BIO 304 Microbiology Read the newspaper lately Microorganisms

BIO 304 Microbiology Read the newspaper lately? Microorganisms affect our daily lives in many ways…. Canada geese can be winged couriers of so-called superbugs Horses to be vaccinated for EEE and WNV Staph infections latest threat to athlete’s health Human gut microbes associated with obesity Clean water and food: what is acceptable risk? Bad teeth correlated with heart disease and others Environmental change and infectious disease

…they affect us so much that… At the turn of the new millenium, Time magazine declared… Dr. Albert Einstein • The 20 th Century was the Age of Physics and… • The 21 st Century will be the Age of Biotechnology Dr. Kary Mullis

The objects of study…

Yet, it’s mainly bacteria, viruses, and fungi that we study in Microbiology…. • Microorganisms (microbes) are able to grow, generate energy, and reproduce in a single cell. • Specifically, they have the ability to: – metabolize most food (organic/carbon) sources – withstand the range of Earthly… • • temperatures atmospheric pressures osmotic pressures p. H ranges • Most plant and animals exist as multi-cellular organisms.

This course is mainly about bacteria.

The study of microbiology is a bit different! • Microbiology = the study of microscopic life ~versus~ • Botany the study of plants • Zoology the study of animals • Procedures & practices are quite different look for biochemical and genetic differences – Therefore microbiology has developed independently of zoology & botany. Bacteria and viruses are referred to by STRAIN

Where can we find MO’s and in what forms? • Microbes and the Biosphere - Air ~ 100, 000 feet (19 miles) - Soil ~ 1, 700 feet - Water ~ 34, 000 feet (6. 5 miles) Photo from ASM

Microbial ubiquity… • Microorganisms (MO’s) exist everywhere! – In soil, water, and air – In/on your skin, hair, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract – Outnumber our cells by more than 10: 1 in/on our body! • Yet, we’re barely aware that they exist. We become aware when we become sick or notice spoiled or damaged goods. • less than 0. 01% of bacteria cause disease. Most are beneficial to man and other life forms.

However, negative affects on mankind… • Historic: – Bubonic Plague- wiped out ~25% of Europe in 4 years (1347 -1351)…. prelude to Renaissance? ? ? – Syphilis – not recorded in Europe until after Columbus and crew returned from New World – Irish Potato Blight- >1 million starved causing mass migration to US/other countries (1870’s) – Civil War and WW 1 -more soldiers died from disease and infection than from gunshot wounds – Malaria, Dengue fever, and other human parasites significant impact on central region of Africa

Affects to mankind cont’d…. • Modern day: Emergent and re-emergent diseases: – – – – – 1974: Discovery of Lyme Disease agent 1976: Discovery of Legionnaires’ Disease agent 1978: Toxic Shock Syndrome caused by bacterial toxins 1983: Discovery of HIV infecting human T cells 1985: Multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis 1993: Hanta/Ebola hemorrhagic virus 1999: West Nile virus 2002: MRSA and VRSA seen in hospitals in Canada 2003: SARS virus ? ? : H 5: N 1 Influenza virus (Bird-flu virus) In every case, new problems have created new areas of study – with the creation of new technologies. In fact, over 50% of all Rx antibiotics come from soil bacteria.

Still, the overwhelming majority of microbes are beneficial to mankind! Microorganisms aid in: • Environmental recycling • Mining • Agriculture • Human health • Biotechnology • Food/beverage industry

Microbes and Agriculture… • • • Certain soil bacteria live symbiotically in the roots of legumes (N 2 -fixing bacteria) -convert inert N 2 gas into amines Mycorrhizal fungi -provide increased N, P, K, and antibiotics! Ruminant bacteria of cattle, sheep benefit these animals in metabolizing cellulose

Microbes and the Food Industry • Foods made directly with aid of microbes Cheeses (bleu, camembert, Roquefort, brie), yogurt, breads, vinegars, soy sauce, sweeteners • Most all foods are indirectly aided by microbial activity (vegetables and meat commodities) • Fermented beverages - $60 Billion/year (US) • Bacteria provide high quality protein… SCP! in the future? ? ?

Energy related industries involving microbes • Natural gas (methane) is a product of bacterial action – Will be discussed in Archaebacteria section • Methanogens • Crude oil is a product of prehistoric microbial photosynthesis. Also, crude oil can be degraded by bacteria – Drilling – Recovery – Storage *All of these require methods which minimize microbial contamination.

Mineral and energy related industries involving microbes • • This is a $200 Billion industry per year. Refuse piles These may be converted to Landfills “biofuels” Surplus grain • Now, metal recovery from low-grade ores – Fe and Cu – Reduced ions as a result of microbial metabolism

Recombinant MO’s can mass produce substances related to human health • Insulin- hormone which lowers blood sugar; used by diabetics • Interferon- class of cytokines effective vs viral infections • Factor VIII- blood protein necessary for clotting; missing in hemophiliacs • Streptokinin - bacterial enzyme to dissolve blood clots in coronary arteries • Beta endorphins- pain suppressors

Microbes and Biotechnology “Bacteria invented the biotech industry…” • Taq polymerase used for PCR amplification of DNA (from Thermus aquaticus) • Genes can be excised from DNA, using microbial enzymes as precise tools – restriction enzymes • Bacterial plasmids can be used to inject genes or altered DNA into host cells - transformation • Bacteria can be genetically modified to mass produce a wide assortment of products • Microbes are the “hammers and nails” of biotechnology!!

Microbes are critically important!!! “The role of the infinitely small is infinitely large. ” -Louis Pasteur (1869)