Bacteria Can Have 2 Types Of Biofilm

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A group put out an interesting report recently that many types of bacteria can individually produce two different types of biofilm. I read this in several places but will put a link in this post. Basically they found that bacteria that do this produce a main biofilm, their predominant one, that is very resistant to outside things but that a smaller subset of the cells of the colony will produce a biofilm that is outwardly similar to the predominant biofilm but is not as resistant to things, has a completely different signalling pathway going and is involved in reproduction.

I'll try to place the link here.

I have no idea whether the autotrophs that play a big role in our filters fall in to this category (probably no one knows, given that the above is new research) but I find it always interesting and enlightening to learn aspects of biology that help us understand the complexities of what we are dealing with in nature and in our tanks. As usual, the researchers attention is mostly on human medical issues but assuming this work continues to hold up with further research it has profound implications for people who deal with bacteria and biofilms. Researchers must now ask themselves whether a particular species does this and if they are studying biofilms, which one they are dealing with. Observations about biofilms by scientists may gain a new twist if they are to be understood correctly.

Anyway, thought a few of you might enjoy thinking about this.

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[TwoTankAmin]

That information concerns pathogens- ie " any disease-producing agent, esp. a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism". It deals with the pathogen's defences against drugs or immune systems.

complex communities of microbial pathogens called biofilms that are resistant to the human immune system and antibiotics

Why do you think this applies to the bacteria which cycle our tanks (which I do not think are considered to be pathogens)? How many anti-biotics used to treat the fish in our tanks warn they may harm the good bacteria? Their bio-film doesn't seem to protect them from drugs.

 

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Nearly all research like this refers to pathogenic behavior and humans not only because that is what's being looked in to but also because that's where the money is and the reason grants and contracts may be issued. From the point of view of bacteria and evolution there is not a big division directing the life forms down the pathogenic highway versus the non-pathogenic highway. The thing I always find interesting is when some fundamental concept is glimpsed. In this particular case we see something that scientists working with -any- type of bacteria might not have been even thinking about, let alone devising tests for.

The vast majority of the world on this scale is yet unstudied. Sure, there are inroads when it pertains to human disease or sometimes agriculture but lacking this kind of motivation, the funding drops off sharply and so does the amount of research. With our aquarium bacteria we have a little luck that the wastewater treatment world has some parallel interest, providing some overlapping scientific literature at times. On the whole however, in our area, I think the questions greatly outnumber the answers.

WD

 

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Another interesting bit of science out of Germany that touches on the nitrogen cycle (on the soil side of things though.)

http/www.mpg.de/4400262/nitrogen_cleans_air?filter_order=L

[I think the english version should come up with the above link]

(just in case your morning coffee needs more reading, lol)
WD

 

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...And yet another one that touches on the broader nitrogen cycle:

http/www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=9985

for your morning coffee read,
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...This morning's coffee read comes from researcher Ronald Oldfield up at Case Western Reserve:

http/www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/cwru-afa092111.php

Enjoy.

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(lol, yes I'm now completely off-topic from the thread title but nobody reads these anyway)

 

[Bignose]

(lol, yes I'm now completely off-topic from the thread title but nobody reads these anyway)

I read 'em!

 

[ian]

so do i!

 

[StandbySetting]

And me.

 

[waterdrop]

Thanks guys!

And for today's coffee (or cloudy tea for those east of the pond, sheesh)

http/www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/101028.htm

...not news I suppose but always interesting to see various confirmations and strengthenings ..or connections between hobby and commercial world I guess

WD

 

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good morning guys...

http/scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=1198

WD

 

[ian]

I <3 WD!

 

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Good morning guys, on my last cup of coffee here and will then be forced to head to the office but here's one for ya...

"Humans are just modified fish!"

http/www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001168

(not sure if you'll have to piece that url back together...)

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Tail flip time!

http/onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jez.711/abstract

In discussions of aquatic fish being involved in a land invasion during evolution, this was one of the base articles from something I stumbled across...

 

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back to bacteria this morning...

http/www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6054/366

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