2. Why is the study of bacteria important?

Question 1

Why are bacteria important

Answer 1

Abundance, distribution, and activities

Present on every conceivable niche
Present on organic C, N, O, S, P
Important for planetary cycles

Used in biotech and food

Important in health and disease

Question 2

Bacteria in biotechnology

Answer 2

Recombinant proteins
Biological drugs
NAtural product drugs
Fine chemicals
Industrial enzymes
Synthetic biology

Question 3

What do recombinant proteins form?

Answer 3

Recombinant insulin

Question 4

What do biological drugs form?

Answer 4

Antibodies, humanised monoclonal antibodies

Question 5

What do natural product drugs produce?

Answer 5

Anticancer drugs

Question 6

What do fine chemicals produce?

Answer 6

Vitamins, amino acids

Question 7

What do industrial enzymes produce?

Answer 7

Proteases, amylases, pectinases

Question 8

Establishing the gut microbiome

Answer 8

Milk oligosaccharides modulate gut microbiome.
Provide decoy binding site preventing virus infection.
Prebiotic for beneficial bacteria

Question 9

Bifidobaterium infantis (gut microbiome)

Answer 9

Ferments milk sugars that baby cannot digest. Lowers gut pH and enhances epithelial barrier

Question 10

Microbiome and disease

Answer 10

Association between red meat consumption and colon cancer

Question 11

Fasobacterium nucleatum

Answer 11

Association with tumors, fibre fermenting bacteria

Question 12

Gut microbiome and treatment

Answer 12

Melanoma - skin cancer
Treated with antibodies targeting tumor interaction
Injection
Diversity of microbiome associated with response

Question 13

Example of Psychrophile (4°c)

Answer 13

Polaromonas vacuolata.

Question 14

Example of Mesophile (39°c)

Answer 14

Escherichia coli.

Question 15

Example of Thermophile (60°c)

Answer 15

Geobaccillus stearothermophilus

Question 16

Example of Hyperthermophile (88°c)

Answer 16

Thermococcus celer

Question 17

Example of Hyperthermophile (106°c)

Answer 17

Pyrolobus fumarii.

Question 18

Archaea have…

Answer 18

Cytoplasm
Nucleoid
Cell Wall
Cytoplasmic membrane

Question 19

Bacteria have…

Answer 19

Cytoplasm
Nucleoid
Cell Wall
Cytoplasmic membrane

Question 20

Prokaryotes have…

Answer 20

Cytoplasm
Nucleoid
Cell Wall
Cytoplasmic membrane
Plasmid
Ribosomes

Question 21

The human microbiome plays an important part in the control of vital homeostatic mechanisms in the body:

Answer 21

1. Protection against pathogens.
2. Synthesis of vitamins.
3. Immune system development.
4. Promotion of intestinal angiogenesis.
5. Promotion of fat storage.
6. SCFA production by fermentation of dietary fiber.
7. Modulation of central nervous system.

Question 22

Autophagy and cancer

Answer 22

ATG5 is a protein involved in autophagy.
A virus can be produced in the lab which will target ATG5 mRNA and prevent translation into a protein.
This prevents the cell from undergoing autophagy.
The virus is engineered to contain short-hairpin RNA, complementary to ATG5 mRNA.
The virus cannot replicate itself or cause a second infection.

Question 23

Lentiviral production

Answer 23

DNA on 3 plasmids grown in bacteria, genome plasmid has shRNA targeting ATG5, virus used to infect melanoma and prevent autophagy.

Question 24

Melanoma signalling

Answer 24

Melanoma cells can get into lymphatic vesicles.
They can metastasis (spread) via lymph nodes.
Cells can release a signalling molecule which can respond to receptor 1 or 2 on the lymphatic cell.
CRISPR is a bacterial defence mechanism against viruses.
Use a modified CRISPR system to knock-out one of the receptors.
Will tell us which receptor is important (R1 or R2)