Brief BioI was born and raised in Kalamazoo MI. I earned my bachelors of science in biology from Western Michigan University. I met and fell in love with a big goof of a man named Cliff. I have a fat lazy cat named Kerby and a dog named Bear. |
From Physorg, several species of cyanobacteria create rope-like structures that “allows them to colonize physically unstable sedimentary environments, and to act as successful pioneers in the biostabilization process.”(From the abstract) These ropes wrap around grains of sand to prevent the sand grains from shifting.
From the Universe today, So how would a scientist know if a newly discovered planet has life? Two scientists will create an equation that will answer the question. Figuring in variables such as the presence of water, habitability, radiation, etc. the equation will determine the likelihood of life arising.
From Science daily, a new strain of Geobactor, the darling of electricity producers, has been discovered. Using selective pressure, a team from University of Massachusetts Amherst has evolved a strain that forms a thinner biofilm.
From the New York Times, a cool finding about a microlayer of microbes at the oceans’ surface. These microbes form an oily biofilm which maybe involved with gas exchange in the ocean.
From Universe today, a look at banded iron formations, show the decrease of nickel in seawater over time. It is speculated that methanogens, which are known to need nickle, became less abundant and lead to the rise of oxygen producers and more complex life.
From Science Daily, in my backyard sinkhole in Lake Huron they have found cyanobacteria that uses sulfur in photosynthesis. Like the lakes of Antarctica the sinkhole house unique organisms that NASA has been looking at for clue to life on Mars. Which also could produce novel compounds useful in biotechnology, medicine, etc.
From Science Daily, the view that allopatric speciation is the major force for speciation in the oceans is turned upside down. In an esoteric examination of fossilized foraminifera researchers found that barriers were not a factor in the plankton’s spread and diversification. But rather climate and nutrients were indicators of its colonizing an area.
From Eureka Alert, A bacterial phage has been found in Iceland that can be used as a viral nanoparticle. Because of the way viruses work, they are ideal for self-assembly of materials.
Quote: “Future applications may be found in liquid crystal assembly, nanoscale templating, nanoelectronic and biomedical applications.” said Dr Dave Evans of the John Innes Centre.
A recent study of Vetiver grass, used in perfume and cosmetics has an associated bacteria that helps create different properties in the essential oil the grass produces. The grass produces base oil that various types of bacteria metabolize the create the different smells and tastes in the oil.
From Physorg.com, an experiment done in Israel looked at how bacteria adapted to temperature differences. The bacteria under higher temperature increased the amount of heat-tolerant fatty acids in the cell membrane
On a personal note I was let go from DLD.
