Rare new microbes

Rachael Pine

Rare New Microbe Found in Two Spacecraft Clean Rooms

           You would think that cleanrooms are clear of all viruses, bugs, and microbes etc. however you would be wrong, NASA has found a new species of microbes (Tersicoccus phoenicis) in these rooms that survive on very little nutrients. It has been found in two places on earth Florida at the Kennedy Space Center and South America at the European Space Agency facility in Kourou, French Guiana. These new bugs are berry shaped, Vaishampayan wasn’t surprised to find these new bugs he says, “We find a lot of bugs in clean rooms because we are looking so hard to find them there. The same bug might be in the soil outside the clean room but we wouldn't necessarily identify it there because it would be hidden by the overwhelming numbers of other bugs.” So it’s not a surprise or a new developed bug; this new virus has probably been around for years but we have never seen it, because of the other microbes surrounding it. 

            Its amazing to think that these microbes are being able to live in these cleanrooms with very little to live one. They clean these rooms in this way; drying, chemical cleaning, ultraviolet treatments, heating and peroxide treatments. For they to live in these spaces with very little nutrients is amazing and shows me that life will always find a way and live off of what it can find. It would be interesting to see if these microbes are deadly towards our astronauts, and if it would grow and become more prosperous or if space will cause the microbes to die.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131106162631.htm

Microbial Ecology Assignment 1 1/24/2014

Rachael Pine

 Predatory organisms at ocean depths

 

The author in my article clearly states that there are two hundred and twenty-five times more viruses than microbes in old nutrient poor marine sediments. Therefore they take up the largest fraction of living biomasses and have taken over as predators in this ecosystem. There was a time when scientists thought that the biomasses of microbes were equal to that of all the marine life above it; however, they over looked viruses. It seems that the viruses have taken over the microbial population and have become the main predators as well as controlling the size and composition of microbes.

            The author seems to be able to explain how this is possible, but it would be easier if there were graphs or charts explaining how the viruses take over the microbes. Another thing that would help is to show the experiment(s) on how this ideal was brought to the surface of the scientific world. I didn’t think that viruses could live in the marine sediments, or in such extreme habitats. I know that extreme heat can kill some viruses, and extreme cold will freeze them, causing them to not be able to attack. This article has shown me that viruses can live in extreme habitats or situations on the planet, and that they can become predators.

            One of the first questions that came to my mind is why do we need to know if there are viruses in old nutrient poor marine sediment? Is knowing this information going to help us in the future to understand how viruses can control microbes along with how they can survive crazy, extreme habitats. Are these viruses going to affect marine life and cause them to become sick and spread like wild fire? If that happens will these viruses affect us humans who do eat the marine life? Will it cause a hole in the food chain causing a collapse in the world?   

  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140121130803.htm

week 1 post

I choose this course because I needed science credits, as well as an English 102 credit. I figured that these classes that are combined will help me pass, because I prefer science over English. So this may help me pass and get my G.P.A. up and be able to get into my program.

 This is an image of Bacteroides. http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/09/01/bacteroides-36759a40d34842ceedd274912ab79f119aaf3a3b-s6-c30.jpg