by Daniel P. Haeusser — Regular readers of Small Things Considered may recall our mention of the magnetotactic bacteria, organisms that can sense the Earth's magnetic field to orient themselves and distinguish up from down. The magnetotactic bacteria vary greatly in morphology, metabolism, and phylogeny, but they all share a little tool that permits the magnetic sensing underlying their coordinated movement (magnetotaxis). Read more →
« February 2015 | Main | April 2015 »
A Snippet: How Do Long Bacteria Snip Apart?
by Elio — Surely there are limits to the size and physiology of bacterial cells. They can only get to be so big or so small, so full of ribosomes or so depleted of them, so fast or so extremely slow in their growth. Add another one to this list: are there limits to how precisely bacteria position their division site? What brings this up is that many of the bacteria encountered in... Read more →
When Antibiotic Resistance in vitro Does Not Tell You What You Need To Know
by Terry Roemer — Increasingly, it is becoming apparent that there is a deep difference between what happens in vivo and in vitro. The idea that one can comfortably extrapolate from the bench to, say, the bedside, is receding rapidly. Living things, not even the smallest ones, are no agar plates, however convenient and inexpensive these may be. Read more →
A Talmudic Conversation
We posted Talmudic Questions #118 and #119 together because they struck us as being inter-related, both sending our thoughts down similar avenues. Their appearance together on the blog prompted a lively conversation that we thought too interesting to leave buried out of sight. Moreover, we note that it is not too late to take part by posting a comment. You don't have to be an expert to contribute a comment here, or on any of our posts. We invite you to join in... Read more →
Evolution of a Superpathogen
by S. Marvin Friedman — The enterobacterium Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the plague, was responsible for many terrifying outbreaks over the course of recorded history, but the most devastating pandemic was known as the Black Death. Occurring between the years 1347 and 1351, it is estimated that it claimed about one-third of Europe’s population, half of that of China, and one-eighth of Africa's. This dreaded disease... Read more →
The Power of Fungal Genetics — Cassava for Food Security and Sustainability in Colombia
by Chris Condayan — ASM traveled to Colombia to film researchers from the University of Lausanne – Switzerland, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and the Universidad de la Salle – Utopia campus, who are working to create and test novel strains of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to improve cassava production. Click through to watch the video... Read more →
Polintons – A Viral Missing Link?
by Jamie Henzy — The line between viruses and parasitic elements of the genome is thin and delicate, and probably often crossed. Parasitic elements that acquire the means to escape the host cell become viruses and, conversely, viruses can lose this ability and return to a more... Read more →
Talmudic Questions #118 and #119
by Nicholas Shikuma and Oded Beja — #118: Are there bacteriophages known to infect eukaryotic cells? and #119: Are there any phages known to attack mitochondria or chloroplasts? Read more →
Cheesey Microbial Communities
by Daniel P. Haeusser — I have an insatiable fondness for cheese. Yes, the preparation of this post involved heavenly pungent dreams of Tarte au Maroilles and several trips to the cheesemonger’s counter. Gazing at the smear-ripened gooey perfection of Époisses de Bourgogne and the staggering price for this import, I appreciated the power that this microbial product can have over someone. Read more →