Essays on Bacillus

The Challenge of Antibiotic Resistance: Has our use of Antibiotics Caused more Problems than it has solved?

Antibiotics are medicines which have bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties and used in treatment or prevention of microbial diseases (NPS 2012). Antibiotics a have been in existence for a long time and were initially known as antibiosis which meant against life, and by Jean Paul Vuillemin first used this term. He used the word to describe the properties which were exhibited by the early antibacterial drugs. In 1877 Antibiosis was first described by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch when they observed the inhibition of growth of Bacillus anthracis by an airborne bacillus. In 1928 penicillin was identified by Alexander Fleming. ...

Bacteria refer to the regnum of prokaryotes (Sundararaj, Mudaliar, Anthoniraj, Kannan, Muthukaruppan). For the current moment, it accounts for more than ten thousand kinds of bacteria. The bacterium is recognized as one of the most ancient of living organisms, arising about 3.9 – 3.5 billion years ago. Bacteria have the substantial variation in the ways of metamorphic and energetic metabolism. Thus, autotrophs can synthesize all necessary organic molecules from non-organic compounds, whereas heterotrophs demand active organic compounds to transform them. The biggest degree of heterotrophs belongs to intracellular parasites. They are called saprophytes (Sundararaj, Mudaliar, Anthoniraj, Kannan, Muthukaruppan) and can ...

In addition to the direct physical manifestation of swarm phenotype –increased length and number of flagella, swarm cells often produce wetting agent, usually a surface of some type, for instance, the surface in Serrtia (serrwettins) and Bacillus (surfcatin) (White, 2006). In both cases loss of surfactant dramatically decreases swearing proficiency in Bacillus as well as strains of E. Coli do not make surfactants, which is probably why they are such picky swimmers. Surfactants act mainly to maintain surface wetness, which in turn allows cells to swim in every shallow layer of fluid on the surface. Research findings indicate that ...

Tuberculosis is a disease, which was known for mankind since ancient times. There are often suffering symptoms of tuberculosis in Egyptian mummies. Information about it is remained in the Indian Vedas, the ancient Babylonian clay tablets in the Greek manuscripts. Even Hippocrates knew how dangerous tuberculosis disease of the lungs is. In the eighteenth century every seventh inhabitant of Europe died because of tuberculosis. Infectiousness of tuberculosis has been already known for a long period of time. German scientist Robert Koch, bacteriologist was the first one 1882 to discover mycobacterium tuberculosis in 1882. This is the microbe that under ...

REPORT ON BACILLUS SUBTILIS

INTRODUCTION Bacillus subtilis is a gram-positive bacterium. It is saprophytic in nature. Mostly, it has been found that this bacterium exists in the form of spores rather than being biologically active. The ability to form these spores which are referred to as endospores enables them to survive adverse conditions. Some of the B. subtilis are found to be pathogenic for mammals and insects. The habitat of B. subtilis is soil, river and decomposing plant material . B. subtilis can be divided into two major types, one being that which is applied to the foliage of the plant and the other ...

Introduction

Any contact between two bacterial cells that translates to the transfer of genetic material constitutes bacterial conjugation (Casali and Preston, 2003). Transfer of the DNA through conjugation falls under horizontal gene transfer (Singh et al., 2013). The genetic information is transferred to the recipient bacterium on a plasmid, and the mechanism and proteins involved vary based on the plasmid type in the donor strain (Casali and Preston, 2003). Application of conjugation can cause transfer of disrupted genes on a self-transmissible plasmid to form a mutant strain. Conjugation allows for bacterial biodiversity, which is significant in the sense that bacteria can acquire ...

There exists about 300,000 plant species on earth, and every individual plant hosts one or more endophytes. However, it is just a few of these plants that have been researched relative to their endophytic biology. Hence, the chance for isolation of new, as well as, interesting endophytic bacteria in plants are important. Endophytic bacteria can be referred to as bacteria that can be isolated from tissues of a surface-disinfected plant or bacteria extracted from inside of a plant, which cause no visible negative effects to the plant. Almost every plant is populated by varied bacteria referred to as endophytes. Majority of ...

Observation and background information

The gypsy moth is one of the most devastating forest pests. It is currently one of the most damaging tree defoliators in the United States. It originated from Europe in 1868 (Davidson 12). The first gypsy moth in the United States occurred in the Boston area. The outbreak can quickly and effectively destroy forests. The gypsy moths are voracious eaters, and they completely destroy the entire trees. Their destruction impact forest and other related industries. The gypsy moths have natural few enemies because they are nonnative (Davidson 65). The Gypsy moth causes various environmental and economic impacts. The ...

