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Garth Hogan - Comments

This has shown again the tremendous potential of microbes, especially the bacteria as bioremediation agent. It has saved millions of Dollars that would have been used to purchase chemicals dispersants and other depollution agents.
Here's another take on this same story.
Bacteria replicate at an astonishing rate and at each replication there is surely a chance of polymorphisms and mutations in the "progeny" just from DNA typing errors. Their success relates to their abilty to adapt and change, so perhaps it is not too surprising that good guys can change to bad, (or vice versa).
Thanks for the kind words Suzanne! Editing comments is a good idea. We have a host of new features rolling out soon, unfortunately that's not one of them :( We'll keep it in mind for future updates. BTW, we have vastly improved tags if you haven't noticed.
It would be nice if we could edit comments..... Linkedin gives you 15 minutes or 20 minutes to make edits to your post on their groups pages. I meant to say: Where else can you get the most up-to-date collection of microbiology news all in one place? That's why I love this site.
Where else can you get the most collect collection of up-to-date microbiology news? I love this site- really well done with great content. Every microbiologist needs to bookmark it. Suzanne
Dear Prof. Cameasano and Team Sorry for rating the article as 1 It should be 5 Iam on cramberry for the last six months after having post prostat operation`s UTI. The bacteria ubfortunatly is pseudomonas. But I (feel) good control on the infection or at least much less recurrency. Being Prof/consultant in bacteriology we did some work on the (pilliation) of E.coli in relation to pH of the growth media. Do you think that cranberry juice might affect (also) pilli of other bacteria?
Just sayin'
Isn't this how the world almost ended in the Will Smith version of I Am Legend?
This article blew my mind!
Sounds very promising! But, injecting bacteria and inhaling them are two totally different things. I am sure the injected dose is logs higher than what would be inhaled, especially after a 5 minute walk. Also, the mice should generate a strong immune response to injected bacteria. What effect does that have, I wonder? Probably a big one.
This mystery HIV-like virus in China is certainly not all in the mind. It is also spreading to other countries. For more info, see here: new mystery HIV-like virus China
This sounds like a case where marketing and R&D were not on the same page. Wait...does North Face have an R&D?
Wow- first mouthwash and now baby wipes. Canada's been having a tough time lately. Those are two things that you wouldn't expect to need to test for microbial contamination.
Pseudomonas can live in pretty much anything, It's a little disconcerting that the manufacturer made contaminated mouthwash for three years before it was discovered.
Indeed, this is a good and unique discovery.It has the potential of solving problems associated with water-borne diseases.It may also be useful in bioremediation of polluted water.
Speaking of bush meat. Virologist Nathan Wolfe talks quite a bit about this subject at a recently live-streamed event MicrobeWorld filmed at Busboys & Poets in DC last month. Click here to watch the video.
Really interesting article, because it is very difficult to isolate DNA from microbes in clay soils. Maybe it's because some of them are dead. Probably not the spore-formers though.
The salt deposit building design image is amazing looking.
Who knew there was a black market for cheese?
A little infusion of salmonella, ensuing nausea, diarrhea and dehydration, problem solved!
Did you read the comments left below the LA Times article?
I wonder if this type of report is worded appropriately for the public. They already see scientists as "playing god". Creating three "terrifyingly virulent and powerful new strains" of flu will be difficult to communicate without causing alarm. It would be nice to see a sentence or two on how they were immediately destroyed or maybe how they were mutated so they cannot replicate. You get my meaning. In light of how scientific information on vaccines and autism has been mishandled with the public, I hope we are learning to be sensitive to how information is presented to non-scientists.
I take slight issue with the statement that bacteria love o2. These bacteria are aerobes and therefore use oxygen in energy production, but oxygen is inherently toxic and there are so many obligate anaerobes that can't detoxify oxygen and can't grow in the presence of oxygen.
