Intimate Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth, a four-part series for prime-time public television, will be shown by PBS and distributed for international broadcast this fall. Funded in part by the DOE Human Genome, Microbial Genome, and Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research programs, the series is designed to increase public science literacy by using lessons from the microbial world to teach about more complex systems of life.

The series, produced by independent filmmakers Baker & Simon Associates with the American Society for Microbiology, is an initiative of the Microbial Literacy Collaborative (MLC). An organizational partnership headed by Cynthia Needham, MLC seeks to emphasize how basic research advances society's well-being, to improve decision-making on microbial issues, and to create more effective curricula for science teachers and students. In addition to Intimate Strangers, other MLC products include an interactive Web site (operational in May), a set of hands-on activities designed to introduce youth to the microbial world, and week-long leadership programs targeted to young people from challenging environments. Unseen Life on Earth, a 12-part telecourse for undergraduates, will support distance learning and provide teaching resources to college and precollege teachers.