on Influenza. The pages are very clean, not cluttered with information. I like the fact that the site has a nice flow to it; you start at the home page and flow through the entire site. It was very much like reading a book. The purpose of this site is public education. The site begins with a definition of Influenza and then provides symptoms to look for, and treatment. The site also provides a lot of interesting statistics about the virus. The site includes research information and author information. This is a site than anyone can use and understand.-Stephanie Moya
This site deal with parasites contracted is wonderful to look at there are tons of color photographs illustrating the various parasites. There are also diagrams of some of the lifecycles of the different organisms. I must admit, because of the graphic nature this site is not for the weak stomached, no pun intended. I did not find this site as informative as others I have looked at concerning the infective diseases. The site was just not as thorough, although it is written in easy to understand language and gets to the main points about the parasites and the conditions they manifest. Although this site is not very in-depth it does offer a bunch of other resources to search and a large collection of links to other sites that may be more specific and helpful.
Web MD (www.webMD.com) This site is a very comprehensive covering many medical conditions both communicable and hereditary. It is very thorough including message boards and support groups for people with various ailments. It discusses contraction and manifestation of various diseases. It also tells what type of organism causes the disease as well as incubation time and the affects it has on the various organ systems. The other things this site offers that can be particularly useful are a list of treatments for different conditions and their varying degrees of effectiveness. There is no membership fee or requirement to give any kind of information, almost everything on this site is accessible to anyone. On top of being a good site on information on diseases it also covers all sorts of other issues as well; weight loss, prescription drug information, alternative medicine and the ability to keep track of your own personal health information. -Elizabeth Cantu
Dr.
Fungushttp://www.doctorfungus.org
Gateway
to Government Food Safety Informationhttp://www.foodsafety.gov/
Hardin
MD: Infectious Diseases and Microbiologyhttp://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/micro.html
Health
Canada: Public Health Informationhttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/phi_e.html
Karolinska
Insitutet: Diseases, Disorders, and Related Topicshttp://www.mic.ki.se/Diseases
Martindale's
H.S.G.Pathology and Virologyhttp://www-sci.lib.uci.edu/HSG/medicalpath.html#micro
Medscape's
Infectious Disease SiteThis site is free but requires online registration. It is a searchable resource designed for better patient care. Medscape contains peer-reviewed articles, medical news, and medical humor. It also has a free link to search "Medline", the medical abstracts database of the National Library of Medicine and a link to ProMED for the latest information on emerging infectious diseases. The Journal Room links to online journals of medical importance. The Library has a medical dictionary, an online publications database, and a list of keywords to access infectious diseases information. The Exam Room has interactive case studies, some of which concern infectious diseases and a feature, "Bug of the Month" which has case studies about a particular microbe. Infectious Disease Links has links to governmental sites, journals, and other Internet sites. (This is an example of what I expect you to do for your site - D'Maris Allen)http://ID.medscape.com/Home/Topics/ID/InfectiousDiseases.html
MedWebPlus
- Communicable Diseaseshttp://www.medwebplus.com/subject/Communicable_Diseases.html
Merck
& Co., Inc. Home Page with links to Disease Infopark and
MerckManualhttp://www.merck.com/This site is free and easy to explore.In addition to information about the company, its products, and a research laboratory it has links to Merck in many and various countries around the globe.There is a section on current health issues and helpful resources including the Merck Manual 17th Edition ("the world's most widely used medical text") and the Merck Manual of Geriatrics Third Edition.Also, there is a "What's NEW" section with monthly updates to keep abreast of what is currently happening at Merck. For example, in October 2001, a tour site was redesigned to show the focus of Merck--"preserving and improving human life." A "SITE MAP" page makes it easier to navigate the site; and a "Search Our Site" section for locating specific information.The "HEALTH INFOPARK" section explores certain topics related to health: Aging, Arthritis, Asthma, Glaucoma, Hair Loss, Heart Disease, HIV/AIDS, Hypertension, Menís Health, Migraine, Osteoporosis, Preventable Diseases, and Links to other resources. Each month there is a challenging quiz that focuses on an infectious disease, and the option to review the past five years of quizzes.
