An exploration into a pharmacist’s microbes

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Title:

An exploration into a pharmacist’s microbes

 

Description:

As an area of intrest, I isolated a bacteria from the contents of my father’s pocket, a practicing pharmacist as from the options available around me it presented itself as the most microbially interesting area available, both from having possible unusual outliers and from being socially relevant. This paper details my efforts in this endeavour and what I found (Spoiler: as can be seen in the picture for this post, I found a nice example of Staphylococcus epidermidis).

 

Google Drive Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PtbwWfIOt7I5WrKXzG5DTiWuih7B7LGw/view?usp=sharing

 

A2: Microbes in the News – Scientists Discover Nearly 200,000 Kinds of Ocean Viruses

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Article:

https://www.quantamagazine.org/scientists-discover-nearly-200000-kinds-of-ocean-viruses-20190425/

Summary:

Researchers have assembled data from a global sampling expedition using genomic analysis and have increased the number of known oceanic viruses twelvefold.

Connections:

This is a story of people using the tools which we have been using to study the viruses we have been studying and improve the body of knowledge we have in this field.

Critical Analysis:

While microbiology has been studied in some manner since the early days of science the changes in the accuracy or our tools and the price of using them can dramatically change what we are able to accomplish. This article is just one example of how much more there is to learn in this field.

Question:

With a single study able to make such a large impact on the amount known, the question becomes how much more is there to know? I would not be at all surprised to see another twelvefold increase with the next study and another after that. If there is one thing that I have learned from this class it is that the microscopic world holds a multitude of secrets yet to be discovered.

Civilization is Born – Matt Andrews

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Title:

“Civilization is Born” by Matt Andrews

Artists Statement:

A virus is in some respects a pure expression of information made manifest. It is like a book, it exists and anything that happens because of what it contains is dependent on the life which reads it.

The only difference between humanity now and humanity a hundred thousand years ago is the information, be it science, culture, or other knowledge which we have accumulated and spread among ourselves.

In this piece I have drawn inspiration from viruses, to that end I havbe created a scene in a 3D program where I modeled the delivery protein structure of a virus bacteriophage including the icosohedral head, tail, base plate, and tail fibers, all of which I have scaled up to a size closer to that of a human, the DNA has been replaced with a book.

 

Some larger renders of this scene:

Civilization is Born

Painting With Microbes: Matt Andrews F03 – Exponential Sunrise

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Title: Exponential Sunrise

The intention here was to portray a sunrise over water, with the backdrop of the UAF. We live in an exponential world, whether it is as everyday as the light which lets us see, the sounds we hear, the technology which surrounds us, or even the dirt under our fingernails. The world is built on exponential growth and the education we are developing here at the UAF helps us to understand some small part of it.

I had created this scene on sever plates with Micrococcus luteus (for the golden sun and reflection) and Serratia marcescens (for the red water), I was hoping for a bit more color from the Serratia  but I am still happy with the overall effect.

A2: Microbes in the news — Yeast produce low-cost, high-quality cannabinoids

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Article:

Yeast produce low-cost, high-quality cannabinoids

Summary:

Synthetic biologists at UC Berkeley have engineered brewer’s yeast to produce some of the main components in marijuana including THC and CBD among others.

Connections:

The developing field of synthetic biology is based on taking the tools that we are using in class, such as whole-genome sequencing, and our knowledge of how microbiology works to modify and create solutions to modern problems.

Critical Analysis:

Synthetic biology is an amazing and quickly developing field with the potential to take   a future we have only seen in science fiction and turn it into reality. This is an incredible technical achievement showcasing our developing mastery over the fundamental building blocks of life. I knew something like this was coming, I can see the economic incentives for this, I am sure the people behind this will end up fabulously wealthy, but I still can not stop myself from facepalming. Of all the amazing and wondrous potential synthetic biology holds… this had to be the top of my news feed today.

Question:

I cannot begin to imagine the legal ramifications, how the hell do you regulate something like this?

A2: Microbes in the news – Study: Gene Drive Wipes Out Lab Mosquitoes

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Article:

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/study–gene-drive-wipes-out-lab-mosquitoes-64849

Summary:

A gene editing technique called a Gene Drive which is based on the well known CRISPR technique has been shown to be able to completely eliminate a mosquito population in the lab.

Connections:

We have been learning about the various techniques used through history to prevent diseases, from antibiotics to vaccines, this represents another potential tool capable of having a similar impact.

Critical Analysis:

The prevention of deadly diseases has been and continues to be one of the greatest goals of the study of microbiology and malaria is currently one of the most deadly infections still at large in the world with  219 million cases of malaria in 2017, up from 217 million cases in 2016 despite incredible continued efforts to prevent its’ spread. A commonly targeted element of the disease is the delivery method, mosquitoes. However while previous efforts have failed to slow the spread, this technique has demonstrated the potential to not just slow them but to precisely and completely eliminate an entire species.

Question:

What other populations can this be applied to? For instance, would it be appropriate to eliminate the populations of rats devastating island bird populations?

A3: Epithet Epitaphs – Olsenella

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Ingar Olsen is a Norwegian microbiologist and  Professor at the Institute of Oral Biology in Norway. Together with his own Olsen group and the  Forsyth Institute he has been involved in the detection of  more than 700 major bacterial species in the human mouth and has been linking various strains with oral diseases, oral health, enamel degradation, root carries and diversity between human populations. His work is an important part of the continuing effort to understand the human microbiome.

Olsen was involved in the discovery of   Olsenella and it was was named after him in 2001. It is  a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, obligate anaerobic and non-motile bacterial genus from the family of Coriobacteriaceae that are shaped like elliptical rods.

 

  1. “Ingar Olsen: Department of Oral Biology’. University of Oslo. 28 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://www.odont.uio.no/iob/english/people/aca/ingaro/index.html
  2. “Genus Olsenella”. LPSN Bacterio.net. 28 January 2019.
    Retrieved from: https://www.bacterio.net/olsenella.html

A1 Intro Post: Matt Andrews

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Hey Everyone!
My name is Matt, I was born in fairbanks and live just out past Ester, I was previously a CS major but have swapped over to biology because of an interest in genetics. I take classes part time and have a home business, “Frugal Framing”, which does mating and framing for local artists and businesses. I also enjoy graphic design and am reasonably comfortable doing 2D, 3D and 3D printing.