by Christoph — In the first part of this piece on phage–plasmids (P–Ps), I focused on examples that are well known today, and on the fact that they are representatives of larger families with dozens of members, rather than peculiar solitary cases. Here now, in the second part, I will introduce some lesser-known examples of phage–plasmids. Read more →
Of Terms in Biology: Phage–Plasmid (1|2)
by Christoph — Once you think again about horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and how genomic DNA can pass from one cell to another, you may soon feel quite medieval and ruminate «mille viae ducunt hominem per saecula Romam». One of the main routes of chromosomal and extra‑chromosomal DNA (to Rome) is via transduction by bacteriophages, another via conjugation by plasmids, but there are other main roads too... Read more →
Microbes and Methane
by Roberto — If you're looking for a primer on microbes and methane (as was I, recently) I direct you to a timely report from an American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) colloquium on the subject. It's excellent reading as it contains a treasure trove of information along with an impressive list of references, for those who want to take a deeper dive into the subject. Read more →
A Whiff of... Replication – Atribacter laminatus
by Christoph — When microbiologists describe a previously unknown bacterium, they are mainly interested in its lifestyle, metabolism, morphology and cell cycle. For me, "getting to know" a newbie always involves – let's call it an addiction – reading its genome sequence and finding out how it initiates the replication of its chromosome(s). Read more →
A Whiff of Taxonomy – Atribacter laminatus
by Christoph — The image is way too large to show it here, but when you join me and Hug et al. (2016) for "A new view of the tree of life" here, you can spot a bunch of names of bacterial phyla in the top left corner that sound unfamiliar. One of those, Atribacteria, is at the top of the column with Aquificae, Calescamantes, ... , Fusobacteria. Atribacter laminatus, the first cultivated representative of the phylum Atribacteria, is the subject... Read more →
Inactive Ingredients Meet Gut Microbes
by Janie — Among all the human microbiome's kaleidoscopic effects on human health, one likely less frequently thought about by prescribing medical professionals is the ability to chemically alter the medications we take. It's well-established that our gut residents are teeming with enzymes... Read more →
Wastewater Microbiology
by Mechas — Using wastewater to monitor human populations is a growing trend. The waste products found in the water discarded after domestic, commercial, or industrial use reflects the habits and consumptions of society and provide a pool of information on our customs and behaviors. Read more →
Bacterial Sounds
by Roberto — Towards the end of last century, I read a short but provocative note entitled "Do bacteria sing?" With a title like that, who's not going to read it? As is usually the case, that reading led to more reading. I discovered several papers describing how some bacteria could be stimulated to form colonies more efficiently following sound stimulation. Read more →
Small predators that could save our lives
by Jéssica Gil Serna — The world of predatory bacteria is a true reflection of the David versus Goliath story. A small cell needs to kill its large prey to ensure its own survival. This is the case of bacteria of the genus Bdellovibrio whose importance has been highlighted in recent years as a possible alternative to defeat antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Read more →
Of Terms in Biology: "Silent Mutation", part 2|2
by Christoph — To continue with the comparison of apples and pears from the first part, here is an example of a synonymous mutation that can rightly be described as a silent mutation... Read more →