Description of the communicable disease (causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment) and the demographic of interest (mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence) Tumberculosis (TB) is a communicable chronic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects lungs; it may affect any organ or tissue of the body. Typically, the centres of tubercular granulomas undergo caseous necrosis. It is “spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person”. Typically, its symptoms include; persistent cough for more than three weeks, in which the phlegm maybe bloody; weight loss; night sweats; high temperature; tiredness and fatigue; ...

Effect of lemon, garlic, and whole Jalapeño pepper on Bacillus

Introduction

Most of the commonly used fruits and spices have been studied for their possible antimicrobial properties. Spices can be defined as the plant substances that are used to increase the flavor. They may include leaves such as mint and coriander, flowers such as clover, bulbs such as turmeric and garlic, fruits such as pepper and lemon, stems such as cinnamon, and rhizomes such as ginger. These plants can have some bioactive molecules having both antibacterial and antifungal properties. Extracts from plants such as garlic and lemon are effective ...

Lab report #

Introduction In recent times, synthetic antibiotics have caused resistance in microorganisms and also, have shown unwanted side-effects. This has demanded for alternate therapies to combat infections. Scientists have developed interest in plant extracts, especially the ones that are traditionally used as spices, for new antimicrobial agents. Spices are traditionally used to give a distinctive flavor to the food but, they also contain potential antimicrobials which are also documented in literature. Even Louis Pasteur demonstrated the antibacterial effect of garlic and onion extracts. Salsa contains three main ingredients which have potential antimicrobial compounds. First, Lemon (Citrus Limon) is reported to ...

Identification of mystery microbe based on its morphology and biochemical properties

The experiment was conducted to detect the species of a given mystery microbe. The microbe was subjected to a battery of tests in order to identify its physical and biochemical characteristics. Based on the tests, different possible microbe species were eliminated to finally arrive at the right conclusion. The possible microbes included Escherichia coli, Providencia alcalifaciens, Enterobacter aerogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Micrococcus luteus, Serratia marcescens, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Sarcina aurantiaca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus licheniformis. The first test conducted was to detect the Gram staining properties of the given microbe. This helped in identifying whether the given microbe had a thin ...

Introduction

Anthrax is an infectious disease that is primarily caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis (spore-forming bacterium). The spores of B. antracis is often associated with gastrointestinal anthrax and inhalation cutaneous. The spores are highly ineffective in most environmental conditions. Inhalation anthrax is considered as a great threat since it is caused by inhalation of anthrax spores and is associated with high fatality rate. However, the rate of person-to-person rate is rarely observed. (Sternbach G. 2003) In the wild, anthrax is commonly observed (naturally found). The disease is also observed unvaccinated domestic animals. The disease is common among U.S workers ...

Among individuals aged 13 to 17 years, previously non-vaccinated with BCG, and who are in direct contact with TB, is the combination therapy of INH 900mg + Rifapentine 900mg once a week for 3 months as effective when compared to individuals aged 13 to 17 years who are also previously non-vaccinated with BCG and have completed the gold prophylactic standard of INH 300mg daily for 6 months in preventing active tuberculosis?

ARTICLE CITATION:

Sterling TR, Villarino ME, Borisov AS, et al. Three months of rifapentine and isoniazid for latent tuberculosis infection. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(23):2155–2166.

CATEGORY: Infectious Diseases

APPRAISAL TYPE: Therapy ...

Bacillus thuringiensis is a gram-positive, spore-forming soil bacterium. It can be used as a biological pesticide, since it produces specific parasporal crystalline inclusions that have proven to be toxic for some widespread insect pests. That is why currently the main aim of the researches concerning these bacteria is creation and examination of new more effective strains to be used for control of the insect pest populations and development of insect resistant plants. The restriction enzymes are widely used for genome analysis of the different strains. Valicente and da Silva have used restriction enzymes in their study to investigate the genetic ...

Introduction

Bacteria are the very first life forms in the history of our planet. Since the beginning they were exposed to extreme changes of temperature, pressure, pH and nutrients; hence, to survive, they had to adapt themselves. One strategy of survival is to go into suspension or dormancy, by converting themselves into a seed form or spores. When conditions become normal, these spores germinate back to vegetative form. This property is also seen in pathogenic bacteria that infect higher animals such as humans. One such group of bacteria is from the Genus Bacillus.When exposed to stress, these bacteria go into dormancy ...

Bacillus cereus is an endemic Gram-positive bacterium that dwells in the soil. It is rod-shaped, beta hemolytic, as well as a motile. A number of its strains are detrimental to human beings and lead to food borne diseases. Other strains can be helpful as probiotics for animals1. Bacillus cereus causes of fried rice syndrome, since the bacteria are characteristically contracted from fried rice, which has been left for many hours at room temperature2. B. cereus bacteria are facultative anaerobes and can secrete protective endospores just as other genus Bacillus members. Its virulence factors are phospholipase C, as well as cereolysin. ...

