30 september, 2013

Apoptoza lahko aktivira herpesviruse

Rezultati nedavne raziskave objavljene v Journal of Virology in jih povzema blog Biology NewsNet razkrivajo, da lahko apoptoza, programirana celična smrt, aktivira herpesviruse v propadajoči celici. Ker tudi pri nekaterih oblikah kemoterapije lahko pride do apoptoze ima ta ugotovitev seveda velik pomen in je lahko vzrok za vznemirjenje pri zdravljenju raka.

16 september, 2013

Predavanje prof. S. J. Sørensena

Povzemam vest Slovenskega mikrobiološkega društva:

Vljudno vabljeni na predavanje

Social interactions in complex microbial communities - Survival of the fittest or the friendliest?

Professor Søren J. Sørensen

Section of Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen

Predavanje bo v četrtek, 19.9. 2013 ob 13:00 v predavalnici B5, Biološko središče, Večna pot 111

POVZETEK PREDAVANJA

Multispecies biofilms are predominant in almost all natural environments, setting the scene for various competitive and cooperative interactions that affect overall functionality and fitness of the individual strains and the community.

We have developed a model defining synergism, antagonism and neutrality within multispecies biofilms, based on the proportion of the species that are present and their ability to form monospecies biofilm. The model was validated experimentally in control systems of isogenic strains differing only in their ability of biofilm formation as single species. We applied this model to characterize the interactions in multispecies biofilm formation of bacterial consortia isolated from a variety of natural habitats.

Furthermore we have developed a simple assay for screening of antagonistic interactions among bacterial isolates. This approach was used to investigate the number of antagonistic interactions among bacteria co-isolated from the same environmental sample in comparison to interactions between isolates from different environments.

Recent research has revealed that bacterial plasmids and biofilm formation are interconnected in many ways. Horizontal transfer rates are typically higher in biofilm communities compared with those in planktonic states. Biofilms, furthermore, promote plasmid stability and may enhance the host range of mobile genetic elements that are transferred horizontally. Plasmids, on the other hand, are very well suited to promote the evolution of social traits such as biofilm formation. This, essentially, transpires because plasmids are independent replicons that enhance their own success by promoting inter-bacterial interactions. They typically also carry genes that heighten their hosts’ direct fitness. I present a couple of examples from our most recent research of how plasmids can promote biofilm formation in natural environments and reveal some of the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon.

In conclusion, we present results indicating ubiquity of synergism in multispecies biofilm formation in complex bacterial communities.

Vabi prof. dr. Mandić-Mulec, Katedra za mikrobiologijo, Biotehniška fakulteta in Slovensko mikrobiološko društvo.

09 september, 2013

Mikrobiološki blogi na Tumblr

Na blogerskem portalu Tumblr sem našel nekaj odličnih mikrobioloških blogov:

http://littlemicrobiologyblog.tumblr.com/

http://microbiologymeasure.tumblr.com/

http://vetstudent-microbiologymaniac.tumblr.com/

http://microbiologyandvirology.tumblr.com/

Enteromamarno vzpostavljanje dojenčkovega mikrobioma?

Precej pozornosti je vzbudila pravkaršnja objava predpostavke o vertikalnem prenosu materinih črevesnih mikroorganizmov z dojenjem na dojenčka. Že v abstraktu je omenjena hipoteza o morebitni enteromamarni poti prehoda enteralnih mikroorganizmov v mleko. Ker ta trenutek še nimam dostopa do celotnega članka naj pač zgolj izrazim pomislek k takem mehanizmu in predstavljam si, da ga bo, v kolikor še ni, potrebno pač temeljito podkrepiti z eksperimentalnimi dokazi. 

01 september, 2013

Cepljenje v družbenih omrežjih

Vsi, ki želite aktualno spremljati problematiko cepljenja si boste brez dvoma z radovednostjo ogledali zapis o vakcinaciji v družbenih omrežjih, ki so ga pripravili na portalu Webicina. In verjamem, da se boste nato z naklonjenostjo redno vračali na povezave, ki so jih zbrali in se po potrebi tudi polemično odzivali. Temu vendar služijo družbena omrežja!