Putting Microbes To Work In The Environment Flashcards

Question

Initial attachment phase of biofilm development

Answer 1

Physical attachment- rough surface or smooth surface (smooth requires laminar flow boundary layer= aerodynamic forces= viscosity and compressibility) Biological attachment- attach themselves with flagella or fimbriae/ pili Attachment of mobile bacteria: they become loosely attached in aqueous phase with electrostatic or hydrophobic interactions Host provides substrate for colonisation of surface (eg teeth or external devices)

Answer 2

Permanent attachment and symbiotic community, produce EPS and eDNA (viscous) Interaction with substrate eg hydroxyapatite, plasmic, skin Interaction mediated by production of EPS One attached, active growth begins, microcolonies form and further growth to cover surface occurs

Answer 3

Develops within several days= stable association and integration Growth continues until steady state- age and diversity and ‘microbial homeostasis’ Diversity= polymicrobial biofilms- can include bacteria that arent able to attach to the substrate or not capable of surviving initial nutritional restrictions

Answer 4

Power plants, air conditioning, food processing, oil refining Designed to withstand tolerances for optimal efficiency of production- leads to major biofilm issues

Answer 5

Food industries lose large production runs due to contamination with microbes Fouling of pipes= friction and plant failure through corrosion Heat exchanger surfaces= inefficient heat exchange Cleaning requires closing of plant, physical scrubbing and loss of money due to closing plant

Answer 6

Milk highly perishable Produced in udder= sterile, once it leaves it is contmainated High nutrients allows microbes to grow= biofilm is natural state, survive pasteurisation and form biofilms Biofilms at air-liquid interface as need O2, most commonly from Bascillus

Answer 7

Gram +ve rods Highly detrimental= diary spoilage and illness Spread through dairy production systems Produce heat-resistant endospores= persistence and biofilm formation

Answer 8

Exopolysaccharides Amyloid-like fibres- soluble proteins that fold and are cross-linked into insoluble fibres Resistance to environmental attacks Mutating either of these things changes physiology of the biofilms

Answer 9

Network of storage tanks Fermentation vessel- culturing microbes Strict process control- standard operating protocols and microbial quality control- heaps of cleaning Contamination can enter, and once biofilm is established is hard to remove Monitoring and control measures essential to prevent spoilage and ensure consumer safety

Answer 10

Implemented since early 1900s Cheap chemical agents eg chlorine and NaOH, acids Chlorination most commonly used by ineffective against some microbes (resistant= biofouling of RO membrane) and chlorine detergents cant remove biofilms (leave EPS matrix intact) Cold water and acid wash immediately after milking Hot water and NaOH wash= removes adhered residues of proteins and fat (atleast twice a week) Cold water acid wash after each alkali wash= removes minerals, kills remaining bacteria and neutralises alkali solution Final wash with detergent

Answer 11

Donate protons/ hydrogens Extremely reactive, break apart chemical structures Have different strengths Cells disintegrate but dont die

Answer 12

Accept protons (strip from other molecules) Found in cleaners Burns liquefactive necrosis where cells are completely digested by hydrolytic enzymes produced by damaging epithelial cells

Answer 13

Marine pests and diseases in boat biofouls= threat to marine environment and resources All vessels must provide evidence of biofoul management- clean hull cleaned before visit and antifouling coating approved treatment

Answer 14

Slime layer Green algae <50mm Brown and red algae <4mm Coverage of one organism type <1%, isolated individuals or small cluster, single species (tube worms, barnacles)

Answer 15

Clean niche areas- protrusions, recesses in deck, unpainted areas of hull Maintenance procedures- paint with antifouling paints, marine growth prevention systems eg approved chemicals, steam blow-out pipes

Answer 16

Explosion of a deep water oil rig 5 million barrels of oil in the Gulf of mexico- release of petroleum 1000m deep Oil between seafloor and surface Gas bubbles and oil droplets formed and lateral transport= plumes

Answer 17

Dispersants (grease cutting soaps) were released, broke oil into small particles that merge with deep sea water at specific density Oil travelled in many directions- marine snow pulls it to the sea floor while wind and current moves it to coasts, beaches and islands Found that 22% of oil had been cleared a few years later from microbes in the sediments- mineralised oil to CO2 and H2O or immobilised as biomass