"This study did not duplicate the rigorous scientific techniques used by WPI, the National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic, therefore it cannot be considered a replication study nor can the results claim to be anything other than a failure not just to detect XMRV, but also a failure to suggest meaningful results." http://www.wpinstitute.org/news/docs/WPI_Erlwein_010610.pdf
Very cool. Including Stanley Falkow there are three people in this first part who have also appeared on the Meet The Scientist podcast. Hear more about Jo Handelsman's work on episode 23 and Abigail Salyers on episode 33. Listen to episode 9 to hear and in-depth interview with Stanley Falkow. You can find all of these interviews and more on the Meet the Scientist homepage.
Wow I could have gone without knowing this. It's a bit puzzling because I'm assuming the way the coliform bacteria gets on the fountain is via hand transmission yet I don't see a reason why the part of the fountain that delivers the soda would ever be touched. I hope they start making the cleaning of fountain soda machines (at least a wipe down) a regular thing at fast food restaurants, 7 Elevens, etc. Ignorance can be such bliss. I don't imagine enjoying a soda fountain in quite the same way again.
Thanks Jonathan. I appreciate it when scientists publicly comment on news stories like this to help frame the information accurately and within context of the data. Try this link as the one above is broken to read Jonathan's blog post about it.
See http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com/2010/01/plosone-paper-keywords-revealing-penis.html for a discussion of why the connection between this study and HIV is weak and see how the lead scientist of the study is working to get the press release changed to be more accurate
This Week in Virology #59 featured a discussion of the Argentine story with the authors, Gustavo Palacios and Mady Hornig. Check it out at http://www.twiv.tv/2009/11/22/twiv-59-dog-bites-virus/
Sorry this is off centered but that's the way the slide is.
Oh cool! I didn't know E. coli would grow that well on XLD, that stuff is nasty.
If anyone has seen the videos, please post them. I'd love to see this!
This is great! I love that they are considering a beneficial organism as there is so much focus on the "bad" bacteria that most people do not realize how important and beneficial bacteria are. I have encountered many people who do not even know that there are "good" bacteria and are shocked when I tell them that most bacteria are beneficial and essential to life both from a global perspective as well as for individual human beings.
What a wonderful idea. Unfortunately this article doesn't mention the proposed bacterium by name which is why I a. Giving this 3 stars. The cheese making microbe under consideration is Lactococcus lactis What would you propose would be your State's microbe?
A better article on this issue can be found at http://www.virology.ws/2009/11/24/the-d225g-change-in-2009-h1n1-influenza-virus-is-not-a-concern/. No one seems to be mentioning the fact that D225G also severely impairs transmission of H1N1 viruses in ferrets.
There it is. Nice and lancet shaped :)
LOL, the first sentence is the best!
This is definitely a fresh take on how to ensure food safety. Hopefully all of their tests and research pan out.
Echoing Jere Sanborn's comment (left on the articles originating page via link), you left out what matters most to me here, what can I do!? Changing to baths is not the solution so what can I do to protect myself better? A once a month bleach soak? Or this is coming via the water shooting into my face and therefore it will always really be present. If it is accumulating in the shower head then certainly a bleach soak would help a lot? That said, I agree that we, as humans, have good natural defenses and if I worried about all of these type articles I'd go insane. I guess this one connects with me because I recently wondered about this on my own and actually performed a bleach soak of my shower head. It looks like I'll just be working that same procedure into my normal bathroom cleaning regime.
Wow thats cool and nasty at the same time. but if there were more bacteria living in us then our own cells, then how much weight to the human body do they contribute I wonder?
This is a good article that outlines the difficulty of ensuring the food safety of ground beef.
most of these photos are circa 1985
Not only is there significant difference between strains but also in the host organisms (be they human or animal) that can also make it difficult to prove if a potentially probiotic organism is in fact health benefiting. Between the science being very behind in this area and the fear of bacteria/microbes/germs in the general public it can be very difficult working in this area as I do. Just try to explain to your mother that you are trying to incorporate bacteria originally isolated from fecal material into food for human consumption...
