A Conversation for The Campaign to Promote Respect for Microbes: An Awareness Program
Microbes deserve recognition!
Mooing Platypus (formerly known as Gaia) Posted Aug 18, 2003
man! There hasn't been anthing going on for a LONG time!!!!
and I have nothing to start the conversation back up...........
Microbes deserve recognition!
Santragenius V Posted Aug 18, 2003
Hmmm - what about the recent story of the archae bacteria, Strain 121?
Living at 121°C?? Well, some like it hot!
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3144397.stm)
Microbes deserve recognition!
Farlander Posted Aug 20, 2003
well, at least they're generally nice guys (hey, they're our most precious source of molecular work enzymes!!!). did you know that high temperatures and most sterilizing chemicals like glutaraldehyde *can't* destroy prions?
Microbes deserve recognition!
Santragenius V Posted Aug 20, 2003
Yeah - they're tough little proteins.
Apparently there's a sterilization protocol out there (used in some labs which tests for BSE) which specifies autoclaving at 136°C for 5 hours... I haven't dug into it enough to have a clue as to whether it's sufficient..
Microbes deserve recognition!
Farlander Posted Aug 20, 2003
yeah, i read something similar somewhere else.
the scary part is that back when i was doing heat-shock protein work (salmonella typhi hsps), i once got hold of this excellent reference book on chaperonins. i was using that to solve the identity mystery regarding a couple of proteins when i found *prions* listed in the same table. under the heading 'housekeeping molecules'. it was at about the same time that i found a paper in one (then) recent molecular bio journals about prions being rogue housekeeping proteins, and how a certain mutation turned them bad... deedeedeedeedeedeedeedee....
let's see if i can dig up the paper... i'm pretty sure i still have it... you interested?
Microbes deserve recognition!
SEF Posted Aug 20, 2003
The best thing to do might be to work out a specific enzyme for snipping prions. Then engineer that into a benign bacteria and breed it.
Microbes deserve recognition!
Farlander Posted Aug 20, 2003
that might work... except that you'd probably be snipping the good ones as well!!! unless you were to design an enzyme that specifically identifies and snips at the mutation site... but if it were a *minor* mutation, then you might still accidentally get other things as well.
those damned rogue prions! they've thought of everything! they're in league with the frogs!
Microbes deserve recognition!
SEF Posted Aug 20, 2003
Are these the jurassic park frogs or some other ones?
Microbes deserve recognition!
Farlander Posted Aug 22, 2003
all of them! all of them, i tell you! i thought that my *epiphany* was a sign of mental disease until i discovered that tom holt had been enlightened as well.
my dogs are apparently aware of the frogs' ploy to take over the world as well. i caught sebastian interrogating one once...honest!
Microbes deserve recognition!
Farlander Posted Aug 26, 2003
well, when they're budding they look like 8 or oO such cute critters, sacrificing their lives so that we may have bread and alcohol...
i propose a toast to 'em
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Microbes deserve recognition!
- 141: Farlander (Jul 14, 2003)
- 142: SEF (Jul 14, 2003)
- 143: Farlander (Jul 14, 2003)
- 144: Mooing Platypus (formerly known as Gaia) (Aug 18, 2003)
- 145: Santragenius V (Aug 18, 2003)
- 146: Farlander (Aug 20, 2003)
- 147: Santragenius V (Aug 20, 2003)
- 148: Farlander (Aug 20, 2003)
- 149: SEF (Aug 20, 2003)
- 150: Farlander (Aug 20, 2003)
- 151: SEF (Aug 20, 2003)
- 152: Farlander (Aug 22, 2003)
- 153: SEF (Aug 22, 2003)
- 154: Farlander (Aug 22, 2003)
- 155: SEF (Aug 22, 2003)
- 156: Farlander (Aug 25, 2003)
- 157: SEF (Aug 25, 2003)
- 158: Farlander (Aug 25, 2003)
- 159: Terry Teadreg (Aug 25, 2003)
- 160: Farlander (Aug 26, 2003)
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