Robert Koch, Creation, and the Specificity of Germs

Microbiology is dominated by evolution today. Just look at any text, journal article, or the topics presented at professional scientific meetings. Darwin is dominant. Microbiology is dominated by evolution today. Just look at any text, journal article, or the topics presented at professional scientific meetings. Darwin is dominant. Many argue that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” (Dobzhansky 1973). But it was not always this way. In fact, a review of the major founders of microbiology has shown that they were creationists.1 We would argue that a better idea thanevolution and one of much more practical importance is the germ theory of disease, originally put forth primarily by non-Darwinian biologists (Gillen and Oliver 2009). In our previous article (Gillen and Oliver 2009), we documented these and many other creation and Christian contributions to germ theory. But only recently has it become known that another important microbiology founder, Robert Koch (Fig. 1) and his co-workers were Linnaean creationists in their classification.2 This is due, in part, to additional works of Robert Koch that were translated from German to English. The year 2010 marks the 100thanniversary of his death (died: May 27, 1910). Although Koch and other German microbiologists were fairly secular in their thinking, their acceptance of Darwinian evolution was minimal

Our Impressive Immune System: More Than a Defense

Most likely the immune system was put into place in the original human body design. We know from Exodus 20:11 and other verses that God completed His work of creation in six days. Therefore, the human body and its functional parts, including the components of the immune system, must have been part of the original creation. God said that all He had made was very good (Genesis 1:31). Since there were no pathogens (germs), parasites, or diseases prior the Edenic Fall and subsequent Curse, the immune system may have functioned differently in that world unmarred by sin and death. The immune system serves more than just to “defend” against disease. The immune system was designed to interact with microbes and cleanse the body of aged, dying, dead red blood cells and bacteria even in the Pre-Fall World. There are toll-like receptors in the immune system that have “sensory” function, as well as defense functions in animals and humans. The immune system in Peyer’s Patches in the GI tract assists the normal development of the intestine and regulates the normal microbiome. Consider a sheep dog designed to positively interact with sheep (herd them); they only “defend” with teeth when a predator (e.g. a wolf) approaches. The immune system in a pre-Fall world (Gillen and Sherwin 2013) worked to positively assist body development (as will be discussed); in the post-Fall world, they also defend against pathogens. This is how most creation biologists view the immune system. Immunology is that branch of biology that involves studying how the body is designed to protect itself from agents of disease called pathogens. The word immune comes from the Latin root word that means “freedom or protection from taxes or burdens.” This amazing system battles disease in a manner that is so complex and intricate that the most gifted imagination could not envision such incredible functions. In today’s world (post-Fall), the primary role of our immune system is to recognize pathogens and parasites, then to destroy them. Three main methods of destruction include baths of caustic digestive enzymes that cause rapid perforation with submicroscopic holes, overwhelming organisms with sticky proteins, and lastly by ingestion by macrophages (amoeba-like cells). In addition, the immune system is designed to prevent the proliferation of mutant cells, such as various cancers. When this system malfunctions or when a boundary is breached, it can result in localized or systemic infections, or worse, death

The Design of Giardia and the Genesis of Giardiasis

Giardia is a genus of protozoa discovered in 1681. Six morphologically distinct species are recognized. It mainly attaches in the upper GI tract of a wide variety of vertebrates (including zebrafish), often with beaver and muskrat as reservoirs/carriers but exhibiting minimal—if any—disease in some animals. Giardia is usually non-pathogenic in the human population, even in children if exposed early in life. Although Giardia can be pathogenic, some strains colonize the gut with no malady. This parasite is not invasive and only serious infections depress the small intestine. Giardia are pear-shaped, have an adhesive disc for attaching to enterocyte cells in the small intestine villus, and move with eight designed flagella. In the post-Fallen world, Giardia infection occasionally has resulted in digestive dysfunction. However, Giardia may function in non-parasitic, possibly mutualistic, ways. For example, it may have been designed to aid digestion having a role as a “primer.” The presence of Giardia muris causes a fundamental change in the microbiome in mice and Giardia may have other influences on the microbiome such as enhancing digestion in certain animals and possibly shifting ratios of bacteria from anaerobic to aerobic. Giardia may play a role in host metabolism and provide nutritional enhancement via its association with enteric bacteria, like E. coli. The function of Giardia may parallel with non-parasitic tasks found in Trypanosoma lewisi, and also termite systems that contain protozoa and bacteria for plant digestion. Giardiahas two “faces” even in today\u27s world: a harmless commensal in wildlife and a pathogenic parasite in humans

Lucretius or the philosophy of chemistry

A world view deriving from the objective knowledge acquired by the physical sciences is contrasted with the fashionable subjective philosophical view that all systems of thought are equally valid ways of structuring the universe. As Lucretius guessed, atoms are real and are not simply arbitrary constructs to explain the observations. Mathematics and computing have an important role in permitting long and sophisticated arguments to be carried through

The Signature of God in Medicine and Microbiology An Apologetic Argument for Declarative Design in the Discoveries of Alexander Fleming

In logic and reasoning, a signature indicates the presence of an author; likewise, the characteristics of staphylococci indicate the presence of a Creator. Staphylococci and its “kind” are common bacteria, particularly in colonized people.1 Staphylococcus aureus has a complex molecular mechanism of assembling its golden pigment, staphyloxanthin. The biosynthesis of staphyloxanthin is a stellar example of irreducible complexity. Similar to staphylococci, the life and works of Alexander Fleming show the fingerprints of Providence. The so-called “serendipitous” achievements of Fleming have contributed to modern medicine, convincing Fleming and others that God was at work in his life. Fleming recognized that his life’s discoveries and the “weaving” of events were more than chance; it was the invisible hand of God on his life and works. The molecular complexities of staphylococci mechanisms and the achievements of Fleming indicate the signature of a divine Designer who has placed his signature on his art piece, staphylococci

The Origin of Fleas and the Genesis of Plague

Human history has been riddled by diseases spread by flea vectors including the bubonic plague. Recently, Madagascar has documented more than 100 cases. Fleas were part of God’s “very good” (Genesis 1:31) creation that transformed to an ectoparasitic condition after the Curse. Creation biologists continue to synthesize a working model of this conversion from environmental recyclers to parasites as a secondary state. Morphological design of the flea combined with its unique feeding ability has resulted in it being an exceptional vector for Yersinia pestis, the causative bacterium of the plague

Staph Bacteria from First Breath The Interweaving of the Nasal Microbiome with the Intricate and Complex Nose

Many microbes live in a mutualistic relationship with the human body, make up the human microbiome, and play a role in our health by stimulating and modulating the immune system. Man’s body is “covered” both inside and outside with millions of microbes that play a role in maintaining normal bodily functions and sustaining life in our changing world. The inner nose in the human body is colonized by millions of microbes during the first week of life. This internal colonization of the upper respiratory system is termed our nasal microbiome. Though we cannot see it, this microbiome is important for normal functioning, especially in a pathogenic world. Staphylococci interact to stimulate the immune system, and play a role with the interface of the immune system, specifically generating antibody production early in life. This article focuses on possible origin of Staphylococci, their role in the nasal microbiome, the host benefit via their presence in the microbiome, and their role in creation. Resident nose bacteria are highly diverse, and an understanding of the nasal microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human health and infectious disease. The normal nasal microbiota provides clues to the pre-Fall function of bacteria. It is “normal” and critical for our body’s health to be symbiotically inhabited by microbes, such as beneficial bacteria. God’s very good creation likely included microbes in the nose and throughout the body, and these can provide clues for human health in the future