The process, which gradually overwhelms the second cell’s ability to defend itself from infection, is featured in this week’s edition of the science journal Nature Cell Biology.
Prostate cancer is expected to strike nearly 200,000 U.S. males this year, making it the second most common form of cancer, outside of skin cancers, among men.
He envisions a much larger expansion of the discipline, engineering cells to manufacture substances like biofuels.
This was because the pandemic virus spread faster than would be expected if there were widespread immunity to it, and because antibodies to the seasonal vaccine do not cross-react with it.
I SEARCH THIS WEBSITE IN MY BOOK.I CANT'T BELIEVE THERE IS A VACCIN FOR HIV....BUT,WHEN THIS WEBSITE HAS TOLD ME,I BELIEVE IT.
If your interested in learning why Public Health Officials are worried about Swine Flu I encourage you to explore flu simulation game that was s created by the head of Virology, Professor Ab Osterhaus and his colleagues at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands as part of an awareness campaign for H1N1. This game has it all. Microbiology, public policy and even goes so far as to explore the consequences of "throwing some money at the system". Enjoy, its addicting and what's more its accurate.
I liked this.
Unfortunately, the 'Palagi' handshake is also recognized in this culture and I've commonly seen it used as a greeting formality with outsiders.
This is a great idea! Never too early to teach kids these important concepts. I believe we should teach them about good bacteria as well. Perhaps if we educate the next generation we can avoid some of the hysteria and myths that crop up every time there is a public health risk.
This would definitely be welcome news. Any H1N1 flu experts care to explain why you would need two shots anyway? What's the challenge?
I downloaded this app for my iPhone to check it out. I have to say the web experience at HealthMap.org is much better. However, there is a message in the app's info section that they are struggling to meet higher than expected demand which has been resulting in slower performance. The information about outbreaks is sourced from a variety of trusted news outlets and international reporting groups. The fact that individuals can submit outbreaks is interesting as well, I am sure there is a vetting process for accuracy but there doesn't seem to be any related language in the submission disclaimer, other than HealthMap doesn't take responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in any submission - which is standard for end user submission sites/services. The best feature, in my opinion, is the apps push notifications by disease type and your geo-location. I signed up for West Nile Virus and the more general category "foodborne illness", and there are plenty more to choose from. Overall it's a fun app to check out, but I am not sure if I will use the app everyday - especially since it allows me to select the alerts I want.
The novel H1N1 flu strain, commonly known as swine flu, circling the globe has prompted people to take flu shots to protect themselves against seasonal flu. Flu shots are going to be in high demand this year, especially since this whole swine flu business began. Once again, the ability of the private market, through charity, has made it's ability to act quicker than government known again, as several companies are offering free flu shots, or a discount on them, to the uninsured and/or unemployed – Walgreens and CVS, the online pharmacy company, will be offering about $3 million worth of free shots. Rite Aid and Wal Mart are following suit. The shots offered will not counter the H1N1 virus. It's good to know someone is willing to offer free flu shots to those who otherwise would need instant cash loans to get one.
This Q microbe has been in the news over the past couple of years, but this article provides a nice overview on the economics and scalability of taking research from the lab to industry.
I believe we beat the Huff Post to the punch on this one . From July 15 http://microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_jlibrary&view=article&id=894
Thanks Garth. We actually have a MicrobeWorld Video episode that addresses the risks of cheese and queso fresco definitely comes up in it. See the video here.
As someone who grew up with strep and still gets it every couple of years, I find this very interesting. And I can't say I'm with out my own OCD like behaviors...however I think most of us probably do. Interesting to see where this research will goes and if there truly is a correlation between these disorders and the bacteria that causes strep.
