Microbes.. On a Date?

Dating Before Mating?

Microbes can already do some incredible things, but dating before mating? Seems we don't know as much about microbes as we thought. Researchers have identified blood-transmitting microbes Trypanosomes, as organisms that carry a horrible disease known as the African sleeping sickness. They know this disease is transmitted through the tsetse fly, but they just recently discovered that these little microbes are also making a lot of babies after they court themselves. It seems that these microbes have a clear need to quote, “twirl and “gyrate” together before their mating begins. If that weren’t bad enough, scientists have concluded that these microbes have a good reason for it; to swap fluids and thus become even stronger and more deadly. That’s right, deadly, strong genes from microbial dating, even more resistant to medication. Doesn’t sound like a fun time for the victim. 

         Well, unfortunately for us, this is just one microbial disease out of the many others out there. Though scientists have not confirmed any other “dating before mating” microbial action, there are signs of other microbes getting stronger through their genes. Allergies and autoimmune disease have been on the rise as well. Though no signs of them dating, yet, it seems revolutionary biology has caused these diseases to become almost intolerable for us. So what does that mean for us?

Scientists have really only recently discovered that these microbes are, in fact, more in control of their gene pool then we thought. Microbes are pretty sturdy and smart, so who says that these Trypanosomes aren’t going to pass on their brilliant dating ideas to other microbes? Since other microbes seem to already be getting “gene” smart, why not get “date” smart? According to scientists, microbial diseases are getting worse, therefore microbes are either getting smarter, or we underestimated them. Never seems like a good idea to underestimate a disease.

http://www.yourtango.com/2014204183/weird-news-some-microbes-date-they-mate

http://gettingstronger.org/2013/03/what-causes-allergies-and-autoimmune-disease/

Microbes on Mars?

Could Microbes On Mars Survive?

For years, scientists have been trying to figure out if our earthen microbes can survive on Mars. In an experiment chamber that replicates the conditions on Mars, a specific microbe has been found to survive. This bacteria, Serratia liquefaciens, can grow in the chamber, which scientists did not expect. In fact, most of the microbes that were tested did not survive the experiment, so this came as quite a shock to them. For these scientists, knowing that microbes can indeed live on Mars means that life on Mars cannot be ruled out. Therefore, preserving Mars natural state is key to making sure its spark of life keeps on going.

            The root of the problem is really hitchhiking. By that, I mean microbes traveling on spacecrafts, or attaching to anything or anyone that sets foot on Mars. What we really need is to be cautious and make sure that anything travelling to Mars is free of microbes. That means taking some serious precautions, since microbes are so incredibly invisible, to ensure that we don’t contaminate Mars with our microbes. Because if there really is life on Mars, by allowing our microbes to travel there, we could ruin and change what life might have been there.

            Many people believe that even if microbes did get to Mars, they would all just simply die. What they don’t realize is that there are all kinds of microbes, some of which can withstand extreme and harsh conditions. These microbes are called extremophiles, and with access to Mars, they might be able to withstand the conditions. Even if, lets say, they do all die on Mars, is it really worth the risk of contamination by bringing them from one planet to another? This is why it’s important to avoid that risk, limit and dim down that risk as much as possible. By ensuring proper cleaning, and taking all measures seriously, we might be able to avoid infecting Mars with our earthen microbes and allow Mars to develop on its own time.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/earth-bacteria-mars-microbes_n_2455590.html

This course is about Microbial Ecology. It dives in to the world of microbial life and how microbes live around us. I chose this course because its scientific elements and to satisfy my interest in Biology.