Some authors have written describing single cells as "cognitive" or "agents with agendas." Cognition may not be far from consciousness… . In whatever sense you choose, could you argue that bacteria have consciousness? Read more →
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Exploration, Streptomyces-style
by Roberto | The evolutionary trajectories of bacteria are greatly influenced by their reproductive success in changing environments. Of course, this is not just about how fast bacteria divide when conditions permit growth but also how well they survive in the absence of growth. In addition, an important determinant of the overall fitness of a bacterial lineage is... Read more →
Spy Gadgets
by Janie | Some bacterial enzymes have interesting character arcs. DNA polymerase, courtesy of Thermus aquaticus, soaks up the limelight as an enzyme pulled out of bacteria and catapulted into molecular biology stardom. One enzyme that is certainly less-known is FbaB, which helps Streptococcus pyogenes adhere to and invade host cells... Read more →
The Streptococcal Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
by Janie | In Norse mythology, the goddess Freyja has a cloak of feathers that can ferry her between human and falcon forms. The Aztec deity Tezcatlipoca sometimes wore a jaguar skin to disguise himself. Sneaking into the ranks of such mythological figures is the more tangible and much smaller Group A Streptococcus... Read more →
Elio's Memoirs
by Roberto
This sepia toned photograph was taken on January 6, 1950. That's Elio in the light toned overcoat, looking over his right shoulder and standing on the first step of the ladder and about to enter a Panagra DC-3.
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Teachers Corner: Where have all the protons gone?
by Roberto | Learning is complicated. To anyone involved in teaching, it is apparent that students learn in diverse and often mysterious ways. It has even been said that one never really learns something until one has to teach it! Read more →
Of Terms in Biology: Dysbiosis
by Elio | Dysbiosis is a fairly old term but one that seems to have gained considerable currency lately. Its origin is from the Greek dys (bad, difficult) + biōsis (mode of life, from: bios life). It is used to denote an imbalance in someone's microbiome, human, animal, or plant. Read more →
A Novel Way to Kill Your Neighbor
by Elio | Ever wonder why that paradigm of bacterial signaling molecules, (p)ppGpp, uses guanosine (G) and not some other base (is this a Talmudic Question in the making?)? To remind you, guanosine tetraphosphate, ppGpp, (or the pentaphosphate, pppGpp, the two have pretty much the same activity), is the classic bacterial "alarmone"... Read more →
Remembering a Remarkable Man
by Roberto | Outdoors the air was crisp, as it should be for a late October evening in Maine. Indoors, with lit logs crackling in the fireplace, the twelve of us sat fully absorbed in the narrative spoken by our special guest. The soft tone of his voice, the sparkle in his eyes, and his joyful smile framed the storytelling perfectly. That evening, this gentle man... Read more →
TWiM 226: Two microbes you might not know
Two unusual microorganisms, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, heard by Elio in an episode of Doc Martin, and Roseomonas mucosa, which is being used to treat atopic dermatitis. Read more →