AboutBook: During the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, groundbreaking work was done at the University of Notre Dame in germ-free animal research. Bob Ervin, one of three early researchers, pioneered this work when no one believed it could be done. This powerful story is interwoven with tales of Bob's family life and the close relationships he had with the people with whom he worked. When Bob's wife, Paula, originally wrote this story, she chose not to use actual names out of sensitivity toward the individuals involved. However, Paula passed away in October of 2005 and her family has decided that this work and these people deserve the full honor of having the truth be told. When this research was first published, the international scientific community was astounded at what had been accomplished at the University of Notre Dame. Louis Pasteur had hypothesized about it, but it was widely believed to have been unattainable. These tremendous scientists should be remembered for having done the impossible.