Snakecrobes

Snake, the minute someone thinks of a snake the same reaction comes up for most, “gross slivering beings only wanting one thing to kill.” And for snake owners this could be a truly aggravating thing, many of us know that snakes can be so gentle, never hurting us trying to do the same thing that we do and that is live. This idea brought me to the article I chose to write about it was introducing ideas for diverse microbial ecosystems (some good, and some bad) being transported in trade.  Millions of people even now are buying and selling snakes, little do they know they carry such things as Aeromonas hydrophila, Citrobacter freundii and , Corynebacterium jeikeium, some is not all of these are potentially harmful to humans, all in the mouths of snakes.

The article which I agree with introducing ideas backed with studies done to increase security also awareness for people transporting snakes. The true question which intrigues me is the bacteria present in snakes not showing symptoms. The article explained a trade between a US zoo and a Korean one, the snakes tested positive with potentially harmful pathogens, but no symptoms were displayed in the snakes. If we could harness their abilities to be carriers and not victims we could change the lives of many human victims. Even now we harness their micro bio-me, using their bile and liquids to medicate us. Anti-venoms are taken from snakes to save people who have been bitten and would otherwise die. The possibilities are endless, these creatures who have lasted millions of years could answer some of our greatest questions in medicine.

Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188728/#!po=10.0000

Picture 1: Taken by me

Picture 2: http://pixdaus.com/files/items/pics/9/74/301974_77409d92a57ec326d252e7834ff693a2_large.jpg

Microbes and Volcanoes!!!

Microbes, some of the most intriguing organisms alive, although they are tiny; not even visible by eye. Don't let that fool you, these organisms have changed the face of the world as we know it, although they are tiny they have overcome the odds and lived in an environment thought to be impossible. The Atacama Mountains in South America have been known throughout the world to produce some of the most dangerous and extreme conditions known to man, at night it could go below negative, in the day it peaks around 133 degrees. If that wasn't scary enough for you it is a barren wasteland filled with active volcanoes and hardly any rainfall, but as the article explained these tiny organisms have uncovered a way to thrive where few dare even spend a day.

The article immediately draws you in, explaining the South American mountains landscape, and why it is crucial for us to investigate these little organisms. The article also doesn’t make assumptions immediately explain that there is no information yet about how these remarkable beings convert energy. Energy is required for all living things to strive without energy nothing works, in the bacteria, fungi and protists discovered all are not known organisms, it seems they do not possess any photosynthesis organs. So this ponders the question how, without any way of converting energy how are they living. Then we think about water, it is crucial for any organisms to sustain life water must be present. In a dry wasteland like this how is it possible for these organisms to be present. The article addresses all these questions not as an answer because truly there is not one, it simply states with more research the answer would become clear. In the end it was truly intriguing and opens your eyes to the wonder that are microorganisms.

Article :http://www.bitsofscience.org/extremophile-bacteria-archaea-volcano-6094/

Picture: http://d.wapday.com/animation/ccontennt/7596-f/volcano_eruption.gif?__sid=ggl&lang=en

Is being sick actually Healthy?!?!?!?

The Article introduces a unique concept instead of rushing to the nearest hospital, so bad that your nurse is the god awful pink coloration. What if they are good for you, what if that cold you are trying to get rid of actually is on your side even if it doesn’t know it? This concept is a new more accepted one, as science continues to evolve so does our reasoning; before the modern area any signs of sickness would get you quarantined so fast you wouldn’t even know you were sick until you are locked away. So the author explores this ideal even further, he adequately defines what goes on during a cold and why, if so whether letting it’s run through your body actually is better than killing it off.

The site is a little sketch, not really giving you the whole sense of a credible source, as you read threw it that notion is quickly gone. Along the site is a numerous amount of hyperlinks all taking you to prestigious sites of medicine and science. The author lacked however outside sources, simply stating his own data to convince his audience, with other sources like quotes from medical doctors and professionals it would strengthen his argument. This is the only flaw I saw, threw out his argument he took a unique point of view, explaining why we get sick and the importance of our cells when we are. This is fundamental after all, you must understand the roles of bacteria and viruses before you can speculate whether they are good or bad. In the end he describes is perfectly, the cells that get infected are going to die off already, the bacteria and viruses target weak cells and kill them off, a quicker execution than what your body would of done.

Article : http://drbenkim.com/cold-flu-difference-health.html

Picture: http://rebloggy.com/post/gif-gifs-spongebob-spongebob-squarepants-sick-moments-when-spongebob-gif-spongeb/30111667816

Microbial Communication!!!

www.hollywoodjesus.com

The minute we think of bacteria we see little organisms floating on a dish with all kinds of shapes and sized, big little, spiky and non-spiky. For me I particularly see little organisms like the ones from the movie evolution, organisms going from worm like creatures to weird looking dog things. However what if those organisms could socialize, the thought of tiny little microorganisms using antibiotics and defenses at a type of chemical warfare. The article does that, introducing the concept of little organisms have massive battlefields. After each complete thought it introduction of an idea they backed it up immediately with thoughts from a prestigious professional.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=125338

They also do a nice way of introducing their studies done, explaining what their results were when they paired specific microorganisms, the results were as predicted the organisms would create a battlefield attacking other competition with everything they possibly got. The interesting key fact that they mentioned was the microorganisms did not attack their same team members or other organisms like them. They developed a way to communicate with each other in such a way for us to realize how that type of behavior the ones we display today in warfare originated. How different are we from the bacteria that invaded us, how truly different over millennia’s of evolution are we when we see our behavior in the organisms we examine.

