Gigantic, half-inch-long bacteria identified by team led by Bay Area scientist

  • 📰 KPIXtv
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 67 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 30%
  • Publisher: 53%

United States Headlines News

United States Latest News,United States Headlines

Scientists have discovered the world's largest bacterium -- visible to the naked eye -- in a Caribbean mangrove swamp.

BERKELEY -- Scientists have discovered the world's largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp.

But he didn't immediately know it was a bacterium because of its surprisingly large size -- these bacteria, on average, reach a length of a third of an inch . Only later genetic analysis revealed the organism to be a single bacterial cell. "It's an amazing discovery," said Petra Levin, a microbiologist at Washington University in St Louis, who was not involved in the study."It opens up the question of how many of these giant bacteria are out there — and reminds us we should never, ever underestimate bacteria."Scientists have not yet been able to grow it in lab culture, but the researchers' say the cell has a structure that's unusual for bacteria.

"The acquisition of this large central vacuole definitely helps a cell to bypass physical limitations ... on how big a cell can be," said Manuel Campos, a biologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research, who was not involved in the study. The researchers said they aren't certain why the bacterium is so large, but co-author Volland hypothesized it may be an adaptation to help it avoid being eaten by smaller organisms.© 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Please enter email address to continue

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

great, so how do we kill it?

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 443. in US

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

World’s biggest bacterium found in Caribbean mangrove swampThe thin white filament, approximately the size of a human eyelash, is “by far the largest bacterium known to date,” said Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Source: denverpost - 🏆 13. / 72 Read more »

World's biggest bacterium found in Caribbean mangrove swampScientists have discovered the world’s largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp.
Source: fox7austin - 🏆 594. / 51 Read more »

Scientists discover 'Mount Everest' of bacteria in Caribbean swampsScientists discover 'thousands of times larger than regular-sized' bacteria named Thiomargarita magnifica, which is described as 'Mount Everest' of microorganisms
Source: trtworld - 🏆 101. / 63 Read more »

World's Biggest Bacterium Leaves Scientists Wondering the Cause of Its SizeScientists have discovered a bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove that was so large, it was not immediately recognized as a bacterium.
Source: NBCNewYork - 🏆 270. / 63 Read more »

Pro women's soccer team may be coming to the Bay AreaWith the announcement that the 2026 World Cup soccer games will be played in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., including the Bay Area, soccer is a booming sport that is about to get bigger. The ads make the article unviewable.
Source: KTVU - 🏆 465. / 53 Read more »

Where abortion rights protests are scheduled in San FranciscoActivists are planning protests in the San Francisco Bay Area to express outrage over the Supreme Court's decision on Friday morning overruling Roe v. Wade. Keepabortionsafe if you’re planning on attending any of these ‘scheduled’ protests, please keep it civil. also understand that you’re being shepherded back into the same dead end reactionary 🟥🟦 politics that got you here Friday's planned Bay Area protests: - Ferry Building, SF, 4 p.m. - Phillip Burton Federal Building, SF, 5 p.m. - City Hall, SF, 5 p.m. - Powell and Market, SF, 5 p.m. - Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, 5 p.m.
Source: SFGate - 🏆 534. / 51 Read more »