Physiological Effects of Reduced Gravity on BacteriaMarch 10, 2005An article in Journal of Applied Microbiology investigates how bacteria respond when they are subjected to environmental alterations, such as those of space stations, which feature lowered effects of gravity. "Intra-specific differences in bacterial responses to modeled reduced gravity" by Paul W. Baker and Laura G. Leff describes differences in bacterial responses to reduced gravity and how for some species, bacteria from the International Space Station (ISS), potentially are adapted to the unique environmental conditions of that system. As bacteria are important residents in water systems, including those of space stations, examination of responses to conditions like microgravity may offer significant insight into the factors that influence bacterial distribution. In this study, water system bacterial isolates from the ISS were compared to other isolates from corresponding type strains of the same species. Reduced gravity was modeled using clinorotation. The findings suggest that conditions on the ISS might have favoured bacteria that were able to thrive under the unusual environmental conditions of this habitat. Responses to reduced gravity, coupled with impacts of other features (such as radiation resistance and the ability to persist under very low nutrient conditions), may contribute to the success of these water system bacteria. Dr. Paul W. Baker is currently employed at BCR Diagnostics in Middletown RI after completing a post-doctoral position at Kent State. Dr. Laura G. Leff is an Associate Professor at Kent State University, Kent, OH, in the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Leff is available for answering questions and interviews and can be contacted by email at: lleff@kent.edu Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Bacteria Current Events and Bacteria News Articles Biologists discover bacterial defense mechanism against aggressive oxygen Bacteria possess an ingenious mechanism for preventing oxygen from harming the building blocks of the cell. Saving the single cysteine: new antioxidant system found We've all read studies about the health benefits of having a life partner. The same thing is true at the molecular level, where amino acids known as cysteines are much more vulnerable to damage when single than when paired up with other cysteines. Beyond sunlight: Explorers census 17,650 ocean species between edge of darkness and black abyss Census of Marine Life scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that have never known sunlight - creatures that somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to 5,000 meters (~3 miles) below the ocean waves. Surface bacteria maintain skin's healthy balance On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury. On the Trail of a Vaccine for Lyme Disease: Yale Researchers Target Tick Saliva A protein found in the saliva of ticks helps protect mice from developing Lyme disease, Yale researchers have discovered. The findings, published in the November 19 issue of Cell Host & Microbe, may spur development of a new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease, which is spread through tick bites. Cigarettes Harbor Many Bacteria Harmful to Human Health Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France. ORNL, Los Alamos pioneer new approach to assist scientists, farmers Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories. UAB Researchers Discover Antibody Receptor Identity, Propose Renaming Immune-System Gene Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders. Scientists find molecular trigger that helps prevent aging and disease Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to address a question that has been challenging scientists for years: How do dietary restriction-and the reverse, overconsumption-produce protective effects against aging and disease? Texas A&M Researchers Examine How Viruses Destroy Bacteria Viruses are well known for attacking humans and animals, but some viruses instead attack bacteria. Texas A&M University researchers are exploring how hungry viruses, armed with transformer-like weapons, attack bacteria, which may aid in the treatment of bacterial infections. More Bacteria Current Events and Bacteria News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||