This is a good tip that I guarantee is almost overlooked by most people, including myself! It's especially timely because more stores are pushing these bags on consumers by placing them in site at checkstands as well eliminating the option for plastic bags. Other factors leading to an increase in use of these type bags are the push to become more green and a down economy. I think just as important as washing the bags is the tip to keep meats and produce separate from all other products and each other. I also worry that the process of having to fill up the sink with water to wash them (as suggested) could cancel out the "green" factor. It's hard to win when it comes to being green, trade-offs make it very difficult but it's still worth trying.
i personally, dont like to wear a lab coat , untill unless you really need it , tradition of wearing lab coat all the time in work , as a professional identity need a rethink, but lab coat has its use only at certain time of lab work , or other spillage involed procedures in lab or clinic .
Karen, I totally agree. My mother is a pediatrician and they had to remove the stuffed animals from her office for the very same reason. A little sad, but probably for the best.
Hmm, maybe the fact that my doctor doesn't wear one is why I am so ornery but still alive! This really is a very valid concern, the white lab coat gives the illusion of clean but they are certainly not sterile and could definitely get contaminated without it showing. Probably best to leave the lab coats in the labs.
This is really cool, I wonder if it would work on my phone!
I signed up for the Fossile Fuels Brewing Co. email list at their website plus they have a Facebook Fan page.
Oh how cool, microorganisms are amazing, to revive after 45 million years is incredible.
I think that is the brightest red I have ever seen.
I can't even imagine how much goat penis that is...
The quote from the lead researcher in this story is very intriguing and definitely makes me want to read the paper - ""Scientists have been studying E. coli genes for many, many years and we thought we knew pretty much all there was to know - we certainly didn't expect to find any more genes that are essential for survival! "Finding out that these genes are essential in E. coli and also appear in the genomes of other species tells us that they are very important indeed. In the case of one of the genes it is also found in the human genome, which makes it especially interesting. The mystery remains as to what they actually do, but whatever it is, it must be really crucial."
ewww...this article also has some other unsanitary highlights.
These organisms certainly look interesting and I think DOE is wise to research them more. Ocean microbes are a treasure trove of the unknown. Craig Venter's Sorcerer II sea voyage where he collected buckets of ocean water from around the globe is currently being analyzed using metagenomics. Who knows what this data may uncover.
This is a landmark discovery LOL!! "Everybody thinks that coffee causes bad breath," says Prof. Rosenberg, "and it's often true, because coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, becomes potent when mixed with milk, and can ferment into smelly substances." But not always. "Contrary to our expectations, we found some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath," explains Prof. Rosenberg. The findings were presented last month to members of the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany by Yael Gov, a researcher in Prof. Rosenberg's laboratory. Apparently they still need to isolate the bacterial-inhibiting molecule.
Love the op-ed
I'm not sure I would take the naming of this mushroom after myself as a compliment LOL
You know you could have just cut and pasted the info from the doc into the text field of the site.
Not to mention when you stay home you don't inadvertently spread the bug to your coworkers!
The irony is pretty think here. Antimicrobial skincare products laden with disease-causing bacteria. It makes one wonder how effective these consumer products actually are.
I'd prefer to see the whole story here or at least a read more link at the end of the post that goes to the source (that's in addition to the source link above).
How old are all of these photos that you have been uploading?
This seems like some under reported news. I would expect someone caught smuggling vials of HIV and Ebola into the US would be labeled a terrorist right off the bat in this climate. There really isn't a lot of info to go off of in the article.
Are there any studies available on the effects of Tamiflu on pregnant women?
Nice title :P
Informative story. However, most interesting are the maps suggesting the potential path(s) that the virus has taken leaving Mexico. The maps are provocative and in the weeks to come we will see if the map model proves true. Must read for all students interested in the epi of this new virus.
Informative article by Laurie Garrett, author of the Coming Plague.
Looks like death toll in Mexico is now 103.
LOL The title of this makes it look like the Peanut Corporation of America is really called the "Salmonella Peanut Company""
I am curious as to whether there is a difference between cooked deserts and those that are not. i.e. desserts made from raw eggs or tap water, or even raw milk.
This is a great story and important as an example of social microbiology. Good find!