Answer 18

Where microbes are used to break down environment pollutants- traditional biodegradation or used for engineered process which is fast Cleans the environment, need certain microbes and a certain amount of them Have to find the microbes to do this

Answer 19

Natural products derived from algae and waste accumulates overtime as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons (combustible) Some marine microbes turn hydrocarbons into CO2 and energy, use pollutants as source for growth Cannot breakdown polyaromatic hydrocarbons, toxic to eukaryotes (ring structures)

Answer 20

Alcanivorax borkumensis and Oleispira antarctica Enhance cleaning of oil spills on land Requirements for bacterial survival need to be taken into account- makes it difficult to use eg temperature, specific nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorus, oil spills often in zones of the sea where bacteria cant live

Answer 21

Aerobic Propagates in seawater containing crude oil Oil leakage increased P and N= natural nutrient and the more nutrients= better growth Bacteria produce biosurfactants- breakdown surface tension of water, oil forms into droplets and bacteria cover oil droplets with biofilm, replicate and oil will disappear over time

Answer 22

Aerobic/ anaerobic Cold marine species Can degrade oil in cold and deep water Grow between 1-15degC Challenge to use as have to mimic conditions in deep sea water to use them which is not easy

Answer 23

Eat diesel fuel and other petroleum products Mycelia reduced toxic compounds in diesel contaminated soil by 95% in a month Other fungal species are able to break down chemicals such as polyurethane and other pesticides and herbicides Slow process

Answer 24

Produces H2O2 via normal metabolic processes Chemical reaction with recalcitrant compounds Breakdown of broad spectrum of environmental pollutants eg polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (rare) Downside is they also degrade other environmental products such as wood

Answer 25

Immobilisation of polluting chemicals Traditional- monitoring of natural biodegradation Engineered- biostimulation (adding nutrients= environmental modification to promote growth of bacteria you want to) or bioaugmentation (adding seed microbes- add certain microbes to do it or help other microbes, degrade specific soil or groundwater contaminants eg chlorinated solvents or petroleum)

Answer 26

Stimulation of exisiting microbes Fertilizer addition to stimulate naturally occurring bacteria Natural aeration= water movement Cost reduction Natural processes publicly acceptable Reduction in environment stress- less disturbance as keep the natural balance/ natural system Destruction of a wide variety of contaminants

Answer 27

Unpredictable or unsuccessful- can go in a different direction and cause something we dont want- enhance things we dont want to enhance Biological competition Toxic compounds in the environment- can prevent extra growth and keep microbes at their threshold= unsuccessful Concentration dependent Slow process

Answer 28

Nutrients Number of bacteria- whats the threshold needed to not be dilutes Disturbing ecological niches- outgrow or outcompete with balance of natural habitats Fail to thrive in environment

Answer 29

200 rod shaped bacteria species Opportunistic pathogen Can protect crops from pests and disease Can seed clouds to create rainfall- cools vapor into precipitation Utilise petroleum products toluene, carbazole, carbon tetrachloride Used to clean spills

Answer 30

Slow natural process where everything is broken down Eg organic waste decomposes in landfills and replenish ecosystems Microbes degrade organic matter slowly

Answer 31

International treaty to ban chemicals Go to biodegradable plastics and solvents (still slow) Instead of harsh chemicals use biocatalysts- natural to speed up process eg thermophilic enzymes Bio-renewable fuels- hydrogen production (natural gas)

Answer 32

Fragmentation- surface level, modification of material properties by UV radiation, mechanical forces and some microorganisms- into a size bacteria can use Hydrolysis- microbes produce extracellular enzymes to degrade polymers to oligomers and monomers, anaerobic produces methane and aerobic produces CO2 and H2O Assimilation/ mineralisation- microorganisms utilise the products

Answer 33

Naturally occurring microbes Penicillum, Aspergillus, Pseudomonas sp Degrade non-biodegradable PET, PS, PE- consume for growth, secrete PETase to breakdown PET into building blocks, slow degradation time Mealworm and waxworm gut microbes have ability to biodegrade plastic

Answer 34

Unnatural compounds introduced into environment by humans DDT- pesticide/ insecticide to control malaria and typhus- leads to bald eagle reproductive defects (eg shell thinning), breast cancer from estrogen antagonism, declining sperm counts and increased risk of testicular cancer