Asepsis

Microorganisms are the tiny microscopic structures that cannot be seen with naked eyes. They are present on all the living things and also in the environment. Some of these microorganisms are non pathogenic that is they do not cause any disease. However, many of the microorganisms are pathogenic in nature. The pathogenic microorganisms can cause disease or infections. Absence of these pathogenic microorganisms is known as asepsis.

Importance of asepsis

Asepsis is usually carried out in the laboratory mostly while dealing with microorganisms. The techniques used to carry out asepsis are known as aseptic techniques. If aseptic conditions are not maintained in ...

Abstract

European Gypsy moths cause severe damage to trees and shrubbery by reducing the ability of the plants to carry out photosynthesis. The moths damage the plants causing the plants to die and/or to become vulnerable to infections. Plants are defoliated forcing the plants to grow new leaves disrupting the natural growing process of the plants. The environmental damage the moths cause results in loss of wooded areas, drought and high economic costs. The carbon cycle is disrupted due to the loss of trees. Gypsy moths are regarded as the worst insect pests in the United States. The infestation started ...

The World Health Organization defines genetically modified foods (GMO) as “organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally”. It involves technology often referred to as gene technology, modern biotechnology or genetic engineering. The process allows for selective transfer of genes from one organism to another. The transfer of genes can be done between organisms of the same species or of different species. Genetic engineering has been practiced for many years. We often hear of cases where a specific gene is selected from an animal or plant and introduced into a different organism ...

Microbiology Lab

Abstract This laboratory report tries to recognize an unknown bacterial species. The Gram stain disclosed bacteria to be both gram-negative and positive and via microscopy it confirmed to be rod and cocci respectively. Now two different bacteria were on the agar. One was a coliform and other a non coliform. The bacteria were exposed to all essential microbiological techniques employed to recognize an unknown bacterial species. The unknown comprised about 1% of the total bacterial flora of humans and even most of the warm-blooded animals. The bacteria are the most extensively studied prokaryotic organism, and an essential species in the ...

Food containing genetically modified organisms or GMOs should be banned in the US. The reason for this is because GMOs pose a great risk to people consuming such products. GMOs are products of biotechnology which makes use of bacteria or viruses to penetrate the cells of plants and introduce genes that would make the plant more resistant to environmental conditions such as drought and insects. The injected toxins are said to be potent only to insects and pests but are safe for human. However, there is a growing doubt about the safety of GMOs. Examples of genetically modified products are seeds ...

Abstract. The aim of the study was to validate the existence of vesicles in gram positive bacteria, bacillus subtilis. The visualization of the vesicles was carried out by various microscopy techniques. The measurement of vesicle size was performed and the amount of vesicles compared between various strains. The laboratory cultured strains was more effective in the study as they exhibited hyper production of the vesicles. The production of vesicles was also validated in environmental strain, however in much smaller amount. The vesicles were also visualized and isolated from biofilms that act as the natural environment of the bacteria. Proteomic ...

Abstract

European Gypsy moths are regarded as the greatest insect pests in the United States as they have been reported to cause severe damages both to the environment and the economic features. These insects are believed to have emerged from Massachusetts after they were accidentally released by a professor who was doing research on silk production. They later spread across the United States through two different ways. One, they spread across short distances naturally where the caterpillar stage climbs to the top of a tree and spin a silk thread which allows them to be blown by wind a process called ballooning. The second ...

There are numerous reports of vesicle production in Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, where vesicles may play a role in virulence. We established that Bacillus subtilis produces vesicles using a variety of techniques including light scattering, metabolic labeling, and electron microscopy. Vesicles produced by B.subtilis contain proteins, associated with the cellular membrane, suggesting a possible site of origin. Proteins encased in these vesicles belong to a variety of pathways suggesting an involvement in metabolism, iron transport, and antibiotic resistance. B. subtilis could provide a good model for studying the mechanism of vesicle production in pathogenic and hard to work ...

UNKNOWN #16

SUMMER 2013 INTRODUCTION Purpose The purpose of the lab is to separate characterize and identify microbes from unknown mixed culture using the morphological and biochemical methods.

Theory

The process of identifying bacteria is a systematic and careful process which uses various techniques to narrow down the bacteria types which are present in an unknown culture of bacteria. This process produces advantages for many factors of research of microorganisms and assists in the proper treatment of patients (Aneja 10). Several tests were performed to give the fermentation abilities, availability of specific enzymes and specific biochemical reactions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experiment started ...

Tuberculosis is one of the oldest diseases known to cause medical illness in humans, and is the second most common cause of death due to infection worldwide (Riley, 2013). The bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. Tuberculosis) causes the disease; and while it is widely known that it affects the lungs of the individual, other organ systems may be affected in nearly one-third of cases (Harrison’s, 2008). Proper treatment in drug-susceptible strains leads to a cure; however, drug resistant strains or improper treatment has a 5-year survival rate between 50-65% of cases (Harrison’s, 2008). Transmission is through respiratory droplets passed from ...

