As soon as we hear the word ‘bacteria’ most of us think of illness and disease, but a fascinating and enlightening new exhibition at Oxford University Museum of Natural History breaks this long-held myth.

Incorporating more than 55 exhibits – spanning monumental art, geological and deep-sea specimens, film, and digital interactives – Bacterial World will demonstrate how these tiny organisms wield huge influence over us, shaping the past, present and future of life on ourplanet.

The exhibition will feature items generously loaned from institutions including the Wellcome Collection, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum, and the Natural History Museum, London.