Answer 35

Cant be degraded due to ring structures with chlorine atoms DDT- 4 years Malathion- 1 week (no rings or Cl) 2,4-D- 4 weeks Atrazine- 40 weeks

Answer 36

Ring structures are highly complex Stable C-halogen bonds which are highly chlorinated Very recalcitrant to microbial attack, shortage of appropriate enzymes to degrade them

Answer 37

Reduce organochlorides Converted to DDE and DDD Co-metabolism of facultative and obligate anaerobic microbes

Answer 38

Waste used directly by another organism or are converted Decompose Becomes part of the soil- soil gives nutrients back to plants that are then eaten again by animals and humans and further returned to the soil as waste

Answer 39

Eradicate any human pathogen Separate wastewater into sludge and a dissolved fraction containing water, organic material, bacteria and salts Reduce organic load- microbes, insoluble debris, soluble organic matter Remove chemical compounds- N and P Environmental save for marine disposal

Answer 40

Primary- passed through milliscreens, everything that doesnt go through goes to landfill as waste Primary clarifier- separate suspended solids from liquid, gravity pulls smaller particles into sludge, lighter solids accumulate at the top and accumulate as scum, sludge into wate disposal Secondary treatment- aeration basins provide oxygen, microbes feed on nutrients, clusters of bacteria form Secondary clarifier- separates bacterial clusters from liquid through flocculation, centrifugation occurs Final treatment- disinfection with chlorine, then filtration with gravel or sand, and then UV light disinfection Release into harbour

Answer 41

Isolation and characterisation of microbes in unique habitats Lab condition tests on ability to perform bioremediation- no insight into specific microbes Culture based technique- however many are unculturable= issue DNA techniques to explore microbes responsible for bioremediation

Answer 42

16S rRNA sequencing of microbial community Omics approaches- genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metablomics and fluxomics Phylogeny to separate

Answer 43

Discover novel microbes not accessible with traditional culturing Explore metagenomes of contaminated environment samples for their microbial communities= insight in diversity Allows to design and develop efficient strains of microbes to do things eg improve metabolism of different xenobiotics

Answer 44

Soil bacterium and plant coloniser Adapted to survive in harsh conditions and stresses Metabolic and physiological robustness Use variety of carbon and nitrogen sources Synthetic biology/ omics can be used to engineer new and optimised strains

Answer 45

Manipulation of entire cell Enhance production by inactivating competing pathways Increase intracellular level of essential precursors Nutrient source uptake By-product formation

Answer 46

Dont know the cell and dont know what other outcomes may occur from one change that is made Can lead to dad-end substrates being produced- reactive intermediates, cannot be metabolised, bacteria stop growing Restructuring of existing pathways or development of new pathways (different enzymes or organisms) to overcome

Answer 47

DCA and TCP are made which are toxic chlorinated compounds= carcinogenic, mutagenic and have reproductive effects Used as degreasing agent and solvent Highly toxic Recalcitrant in environment Spread via groundwater flows- higher density and lighter than water

Answer 48

Contamination mainly due to leakages and improper disposal Xanthobacter autotrophicus can degrade naturally Haloalkane dehalogenase hydrolyses on C-Cl bond Dehydrogenase enzymes produce chloroacetic acid Dehalogenase converts into glycolic acid which becomes biomass Could introduce into P.putida for large scale industrial application Issue: dont know effects as other toxic compounds are made and could kill cells- dont know how the change will effect the whole pathway

Answer 49

Natural organisms cant mineralise TCP Similar structural components are biodegradable Protein and metabolic engineering can be done to construct microbes with improved catabolic activities to degrade TCP

Answer 50

Haloalkane dehalogenase enzymes from DCA degradation- engineer with expanded substrate range Site directed mutagenesis and modification of tunnel proteins to be less selective Introduce improved dehalogenase in host organisms- when in plasmid= many copies, degradation of TCP in culture but failed to grow on TCP as sole carbon source as need more pathways to be expressed at the same time, slow growth on TCP when in chromosome as only one copy Chromosome more attractive for bioremediation but no resistance markers

Answer 51

Genetic modification techniques approved in labs but cant be distributed Not good as is safer and cost effective in comparison to other things eg in pest control, not ideal for pharmaceutical research and inability to enhance production capacity of crops and animals Imported products can be brought in but not distributed, only equine influenza vaccine (GMO) is allowed to be used No commercial crops grown, no meat sold