Introduction

Kale is one of the favorite cool-weather crops that are mostly planted by many gardeners. The great qualities that kales have include delicious, nutritious, and versatile. Kale has the capability of growing in any climate zone (Vanderlinden). Some of the popular varieties of kale include the Red Russian, which has light purplish stalks, grayish-green leaves, and purplish veins. The Red Russian variety is the most delicious variety. The other variety is the Lacinato, which is also referred to as dinosaur kale, cavolo Nero or Toscano Kale (Rutherford-Fortunati). This variety is extremely hardy with the leaves getting very tough when ...

Introduction

Bacillus Subtilis are the organisms that are aerobic, Gram Positive, spore-forming belonging to the Bacillus genus. The organisms are together with other species that are closely related play a crucial role in disease, food poisoning as well as food spoilage. Lack of methods that are standardized for the identification of the organisms whether coming from the food or environment has made the tests to be difficult. Use of morphological as well as physiological tests have offered the best ways to identify organisms in the laboratory although there are inconsistent and lack of reliance in these methods. Identification of an ...

Abstract

Amylase from Bacillus Subtilis and Aspergillus oryzae were studied as representative candidates for bacterial and fungal enzymes, respectively. The activities of these two enzymes were studies comparatively over a period of 10 minutes and at temperatures of 0, 40, 60 and 95°C. The experiment was conducted to find the most effective temperatures for bacterial amylase and fungal amylase to catalyze starch hydrolysis. The data suggest that fungal enzyme was relatively more active, particularly in the first 6 minutes, than the bacterial counterpart at 0°C. On the other hand, the fungal enzyme activity deteriorated more rapidly than that ...

Introduction to Microbiology

The history of microbiology dates its origin back to 1674 when a Dutch merchant, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was able to see, for the first time, microbial organisms. The invention of the microscope was, however, the most important step towards the development of microbiology. Microscopic observations made it possible to study and understand bacteria and other microscopic organisms. The discovery of the use of cowpox in the vaccination against smallpox, by Edward Jenner, was a major development in immunity. However, it represented only a small area in the field of microbiology. Therefore, the description of Jenner as the “greatest microbiologist of all time” ...

BIO 204 101 13S

Abstract For many years, human beings have continued to suffer from diseases, both the kind caused by their own bodies as their age degenerated and the kind caused by infectious pathogens. During this time, human beings have constantly developed new ways of eating and living, and actual genetic or physical changes have evolved with the aim of minimizing the impacts of these diseases. This paper seeks to examine the issues of societal/cultural changes, the origins of human diseases and bioterrorism. This includes examining historical societal/cultural changes for human evolution are responsible in transmission of diseases to human beings ...

Colony collapse disorder refers to a phenomenon which entails a sharp, unusual decline in the number of bees in a colony. This phenomenon has raised great concerns in the USA in the recent past given that honey bees are a significant part of the US economy. Honey bees are involved in pollination therefore contributing to about one third of the US diet. Several causes have been identified as triggers of the phenomenon; most of which are under investigation. Among the causes identified are: genetically modified foods, pathogens, pesticides and antibiotics. Pesticides in particular are deemed to be a leading cause since pesticides such as ...

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Introduction Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a species of bacteria that is pathogenic( Herchline, 2012). It is one of the members of the Mycobacterium genus. It was first discovered by Robert Koch in 1882. It is described as being an acid-fast organism because it has a waxy coat composed of mycotic acid. This coat, which does not allow gram, stains to take. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an aerobic organism that requires high level of oxygen to survive. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is an acid-fast bacterium that forms stable complexes with aryl methane dyes. Mycobacterium has peptidoglycan structures, which confers on them the acid-fast properties ...

Background

Each year, millions of mammals cross the Seregenti. The migration of the wildebeest is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. But there is something not so wonderful in the Serengeti—an endemic disease called anthrax that strikes and kills without discrimination. It kills humans, livestock, and wildlife.

This study is about the ecopathology of Bacillus anthracis (Cohn), the pathogen that causes anthrax. Anthrax is not a big problem in most countries, but anthrax is still common in Africa because sanitation is poor, and there is no access to vaccines. The ecology of anthrax is not well ...

The Black Death is the name used in reference to the plague which swept across much of Asia, Europe and the Middle East during the 1300s (Morillo et al, 2005, p385). In short, it was a devastating blow to mankind and the estimated number of deaths caused by the Black Death runs into the millions with educated estimates saying that it killed between 30-60% of Europe’s population alone (Alchon, 2003, p21) which meant the world’s population was reduced from around 450 million people to around 350 to 375 million. The Black Death was the second instance of plague – ...