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 athletes 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 20th Century was the Age of Physics

and
The 21st Century will be
the Age of Biotechnology

Dr. Kary Mullis

The objects of study

A

m ic r o b io lo g is t m a y s t u d y a n y o n e o f t h e s e g r o u p s

K in g d o m P r o k a r y o ta
* e u b a c te ria
* c y a n o b a c te ria
* a rc h a e b a c te ria

K in g d o m P r o to c tis ta
* p ro to z o a
* a lg a e
* s lim e /w a te r m o ld s

K in g d o m F u n g i
* b re a d m o ld s
* y e a s ts a n d s a c fu n g i
* m u sh ro o m s

K in g d o m A n im a lia
* In v e rte b ra te s
* V e rte b ra te s

K in g d o m P la n ta e
* s p o re -b e a rin g p la n ts
* s e e d b e a rin g p la n ts

Yet, its 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
pH 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~
BotanyBotany the study of plants
ZoologyZoology 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 MOs

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 (MOs) 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, were 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 (1870s)
Civil War and WW1-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 contd.

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
????: H5:N1 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 (N2-fixing bacteria)

-convert inert N2 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 MOs 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)