 |
|
Where man boldly goes, bacteria follow
May 29, 2008Are we contaminating space?
Life in outer space is an absolute certainty, and it is likely to be more familiar than we might think, according to an article in the May issue of Microbiology Today. Ever since the start of the space race we have sent more than just satellites and astronauts into space: spacecraft are not routinely decontaminated and are teeming with microbial life.
"Wherever man boldly goes his microbial fauna is sure to follow," said Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College London. The Russian space station Mir was launched in 1986 and microbial studies investigated the diversity of bacteria living alongside the astronauts. In 1998, free-floating blobs of water found during a NASA mission to the station were analyzed and discovered to contain microbes including faecal bacteria like E. coli, plague bacterium-related species of Yersinia, and even what was suspected to be Legionella, as well as fungi, amoebae and protozoa.
"Preventing the spread of microbial life between worlds of the solar system has been a top priority for decades now," said Lewis. "This effort is known as planetary protection." Today's International Space Station (ISS) is much cleaner than Mir was 20 years ago, thanks to HEPA filters, weekly cleaning and biweekly disinfecting regimes. But inevitably, the ISS is still far from being bug-free; recent sampling revealed the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis surviving in different areas.
But it's not just planets we need to protect - astronauts are at increased risk of infection in space. Respiratory infections are common among astronauts and diseases occur in a quarter of space shuttle flights. "Prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation and microgravity is believed to have a negative effect on the immune system, and disease transmission is enhanced within the closed environment of recycled air and water," said Lewis Dartnell. Microbes also pose an increased risk of allergies, toxic air and water supply and even biodegradation of critical spacecraft components.
This week, the Phoenix lander touched down on Mars, hoping to take the first ever direct measurements of Martian water and organic molecules. "To guarantee the cleanliness of the robotic arm, it was enclosed in a biobarrier bag - effectively an interplanetary condom," said Lewis. But this will not be a feasible control measure for humans. "Humans and spaceships are inherently dirty and once we arrive to plant flags in the rusty soil our microbial entourage will begin leaking out onto Mars." What's more, microbes have an uncanny ability to survive as spores, resistant to heat, cold and radiation. "Once humans have visited Mars, we may never be certain that any biological discoveries weren't simply signs of our own dirty sleeves," said Lewis Dartnell.
In fact, we might actually need to take microbes on a manned mission to Mars. "For longer missions, it will not be possible to take sufficient supplies from Earth," said Lewis. "Scientists are developing ingenious life support systems relying on plants and micro-organisms to provide food, waste recycling and water purification." Of course, in this case, an outbreak of harmful microbes could crash life support systems as well as affecting the health of the crew, endangering the whole mission. "For better or worse, space bugs are here to stay."
Society for General Microbiology
"Preventing the spread of microbial life between worlds of the solar system has been a top priority for decades now," said Lewis. "This effort is known as planetary protection." Today's International Space Station (ISS) is much cleaner than Mir was 20 years ago, thanks to HEPA filters, weekly cleaning and biweekly disinfecting regimes. But inevitably, the ISS is still far from being bug-free; recent sampling revealed the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis surviving in different areas.
But it's not just planets we need to protect - astronauts are at increased risk of infection in space. Respiratory infections are common among astronauts and diseases occur in a quarter of space shuttle flights. "Prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation and microgravity is believed to have a negative effect on the immune system, and disease transmission is enhanced within the closed environment of recycled air and water," said Lewis Dartnell. Microbes also pose an increased risk of allergies, toxic air and water supply and even biodegradation of critical spacecraft components.
This week, the Phoenix lander touched down on Mars, hoping to take the first ever direct measurements of Martian water and organic molecules. "To guarantee the cleanliness of the robotic arm, it was enclosed in a biobarrier bag - effectively an interplanetary condom," said Lewis. But this will not be a feasible control measure for humans. "Humans and spaceships are inherently dirty and once we arrive to plant flags in the rusty soil our microbial entourage will begin leaking out onto Mars." What's more, microbes have an uncanny ability to survive as spores, resistant to heat, cold and radiation. "Once humans have visited Mars, we may never be certain that any biological discoveries weren't simply signs of our own dirty sleeves," said Lewis Dartnell.
In fact, we might actually need to take microbes on a manned mission to Mars. "For longer missions, it will not be possible to take sufficient supplies from Earth," said Lewis. "Scientists are developing ingenious life support systems relying on plants and micro-organisms to provide food, waste recycling and water purification." Of course, in this case, an outbreak of harmful microbes could crash life support systems as well as affecting the health of the crew, endangering the whole mission. "For better or worse, space bugs are here to stay."
Society for General Microbiology
Microbial Life Current Events and Microbial Life News RSSA new day dawned fast
In 1980, Luis Alvarez and his collaborators stunned the world with their discovery that an asteroid impact 65 million years ago probably killed off the dinosaurs and much of the the world's living organisms. But ever since, there has been an ongoing debate about how long it took for life to return to the devastated planet and for ecosystems to bounce back.
