Send Your Secret Message Hidden in Bacteria

Bacterial Acid Trips

jtotheizzoe:

Meet the new generation of microbe hunters, and take a look at their new arsenal:

Was it anthrax? If so, was it a genetically engineered bioterrorism strain, or a strain that normally lives in the soil? How dangerous was it?

And the answers, Dr. Musser realized, could come very quickly from newly available technology that would allow investigators to determine the entire genome sequence of the suspect micro-organism.

It is the start of a new age in microbiology, Dr. Musser and others say. And the sort of molecular epidemiology he and his colleagues wanted to do is only a small part of it. New methods of quickly sequencing entire microbial genomes are revolutionizing the field.

(via NYTimes)

Battle of the Bacteria: Genetically Modified E.coli vs. P.aeruginosa

Bacteria may be able to exchange large molecules — including those that confer antibiotic resistance — via microscopic tubes, but some researchers are skeptical