Alcanivorax borkumensis is a bacteria that found in aquatic areas of the world. It is an unusual bacteria because it has the ability to break down oil found in the oceans. In the following pages, I will discuss the size and shape of the bacteria. Also, I will discuss how the bacteria’s environment and its unusual ability may help mankind in controlling pollution of the world’s oceans.
First, we will discuss the basic makeup of the bacteria. A. borkumensis is a rod shaped bacteria with no flagella that was discovered in 1998. It is aerobic and halophilic, meaning it gains energy from oxygen and tends to thrive in salty environments, such as seas and oceans. Also, A. borkumensis is considered an alkane degrader, as it can eat alkanes, and use this as a source of energy (Alcanivorax, n.d.). A single A. borkumensis is 2.0 to 3.0 micrometers in length; unless they survived solely on an n-alkane diet, where they were found to only be 1.0 to 1.5 micrometers in length. The bacteria is roughly 0.4 to 0.7 micrometers in diameter (Buss, 2010).
Now that we know how the bacteria survives, we will discuss the basic components of its environment. It was first discovered in sediments found in the North Sea, where there is an abundance of oil and gas wells. A. borkumensis is found naturally in seawater. While A. borkumensis has been found in non-polluted water, it is most commonly found in oceans that contain petroleum oil. This oil can be found naturally or from oil spills. It is found in
In everyday life we run into millions of microbes. Some of the bacteria is capable of making humans sick. The study of microbes has become very important subject to help stop potential pandemics and ensure proper hygiene. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek was the first scientist who discovered bacteria. In my study of microbiology, I got to choose an unknown bacteria to identify. It is important to start off finding the family of the unknown bacteria and then eliminating one by one the species to know which bacteria it is. By knowing the family, a scientist can save themselves a lot of time by knowing which tests need to be performed for the elimination process. This might seem like a waste of time to one but being able to correctly identify bacteria
Purpose of Bergy’s Manual: based on ribosomal RNA sequences, which presumably reflect phylogenetic (evolutionary) relationships. Used for the identification of prokaryotes. 2nd edition on classification of prokaryotes.
An unknown bacterium 15 was awarded and labeled at the table ready to be identified. Using the skills and test that are taught and learned in microbiology were applied into learning what the unknown bacteria culture was. There were multiple procedures and test done in order to gain all the information needed to determine which bacteria was given. In order to find what the bacteria was the first step was finding the right environment and temperature that would allow the bacteria to thrive and grow. Determining this is one of the most important steps in being able to obtain conclusive results that would allow the results of the test to be accurate and correct. Without the correct temperature and environment the bacteria will give inconclusive results which will alter and skew the end results and may lead to the wrong conclusion. By using the methods that were obtained and learned through the microbiology class allowed the skills and knowledge to determine the bacteria and execute the tests in order to determine the culture.
Prokaryotes are ubiquitous, successfully adapting to diverse environments as well as developing symbiotic relationships with host organisms (Lengeler, Drews, & Schlegel, 1999). Prokaryotes may have both autotrophic and heterotrophic characteristics. A cyanobacteria is photosynthetic, commonly called blue-green algae, and may produce toxins (Crayton, 1993). Bacteria are most commonly associated in the general
Bacteria are the natural world 's unsung heroes. They receive bad rep due to the disease causing individuals like tuberculosis but the vast majority of bacteria on Earth are harmless if not beneficial to both the environment and humans. Take for example E. Coli a well known bacteria that lives within our intestines. This particular bacteria makes vitamins that we need in order to stay healthy. In this experiment we analyzed the changes seen in bacteria when adding to differing DNA plasmids; pUC18 and lux. To arrive to the most accurate results possible we had to have the E. Coli bacteria made permeable to the plasmids. So it was prepared with calcium chloride. One group of bacteria was given the pUC18 plasmid, and the other group was given the lux as well as the pUC18 plasmids. We then proceeded to incubate them in different containers. Some had ampicillin where as some had none. This was done in order to observe the effect of pUC18, and lux growth patterns. A control with neither plasmid was used to keep a basis for our experiments. Bacteria that had transformed and taken in the lux plasmid without ampicilin were able to illuminate, and only bacteria that gained the pUC18 were capable of surviving with ampicillin. The results observed reveal how foreign DNA can be adapted to fit into another cell 's DNA even incorporated to be an optimal part of the cell. This process makes it a very viable manner of being able to mass replicate advantageous genes, that would
The identification of bacteria is a fundamental objective of microbiologists. It is essential to distinguish specific bacterial properties to understand the environment, physiology and disease. As new bacterial species emerge and existing ones evolve into different strains, it is imperative that microbiologists continue to isolate bacteria from the field, identify their findings and research newly discovered forms. Their discoveries can then be used to evaluate the types of microbial life that may be found in certain environments and the corresponding benefits or risks to those that dwell in those areas.
The speaker for the last video cast is Dr. Steven Holland. He is a senior clinical investigator and the head of the Immune pathogenesis of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Holland received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. In the late 90s he started at the NIH as a researcher. In 2002 he received the NIH distinguished teacher award. The topic that Dr. Holland talked about in this video cast is: Keeping Microbes at Bay: What White Cells Do.
The purpose of this lab is to look for and identify microbiomes in pond water as well as distilled water with beans in it to further expand our knowledge of living organisms. With each test, identification is attempted and documented. After observations it was concluded that both samples contained microorganisms but only the pond water showed mobile organisms.
In the early 1900’s two scientists, Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou, discovered the first bacterium in the Bordetella genus. The genus was named after Bordet. The bacteria within the Bordetella genus are Gram-negative and rod-shaped. These bacteria are typically coccobacilli (coccoid) (Finger). These bacteria usually occur either in pairs or are single. They have a thin murein layer surrounded by an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharide and phospholipids, and they do produce a capsule (Bordetella, 2010). All the species apart from B. petrii are obligate aerobes as well as highly fastidious. The Bordetella bacteria are
Summary Citation: Madigan, M.T., J.M. Martinko, K. S.Bender, D.H. Buckley, D.A.Stahl. 2014. Brock: Biology of Microorganisms. 14th edition. Benjamin Cummings, New York.
Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria was first isolated from the leaves of a green plant called a snowdrop flower by scientist named makovnkov and Dr. Stamen Grigov.
The highest count of heterotrophic bacteria was recorded for the concentration of 1000ppm. A large number of
E. rhusiopathiae is an incredibly virulent gram positive, rod shaped, facultative anaerobic, (Brooke and Riley, 1999) bacteria that can live outside its host for incredibly long periods of time (Wang et al., 2010). Although it’s not a spore forming bacteria, it can survive in any environment where nitrogen (or nitrogenous matter) is decomposed (including marine locations); some studies say it can survive in soil for 35 days, while other say it can survive in the right soil forever (Wang et al., 2010).
Free-living amoebae (FLA) are eukaryotic organism found ubiquitously in nature. They are found in soil (dust), air, water and air, which provide amoeba multiple opportunities to spread (c). These can be pathogenic or non-pathogenic. Pathogenic FLA can invade and cause opportunistic and non-opportunistic infections in humans, which are found in the genus Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, and Sappinia pedata (b). Hartmannella is a genus of amoeba which is in water systems of drinking water, cooling towers and hospitals. They are capable of harbouring micro-organisms like bacteria or pathogenic yeasts. This helps the micro-organisms to develop and spread (d) (e).
The purpose of this exercise was to isolate an unknown microbe and try to correctly identify its genus if not species using a variety of physical and chemical tests.