There are very few gifts that would be equally apt for your best friend or your worst frenemy but at Giantmicrobes the place is swarming with them.

Know someone who doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together – buy them a couple of Brain Cell neurons. Got a friend (or an enemy) that is struggling on her diet? Maybe a nice plump fat cell will keep her on track.

Giantmicrobes supply cute and cuddly toys which represent any number of cells, microbes and bacteria. You can chose from categories like Corporeal, Microbial and even Venereal (eeeew!). The company says that the toys have an educational value and are also ideal for anyone with a sense of humor.

The possibilities are endless especially if you or your giftee’s sense of humor tends to be a little sick in the first place. Even so, the little critters are undeniably cute. The lilac and long-lashed Kissing Disease looks perfect for Valentine’s Day and I can think of any number of people for whom the Mad Cow would be ideal.

On a more serious note these stuffed toys are an excellent aid to defusing all the panic over contagious diseases. The cuddly rendition of H1N1 (Swine Flu) makes it much less scary than images that children may have retained of masked people and scary public broadcasts. The various body cells are also valuable educational tools and this fact has been recognised by Creative Child Magazine which awarded Giantmicrobes its Seal of Approval in 2008.

The bestsellers at Giantmicrobe include the Common Cold common cold, the bed bug, the bookworm, flesh eating disease and Ebola so if you are searching for that perfect and unforgettable gift you are sure to find the ideal bug to give to your loved ones.