www.thebody.com
This site is a free, comprehensive information resource for AIDS/HIV updated on a daily basis. It is a searchable resource whose stated mission is to use the Web to allow patients to connect with clinicians, shed light on the HIV/AIDS disease and its treatment, raise the quality of life for patients with HIV/AIDS, and "foster community through human connections." From the "Home Page" you can see the many and varied sections available. There is a "Comprehensive Site Map" which links to many articles which answer questions about HIV/AIDS: PREVENTION, TREATMENT, CONFERENCES, QUALITY OF LIFE, GOVERNMENT, CONNECTING TO OTHERS, INTERACTIVE Q&A FORUMS, HIV/AIDS HOTLINES and SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, and HELPING AND GETTING HELP. Under the "What's New" section is the CDC News Update, daily updates to The Body and summaries of HIV/AIDS in" section where personal questions can be addressed in The Body's Interactive Q&A Forums with a qualifying statement to users of this area to realize this is for educational purposes and not for the diagnosing or treating of a health problem or disease. The intention is not to substitute for professional advice or care.The "Search" page helps in finding specific information. A new addition is the section called "BodyPlus Prescription Program" with discount medications and delivery. On the "Connecting to Others" page is a bulletin board in the Community Center, an optional area to give information about yourself, and a place to register to receive updates. "First Person" is a section with "profiles in courage and determination." There is also a memorial place to remember friends.- Samille Stovall
National
Center for Infectious Diseaseshttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/
National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseaseshttp://www.niaid.nih.gov/
Pan
American Health Organizationhttp://www.paho.org
Parasites
and Parasitological Resourceshttp://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/home.html
Texas
Department of Healthhttp://www.tdh.state.tx.us/This site is free to the public. It contains a description of TDH and the services they provide. The "Health Topics" section is particularly helpful. It gives an alphabetized directory of diseases, product safety information, statistics, diagnostic tests and more. This section includes web links to each topic, including related TDH programs, contact people and their e-mail addresses. The TDH site also provides a calendar of events and current information about seasonal and regional topics. "Bioterrorism' is currently featured due to this recently heightened public safety concern. Finally, the site provides practical advice, such as preventative measures for the public to take against seasonal epidemics. Overall, the site is quite expansive and would be helpful to a wide variety of users, whether they be health care professionals or the members of general public concerned about a current health threat.
AIDS Services of Austin http://www.asaustin.org/.
This, too, is a free site for the public to access. Sooner or later, everyone will encounter a person that is HIV positive. Knowing what the disease is and how it is contracted is a must, and the site helps provide the much needed facts to dispel ignorance. This web site has a description of the agency and how it has evolved over the years. It explains ASA's purpose and mission. The site provides an extensive glossary of HIV/AIDS related terms, facts, questions and answers, and volunteer opportunities. Most importantly, it offers information about local agencies for people in every stage of the disease, from area testing sites to treatment centers. Both sites were easy to navigate and offered valuable links to related topics. -Jim Koonce
U.
S. Government's Healthfinderhttp://www.healthfinder.org
World
Health Organization WWW Home Pagehttp://www.who.ch/
Your
Gateway to the World of Microbeshttp://www.MicrobeWorld.orgThis site proved to be a delight to explore in both its design and content. The strong focus on education was apparent right from the beginning. I imagine that this is a site that could be used for all levels, from an elementary school teacher to a practicing Microbiologist. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that all funding sources were clearly disclosed throughout the website. When I entered the site, I was presented with three options; MicrobeLibrary.org, MicrobeWorld.org, and Microbe.org. I found that the easiest way to critique and explore the site was section by section.
