Marine Microbes Fend Enemies With Antibiotics: Research

Researchers say that some ocean mircobes wield chemical weapons that are deadly to outsiders but leave their own group unharmed.

The weapons are natural antibiotics produced by a few individuals whose closest relatives carry genes that make them resistant. MIT researchers believe that the few antibiotic producers are acting as protectors of the many.

Climate Change Could Hurts Microbes as Well
Scientists have said that global climate change will not only impact plants and animals but will also affect bacteria, fungi and other microbial populations that perform a myriad of

Microbes having a rather sophisticated social structure that promotes cooperation among their own, rather than cut throat competition for scare resources, suprised researchers, the journal Science reported.

"It's easy to imagine bacteria in the environment as selfish creatures capable only of reproducing as fast as conditions allow, without any social organization," said Otto Cordero, MIT postdoctoral student, who led the study, according to an MIT statement.

"But that is the mind-blowing part: Bacterial wars are organised along the lines of populations, which are groups of closely related individuals with similar ecological activities," added Cordero.

High-Tech Microbes Bolsters Natural Sweetener Production
genetically engineered bacteria that eat hemicellulose in corn fiber and other sources could set the stage for a new, biobased method of making xylitol

"We can't know what the environmental interactions really are, because microbes are too small for us to observe them in action," said Martin Polz, professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at the MIT, lead study investigator.

"But we think the antibiotics play a role in fending off competitors. Of course, those competitors could also produce antibiotics. It's a potential arms race out there," added Polz.

Overuse Of Antibiotics-Creating Monsters Out Of Common Microbes
Health officials are alarmed at the evolution of causal organisms of hitherto common diseases into ‘superbugs’.

MIT researchers tested about 35,000 interactions among pairs of 185 strains of Vibrionaceae bacteria populations taken from the ocean.

They found that 44 percent of the strains were able to inhibit the growth of at least one other strain and 86 percent were inhibited by at least one other strain. They then used genomic analysis to determine genetic kinship.

All About Microbes and Their Hosts
A fascinating view into how microbial symbionts adapt to changing biological environments is provided by the unique association between microorganisms and their hosts.

The study also uncovers an untapped source of antibiotics that could have the potential to aid in the fight against human bacterial pathogens, which are rapidly developing resistance to the few antibiotics in use -- nearly all of which are produced by soil-living bacteria.

Source-IANS