by Roberto — Because of the deleterious effects on soil due to the prolonged use and overuse of synthetic fertilizers, the quest for bacteria able to promote plant growth is an ongoing pursuit. Yet, these searches are usually focused on members of a few genera, prime amongst these Bacillus and Pseudomonas. What about the Streptomyces? Read more →
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Through The Pilus
by Roberto — Among the many mechanisms of bacterial horizontal gene transfer, conjugation, the plasmid-mediated cell-to-cell movement of DNA, holds a special place in the heart of this old-timer E. coli geneticist. Its discovery not only allowed genetic mapping through "interrupted mating" experiments, it also opened the door to studies on the regulation of gene expression (witness the famed PaJaMo experiment). Read more →
E. coli Proto-Genes
by Roberto — How do bacteria come up with new genes? I intentionally did not use the phrase "acquire new genes" because, as most STC readers might know, horizontal gene transfer is likely the most frequent way new genes end up in a bacterium's genome. What I ask now is different. After more than four billion years of evolution, are bacteria still giving birth to new genes 'de novo' ? Read more →
The Dawn of Molecular Ecology
by Roberto — Almost exactly one year ago, I wrote a post on the key role played by a group of Spanish scientists in the early development of microbial molecular ecology. My main point was to drive home how the work they carried out in the early 1970s on species successions in the human gut... Read more →
On Forgetting
by Mechas — A recent essay by Melissa Kirsch of the New York Times highlights what seems to be a prevalent concern: forgetfulness. The constant exposure to an ever-growing barrage of media, especially as we grow old(er), has its toll. Even though remembering and forgetting are essential to processing information and learning as we meander through life, an excess of data can result in overflow and storage problems. Read more →
A lesson from the comb jelly, deep-sea bacteria, and some obliging E. coli on how to thrive under pressure
by Janie — I sometimes google "Small Things Considered + a biological term of choice" looking for older articles, to see if any paradigms have changed in the span of a decade or so. In doing so, I came across this post from 2010 on plasmalogens, membrane lipids with an ether bond linking the glycerol... Read more →
The Deep Biosphere – A Video
by Roberto — It may be because it carries on so very slowly or because it is so deeply buried. Who knows, but I find the abundant microbial life of the deep biosphere thoroughly mesmerizing. That's why I was thrilled by a video on the subject that Memo Berkmen – long-time friend and STC fan – brought to my attention. It's only natural that I now share it with you. Read more →
How E. coli Rose to Prominence – Just One More Addendum (1|2)
by Christoph — While Roberto looked deep into the fascinating past of 'How E. coli rose to prominence' in two of his recent posts, I will take a look around ahead here in 'Just One More Addendum', and a wider look around in 'Again, One More Addendum' in an upcoming post. But that was it for the time being with this 'Ecolimania' here in STC... Read more →
Thoughts on O-Antigen Variation
by Roberto — The O-side chains of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), the outer most feature of most Gram-negative's outer membrane, are highly variable in terms of their chain length and chemical composition. In my last post, I described how the O-side chain of some bacterial strains serve as a settlement and metamorphosis cue for a marine invertebrate. My thoughts immediately took me to this question: What was the early evolutionary history of O-side chain variability? Read more →