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 microbiologist may study any one of these groups
Kingdom Prokaryota Kingdom Protoctista Kingdom Fungi Kingdom Animalia Kingdom Plantae
*eubacteria *protozoa *bread molds *Invertebrates *spore-bearing plants
*cyanobacteria *algae *yeasts and sac fungi *Vertebrates *seed bearing plants
*archaebacteria *slime/water molds *mushrooms
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~
Botany- the study of plants
Zoology- 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 *All of these require
Recovery methods which minimize
Storage 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)