Article :http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=125338

Microbes as a weapon!!!

    http://urania-josegalisifilho.blogspot.com/2012/02/disseminated-primatemaia-john-grays.html
 

     The first thing I think of when I hear bacteria and viruses are never good, anytime someone hears bacteria or virus they think of being sick. When I was in high school my teacher after explaining what they were told us the real threat in the world isn’t going to be war, famine, no it will be a biological or chemical warfare, either manufactured or natural. Think of it throughout history typhoid, influenza, it caused a time in history only could be known as the dark ages for a reason. The black plague of 1347 was a testament to the devastation of biological catastrophe. In the article I read it explained why scientists need to invest more time into and put a stop into weaponizeing certain microorganisms. Steven block writes and explains why these catastrophic past diseases should only be talked about in the past. However he goes on to explain how it is nothing like that, these nightmares are on our front doorstep unless we do something.
 

    http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-for-europe/life-science-vizier_en.html

     The author thoroughly explains diseases throughout his entire argument, introducing anthrax as a major concern addressing the strengths and weaknesses of the disease and how it could be weaponized to cause catastrophe. The author however doesn’t address a solution, he constantly addresses the problems of warfare but all he poses is “Scientists should concern themselves before it’s too late” he does make a compelling conclusion, relying on biologist to stand up against corporations wanting to exploit microorganisms for warfare, however in all of his research he never addressed the opposing sides for biological weaponry, many people believe we should exploit biology before someone else does, in order to address this controversial topic we have to address that mentality. All in all the argument was really good however, he must address this opposing views to this topic in order to make a successful debate.

Article:  www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2001/1/the-growing-threat-of-biological-weapons/10

 

Microorganisms and our Brains!!!

Microorganisms, these versatile organisms are everyone, in our bodies, the things we consume, where we move and walk, even the air we breathe in. So one crucial thing that we must ask ourselves; do they influence the way we act and feel, do they impact the people we grow up to be today. The article already when you open it intrigues the intellectuals with this cool brain pictures, with a thesis to back it up and a quote from a M.D immediately with a link taking you to a website that introduces his credentials. After listing these you are bombarded with different studies done to prove whether gut bacteria impacts our brain. Among those studies are human verses animal studies. In humans comparing different brain structures and activity due to the different bacteria present in their bodies. It was found that the brain structure as well as movement was different.;

So what if we were able to manipulate that, the next study done on mice multiple time did that. Injecting mice with different probiotics, and bacteria. In one example they would inject an aggressive or anxious mice with a bacteria that relaxes or calms the body, it was found to impact the brain exponentially. The article is inefficient however, it seems like the idea of microorganisms impacting the brain is a unique concept. Where it is lacking however it does the unexpected by opening your mind to the possibilities of the unknown. He introduces such things like curing mental disorders with bacteria. He introduces a patient that is beginning to test with probiotic introduction. But the results of hers aren't necessarily needed, it is already known with a study they did with yogurt, by ingesting yogurt it was found to lower your amount of anxiety. All of this information is fascinating, could we cure serious crippling mental illnesses by simply injecting the patients with microorganisms, if we could do that could we cure such devastating things like cancer with them.

Citations

Stein,Rob Gut Bacteria Might Guide the Workings of our minds. November 18,2013, Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/18/244526773/gut-bacteria-might-guide-the-workings-of-our-minds on January 29,2013

Microbial Ecosystems

http://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_green_good_germs_make_healthy_buildings.html

Microbes; “tiny little organisms living in in air, soil, rock, and water. Some live happily in searing heat,” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2010. These highly diverse organisms vast and intelligent, causing us humans great pain, or could save billions of lives. Not only could they impact the way we live our lives, but they impact our careers, could architecture impact the different types of microbial ecosystems present in different buildings? The video I watched was an episode of ted talks hosted by Jessica Green, explaining why or why not we should build our communities around ecosystems.

http://www.ufz.de/export/data/1/23691_UFZ_CMS__do_not_use_this_in_another_pages__.jpg

Jessica green takes a unique aspect on microbial ecosystems, and whether they should impact our building construction. Explain facts with constant references to their field trip on a college campus, this was extremely useful. Among her data she introduced interested ideas of ecosystems among separate areas of the building. For example, the bathrooms had a completely different type of organelles then an office area, or hallways. This concept isn’t a new thought, we all know that different germs are present in different areas, but to know that the minute you completely walk out the ecosystem separates. It’s like an invisible barrier blocking different access and denials to different microbes. If we were to impact the way buildings are made, for say more windows, light, different types of walls it would house a completely separate ecosystem. If you were to think about this in a larger scale, the week after visiting someone in the hospital you get sick the next week. What if we could change that, in her data it is stated patients immediately contract infections, if we could change that by increased the presence of more defensive microbes we could save millions of life’s, save trillions of dollars and decrease hospital visits tenfold.