In the first section, MicrobeLibrary.org, I explored three sections. First, Visual Resources. I found that all of the slides, videos, and animated microbes had been carefully researched and documented. The creators of the site also seemed to go out of their way to insist on the careful scrutiny and accuracy of the information presented. I searched for Group A Streptococcus using the broadest search parameters, but was unable to produce a single slide. However, I had success with several other microbes. Next I went to Curriculum Resources. This section had great ideas for class projects at an advanced level, and had clear explanations for both teachers and student. I imagine that this site would be a good resource for teachers and students seeking new projects and fun classroom ideas. Finally, I explored Reviews and Resources. I was impressed with the system of checks and balances within the website to guarantee educational value and research accuracy. The reviews seemed to be balanced and fair.
The second section was MicrobeWorld.org. In Gateways to the Microbeworld I was a bit disappointed to see such an educational website selling products, even if the videos and books are of a high quality. The TV series and companion book offer a wonderful selection of learning options for visual and hands on students. I find this to be a rare attribute in a field that is mostly taught by textbook only. The Wonders of Microbes appeared to be geared towards Biology courses, although the information was presented in a clear and informative manner. he ability to search and learn about specific microbes, i.e. fungi or viruses was an attractive feature. I would recommend this section to my brother who is currently taking Biology in high school.
The final section was Microbe.org. Although I wish I could claim otherwise, this was my favorite section. I loved playing the games, especially "Stalking the Mysterious Microbe". I found it to be part Where's Waldo, and part Nancy Drew. I think these activities are wonderful and I would recommend them to any parent or care taker as a fun and educational activity for children. I also enjoyed the Microbes in the News section. I feel this section has the potential to help children link the classroom to the real world.
In general, I was extremely impressed with this site and the educational value provided. The site design was clear and easy to follow, and the information was presented in a lighthearted educational light. I would highly recommend this site to teachers of all grades, and I look forward to exploring again later in the course.
The Microbial Underground http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/medbact/microbio.htmlThis site attracted my interest because I was expecting a site devoted to microbe conspiracy theories, X-Files style. What I found however, was very different. After finding the site I was given a choice to explore the US or UK version, I picked the UK site. I was redirected to http://microbios1.mds.qmw.ac.uk/underground/ The original site had been moved to a new location. This site was run by Mark Pallen, Senior Lecturer at St. Bartholomewís and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry in London. Mr. Pallen no longer updates the site; its last checkup was in July of 1998. Despite its relative antiquity, the site was actually quite informative and provides numerous links to specific microbe websites. Again, I explored three sections to get a feel for the site. I learned right away that this site was a part of Mr. Pallenís Ph.D. work, and not a government or research institution sponsored website.
The first section was Microbiology on the Net. This contained almost exclusively links to other sites. My favorite links were in the Culture and Strain Collections page. This section had many interesting links that allowed me to explore worldwide collections of microbes. Most links throughout the site are still active, however there was the occasional broken link.
Medicine on the Web was the second section. This section was devoted to links to web pages that aimed to help patients and researchers alike explore disease treatment and preve inputs to balance the process. Lots of research supports that. We've attempted to preserve that as we changed from a division/department structure to the task force/program structure. This includes weighting the inputs in favor of what the task force/program contributes, which is two thirds of the final numerical rating. (Visit our website if you have not already done so to look at the new Evaluation Summary Forms for adjunct and full-time and look at the math part: www.austin.cc.tx.us/fdo/fy99/ ks to useful WebPages, but has forgotten to make his educational. I have a general dislike for sites that seek only to direct you to others work, but I do appreciate the work that must have gone into the compiling process. I also wish that the online course had been completed, so that there would be something of direct educational value available from the actual website. Although the site was nothing like what I expected, and was a far cry from the quality of www.MicrobeWorld.org I still found that the site could provide educational value by acting as a type of White Pagesî for Microbiology on the Internet. -Michelle Gajda