Laser technique has implications for detecting microbial life forms in Martian ice
An innovative technique called L.I.F.E. imaging used successfully to detect bacteria in frozen Antarctic lakes could have exciting implications for demonstrating signs of life in the polar regions of Mars.
Unlocking the secrets of the seafloor: The future of scientific ocean drilling
Close to 600 scientists from 21 countries met Sept. 23 - 25 2009 in Bremen, Germany, to outline major scientific targets for a new and ambitious ocean drilling research program.
Study finds unexpected bacterial diversity on human skin
The health of our skin - one of the body's first lines of defense against illness and injury - depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface.
Asteroid attack 3.9 billion years ago may have enhanced early life on Earth, says CU-Boulder study
The bombardment of Earth nearly 4 billion years ago by asteroids as large as Kansas would not have had the firepower to extinguish potential early life on the planet and may even have given it a boost, says a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.
Unlikely life thriving at Antarctica's Blood Falls
An unmapped reservoir of briny liquid chemically similar to sea water, but hidden under an inland Antarctic glacier, appears to support microbial life in a cold, dark, oxygen-poor environment -- a most unexpected setting to be teeming with life.
Unusual Antarctic microbes live life on a previously unsuspected edge
An unmapped reservoir of briny liquid chemically similar to sea water, but buried under an inland Antarctic glacier, appears to support unusual microbial life in a place where cold, darkness and lack of oxygen would previously have led scientists to believe nothing could survive, according to newly published research.
Better living through chemistry
Scientists have completed the first study of microbes that live within the plumbing of deep-sea mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Mexico, where conditions may resemble those in extraterrestrial environments and early Earth.
Earth's highest known microbial systems fueled by volcanic gases
Gases rising from deep within the Earth are fueling the world's highest-known microbial ecosystems, which have been detected near the rim of the 19,850-foot-high Socompa volcano in the Andes by a University of Colorado at Boulder research team.
Great Lake's sinkholes host exotic ecosystems
Researchers are exploring extreme conditions for life in a place not known for extremes. As little as 20 meters (66 feet) below the surface of Lake Huron, the third largest of North America's Great Lakes, peculiar geological formations-sinkholes made by water dissolving parts of an ancient underlying seabed-harbor bizarre ecosystems where the fish typical of the huge freshwater lake are rarely to be seen.
More Microbial Life Current Events and Microbial Life News Articles
 |
Microbial Life, Second Edition by James T. Staley; Robert P. Gunsalus; Stephen Lory; Jerome J. Perry (Author) Microbial Life captures the richness, the intellectual excitement, and present-day understanding of the role of the microbe in evolution, human health, and in our lives. It is written for sophomore to senior undergraduates who have a general understanding of chemical concepts and biochemistry. Rob Gunsalus, who has taught introductory microbiology at UCLA for 20 years, has joined the author team and is solely responsible for Parts II and III on physiology, growth, and metabolism. The Second Edition has been redesigned to help students study and learn more effectively. New pedagogical features include: redesigned chapter openers with clearly defined objectives; Section Highlights and Chapter Summaries that help students retain key information and terminology; an enhanced illustration... |
 |
Microbial Life by Jerome J. Perry (Author), James T. Staley (Author), Stephen Lory (Author) Microbial Life captures the richness, the intellectual excitement, and present-day understanding of the role of the microbe in evolution, human health, and in our lives. It is written for sophomore to senior undergraduates who have a general understanding of chemical concepts and biochemistry. The coverage includes a brief historical background, evolution of microorganisms, components of bacteria and viruses, energetics, genetics, microbial diversity together with the role of microbes and viruses in human disease, immunology, the environment, and industrial applications. Chapter summaries, review questions, and suggested readings reinforce key concepts, while boxes highlight recent or significant research, historical essays, and methods and techniques. An interactive Student CD-ROM... |
 |
Learn Microbial Diversity Now Faster and Easier with Subliminal Programming CD by Lavish-Life The Superior Microbial Diversity subliminal CD is designed to super charge your brain to learn microbial diversity faster and easier than ever imagined. It will help you learn and master microbial diversity so that you retain the material longer, understand it better, and enjoy it much more than you normally would. This session can help you pass microbial diversity exams easier and with higher scores. All you have to do is continue the same microbial diversity classes or text that youre studying now and listen to this CD to accelerate your learning ability. This CD contains 6 ten minute subliminal sessions to choose from. Each session contains the same subliminal suggestions carefully crafted by hypnotist Alex Armani, CHT. You get to choose which track(s) to listen to! Successful people... |
 |
