* Microbiology Starter Deck

NEW 2025 – (Sample Cards | Download game and rules* | Purchase)…

This deck, hosted by the Michael Smith Laboratories, is a STARTER deck for a hand building game that looks at biodiversity in the microbial world. This includes bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protists, as well as highlighting the myriad of roles microbes play in our living world (both good and bad)!

*Note that the game is played in similar fashion to the Phylo GSA deck and the Phylo WWEST WISE deck (see game play here), (see downloadable rules above for more details).

Escherichia coli

Bacteria
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These bacteria are often studied by scientists to learn more about bacteria. They live in our intestines but can sometimes make us sick too.

Graphic by Chelsea O'Brynewww.chelseaobyrne.ca/
Escherichia coli (/ˌɛʃəˈrɪkiə ˈkoʊlaɪ/ ESH-ə-RIK-ee-ə KOH-lye)[1][2] is a gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.[3][4] Most E. coli strains are part of the normal microbiota of the gut, where they constitute about 0.1%, along with other facultative anaerobes.[5] These bacteria are mostly harmless or even beneficial to humans.[6] For example, some strains of E. coli benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2[7] or by preventing the colonization of the intestine by […] read more

Vibrio cholerae

Bacteria
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These bacteria infect our intestines and give us diarrhea. To feel better we drink lots of water to replace the liquids we lost.

Graphic by Aviva Reedwww.avivareed.com/
Vibrio cholerae is a species of Gram-negative, facultative anaerobe and comma-shaped bacteria.[1] The bacteria naturally live in brackish or saltwater where they attach themselves easily to the chitin-containing shells of crabs, shrimp, and other shellfish. Some strains of V. cholerae are pathogenic to humans and cause a deadly disease called cholera, which can be derived from the consumption of undercooked or raw marine life species or drinking contaminated water.[2] V. […] read more

Prochlorococcus marinus

Bacteria
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These bacteria make a large amount of the oxygen we breathe and are some of the oldest organisms in Earth’s history.

Graphic by Emilie Clarkemilieclark.com/index.html
Prochlorococcus is a genus of very small (0.6 μm) marine cyanobacteria with an unusual pigmentation (chlorophyll a2 and b2). These bacteria belong to the photosynthetic picoplankton and are probably the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth. Prochlorococcus microbes are among the major primary producers in the ocean, responsible for a large percentage of the photosynthetic production of oxygen.[1][2] Prochlorococcus strains, called ecotypes, have physiological differences enabling them to exploit different ecological niches.[3] Analysis of the genome sequences of Prochlorococcus strains show […] read more

Wolbachia

Bacteria
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These bacteria live inside insects and stop them from laying eggs. They can even stop the insects from spreading diseases and have been used for this purpose.

Graphic by Diana Sudykawww.dianasudyka.com/
Wolbachia is a genus of gram-negative bacteria infecting many species of arthropods and filarial nematodes.[1][2] The symbiotic relationship ranges from parasitism to obligate mutualism. It is one of the most common parasitic microbes of arthropods, and is possibly the most widespread reproductive parasite bacterium in the biosphere.[3] Its interactions with hosts are complex and highly diverse across different host species. Some host species cannot reproduce, or even survive, without Wolbachia colonisation. One study […] read more

Clostridium perfringens

Bacteria
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These bacteria can make us very sick if we eat them. We call this “food poisoning” and it often means we feel nauseous and vomit.

Graphic by Emilie Clarkwww.emilieclark.com/index.html
Clostridium perfringens (formerly known as C. welchii, or Bacillus welchii) is a Gram-positive, bacillus (rod-shaped), anaerobic, spore-forming pathogenic bacterium of the genus Clostridium.[1][2] C. perfringens is ever-present in nature and can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment, the intestinal tract of humans and other vertebrates, insects, and soil. It has the shortest reported generation time of any organism at 6.3 minutes in thioglycolate medium.[3] Clostridium perfringens is one of the most common causes […] read more

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

Fungi
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These fungi are used to cook things like bread by making it rise. 

Graphic by Chelsea O'Byrnewww.chelseaobyrne.ca/
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized.[1][2][3] They are estimated to constitute 1% of all described fungal species.[4] Some yeast species have the ability to develop multicellular characteristics by forming strings of connected budding cells known as pseudohyphae or false hyphae, or quickly evolve […] read more