When we are born, we are basically sterile. By the time we die, we are more microbe than human. Microbes – microscopic organisms which live in and on us – are essential to the development of human life. Until Antonie van Leeuwenhoek observed his own microbes under a self-made microscope in the seventeenth century, we were not even aware that they existed.

In this remarkable graphic book, gastroenterologist Fergus Shanahan and graphic design artist Laura Gowers join forces to shed light on the microbial world. They suggest ways in which we can protect and nurture microbes in the face of the climate emergency – and show how minority ethnic groups, including Irish Travellers, have unique microbiomes. This ground-breaking book, which features QR codes linking to further information, will be of interest to students young and old – and all those interested in life on Earth.