Olive Leaf Plus 600mg - Helps Fights Mircobial Viral and Fungal Infections, 60 caps., (Life Flo Health Care Products) by Life Flo Health Care Products Olive Leaf Plus Maximum Strength Olive Leaf Extract (20% Oleuropein) Olive Leaf Plus possesses powerful anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-yeast and anti-parasitic properties. Olive Leaf Extract (Oleuropein) is a natural wide-spectrum antibiotic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal compound. Unlike synthetic antibiotics, it destroys only the bad bacteria and protects the good. Medical research suggests that when Oleuropein is taken orally, it has the ability of inactivating bad bacteria. It does this by inhibiting the ability of the bacteria to replicate. The key to Olive Leaf Extract is a bitter phytochemical compound called Oleuropein. This active compound is sensitive to heat and proper extraction processes are critical in biologically active compound.... |
 |
Microbial Phylogeny and Evolution: Concepts and Controversies by Jan Sapp (Editor) The birth of bacterial genomics since the mid-1990s brought withit several conceptual modifications and wholly new controversies. Working beyond the scope of the neo-Darwinian evolutionary synthesis, a group of leading microbial evolutionists addresses the following and related issues, often with markedly varied viewpoints: DT Did the eukaryotic nucleus, cytoskeleton and cilia also orginate from symbiosis? DT Do the current scenarios about he origin of mitochondria and plastids require revision? DT What is the extent of lateral gene transfer (between "species") among bacteria? DT Does the rDNA phylogenetic tree still stand in the age of genomics? DT Is the course of the first 3 billion years of evolution even knowable? |
 |
Extremophiles: Microbial Life in Extreme Environments by Koki Horikoshi (Editor), William D. Grant (Editor) Extremophiles are life-forms that thrive under some of the harshest conditions found on Earth. This resource provides a detailed overview of the current state of knowledge about this fascinating group of life-forms. Over the course of 11 contributed chapters, 26 experts from around the globe identify known extremophiles, explore their unique ecologies and physiologies, and discuss current and future biotechnological applications. Providing the most up-to-date coverage available of this rapidly advancing field, this book: Combines the latest research finding with informed speculation about extremophile evolution, ecology, physiology, and genetics Covers all types of extremophiles, including hyperthermophiles, psychrophiles, halophiles, acidophiles, alkaliophiles, and... |
 |
Learn Microbial Ecology Now Faster and Easier with Subliminal Programming CD by Lavish-Life The Superior Microbial Ecology subliminal CD is designed to super charge your brain to learn microbial ecology faster and easier than ever imagined. It will help you learn and master microbial ecology so that you retain the material longer, understand it better, and enjoy it much more than you normally would. This session can help you pass microbial ecology exams easier and with higher scores. All you have to do is continue the same microbial ecology classes or text that youre studying now and listen to this CD to accelerate your learning ability. This CD contains 6 ten minute subliminal sessions to choose from. Each session contains the same subliminal suggestions carefully crafted by hypnotist Alex Armani, CHT. You get to choose which track(s) to listen to! Successful people across the... |
![Primal Defense ULTRA [90 Capsules] FREE SHIPPING](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CD%2BdgMr-L._SL160_.jpg) |
Primal Defense ULTRA [90 Capsules] FREE SHIPPING by Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra is the ultimate high potency, broad-spectrum probiotic formula, providing a 15 billion live cell count of 13 species of beneficial cultures including soil-based probiotics called Homeostatic Soil Organisms.* Primal Defense Ultra supports normal intestinal comfort and function, and promotes healthy intestinal elimination regularity and consistency. It helps maintain a healthy, balanced immune system which is beneficial to overall health.* |
 |
Molecular Microbial Ecology (Advancedmethods) by A. M. Osborn (Author) Microoganisms are distributed across every ecosystem, and microbial transformations are fundamental to the operation of the biosphere. Microbial ecology is the study of this interaction between microorganisms and their environment, and arguably represents one of the most important areas of biological research. Yet for many years our study of microbial flora was severely limited: the primary method of culturing microorganisms on media allowed us to study only between 0.1 and 10% of the total microbial flora in any given environment. Molecular Microbial Ecology gives a comprehensive guide to the recent revolution in the study of microorganisms in the environment. Details are given on molecular methods for isolating some of the previously uncultured and... |
 |
Microbial Diversity: Form and Function in Prokaryotes by Oladele Ogunseitan (Author) This book offers the first comprehensive, in-depth treatment of microbial diversity for undergraduate and graduate students. Using a global approach, Microbial Diversity illustrates the impact of microorganisms on ecological and Earth system phenomena. Accompanied by a devoted website with resources for both instructors and students: www.blackwellpublishing.com/ogunseitan Uses key ecological and global phenomena to show the continuity of microbial contribution. Illustrates the importance of microbial diversity for the understanding of global physiochemical and biological processes. Presents analyses of microscopic, culture, molecular, and phylogenetic systematic methods. Shows the relevance of microbial diversity to global environmental problems, such as climate... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |