Lecture 1: Antibiotics/Bacteria

Question 1

What is used to clean up oil spills?

Answer 1

wastewater treatment and bioremediation-bacteria

Question 2

Bacillus thuringensis

Answer 2

bacterium that produces a potent insect toxin- used instead of chemical pesticides to protect crops

Question 3

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Answer 3

Bakers and brewers yeast

Question 4

Bakers yeast vs brewers yeast

Answer 4

• both Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Baker:
- Produces gas (carbon dioxide) during leavening process
- Aerobic (in the presence of oxygen)

Brewer:
- Bred for production of ethanol
- Anaerobic process
- Fermentation

Question 5

Making Wine vs. cheese

Answer 5

• both rely on microbial metabolic processes
• right bacteria and fungi make cheese and wine
• wrong bacteria and fungi make vinegar and gorgonzola

Question 6

How are microbes used in wastewater treatment?

Answer 6

microbes digest waste in sewage
- sewage is sprayed over “biotowers” where bacteria and fungi are attached and grow
- sewage is then filtered and chlorinated before being released

Question 7

How was penicillin discovered?

Answer 7

• serendipitously by Alexander Fleming
• Noticed that a mold growing on his Staphylococcus aureus plates was inhibiting the bacteriums growth

Question 7

What was the first anti-microbial

Answer 7

mercuric compounds and sulfonamides

Question 8

How are antibiotics produced?

Answer 8

chemical synthesis as well as purification from biological sources

Question 9

What are virtually all antibiotics and antifungals are based on?

Answer 9

naturally occurring molecules

Question 9

What is one tremendous source of antibacterial compounds?

Answer 9

streptomyces genus of gram-positive bacteria

Question 10

What does bacteria do? (good/useful)

Answer 10

• make antibiotics
• cleans up our messes
• cures our diseases
• makes our food
• can be used as a pesticide
• (fun): glow in the dark, comes in many colors, form complicated macroscopic structures

Question 11

What does bacteria do? (bad)

Answer 11

• cause infections
• antibiotic resistance; leads to new diseases

Question 11

Uses of microbes in medicine

Answer 11

• bacteria and fungi produce cancer therapeutics and antiviral drug candidates
• viruses are used as vaccines and delivery methods for gene therapy
• study of microbes provides models for understanding basics of molecular biology and biochemistry