Lecture 41 - Golden Age of Microbiology

Question 1

What can probes on glass array be used for?

Answer 1

1. Identify a patients genotype to personalize medical treatment
2. Diagnose disease
3. Identify the body’s cytokine response to certain pharmaceuticals

Question 2

What are the potentials of genomics and metagenomics?

Answer 2

1. identify bacteria
2. find bacterial products that can be used as antibiotics
3. find bacteria that can be used in bioremediation or biofuel production
4. identify genes involved in pathogenesis

Question 3

How easy is it to obtain the entire gene sequence of a typical bacterium

Answer 3

can obtain entire genome sequence with 85% accuracy in 2 days

Question 4

What is Prochlorococcus?

Answer 4

It is a bacteria in the ocean that serves as a carbon sink

Question 5

How can photosynthetic growth in the oceans be enhanced?

Answer 5

Add photosynthetic growth-generating micronutrients to encourage photoautotrophic growth. Flocs of bacteria will settle to the floor.

Question 6

What is the purpose of the ongoing WHOI project?

Answer 6

The idea is to fertilize the oceans with iron to enhance chlorophyll concentration.

Question 7

Advantages of Biofuels?

Answer 7

1. Environmentally friendly (no sulfur, toxic chemicals, etc)
2. Stimulate economic development
3. Energy security

Question 8

What biofuels are considered 1st generation? How are they made?

Answer 8

1. Bioethanol: made from simple sugars and starches.
2. Biodiesel: made from oils and fats

Question 9

How does ethanol compare to gasoline?

Answer 9

It has less miles per gallon, can be mixed directly with gasoline.

Question 10

What are the advantages for using yeast versus bacteria for biofuel production?

Answer 10

Yeast is able to survive up to 12-13% ethanol.
Bacteria die at about 6%.

Question 11

What is needed for transesterification process?

Answer 11

Oil, catalyst, methanol and heat are used to break triglycerides

Question 12

What biofuels are considered 2nd generation? How are they made?

Answer 12

Biomass: made from materials containing cellulose (wood, straw, corn)

Question 13

What biofuels are considered 3rd generation? How are they made?

Answer 13

Oilgae: made from algae

Question 14

Sketch a basic microbial fuel cell

Answer 14

Microbes, anodes on left side of selective membrane.
Cathode on right

Question 15

Why would we prefer to make fuel cells without an electron shuttle? What properties allows us to do that?

Answer 15

They use heavy metals which are not good for environment.
Instead they use anode as electron acceptor.

Question 16

What are biopolymers? How are they used to make products?