Many environmental bacteria appear to be obligate oligotrophs, that is they can only be cultivated on media containing very low nutrient concentrations. There are probably many reasons for this. Which one do you favor and why? Read more →
« June 2020 | Main | August 2020 »
TWiM 220: From Mars to the vagina
Methane-producing bacteria might survive beneath the surface of Mars, and identification of a cytopathogenic toxin in a bacterium associated with preterm birth. Read more →
The ASM President Speaks: "ASM Touches So Many, At So Many Levels"
by Robin Patel — I have been touched with the way ASM unites microbiologists, elevating microbiology for scientists and the communities in which we live. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve as ASM President over the past year, a year which could reasonably be considered, the year everyone was a microbiologist. Read more →
Of Terms in Biology: Purifying Selection
by Elio — To me at least, this is a relatively unaccustomed term for an old phenomenon, namely the removal of deleterious mutants from a population. (As Christoph points out, this does not refer to cleaning up your lab bench.) Also known as negative selection, purifying selection results in the stabilization of the population by ridding... Read more →
Fucoidans, A Feast for Few
by Janie — Fucoidans make life complicated for microbes. They are cell wall polysaccharides that comprise 23% of dry brown algae's weight and resist microbial degradation longer than other algal polymers. Their sheer grab-bag variety... Read more →
Streptomyces spores taking a ride...
by Christoph — Streptomycetes, these non-motile Actinobacteria that are capable of mycelial growth much like fungi, are quite inventive when it comes to the distribution of their spores. They don't just rely on enchanting scents like geosmin that they emit to attract springtails, which transport their spores over long distances (see Roberto's recent post). They also routinely employ bacterial transport workers. Read more →
Let Smell Guide You
by Roberto — Anosmia: the loss of the sense of smell. Until recently, I was clueless about anosmia. That changed March 22nd when my good friend Hera Vlamakis alerted me to a NYT article describing anosmia as a possible symptom of COVID-19. My self-evaluation routine changed henceforth to include a test of my capacity to smell. Now, during... Read more →