Bacillus odysseus exospore
Case Study: Bacillus odysseus: Microbe isolated from Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars Explorer (before going to Mars!!)
Original technical description
(This is the original technical description of a new species of bacteria. Try reading this technical original research article. It may be a challenge now, but if you can struggle through some of its meaning and vocabulary, it will be a huge help for the rest of the semester. One way to think of the goal for this entire semester would be to fully understand the significance of this one article!!)
Mars Odyssey mission home page [link]
The Evolution of Life and Deep Time
(interactive history of the universe and earth)
T.P. history of life--classroom activity
1. Read selection from Lynn Margulis' A Garden of Microbial Delights [PDF download]
2. In laboratory: Ubiquity of Micro-Organisms (Lab Module 6) and Absence of Microbes Challenge. (Lab Modules 2-3, 13 are background for this activity) [handout link
3. Functional Characteristics of Life [Class presentation--PPT download]
3. Food for Thought: Life on Mars
4. Thought question (for Wikis in class)[link]:
Does JPL sterilization pre-adapt microbes to survive space travel?
The ubiquity of Micro-Organisms
Diversity of Microbes
1. Visit Tree of Life Project [link]
2. Class Presentations:
Prokaryotes--Archaea and Bacteria
3. Resources on Microbial Diversity:
Microbial Realm (photos of reps of all microbial groups)
Comprehensive List of Pathogenic Bacteria
Mycology Online (gallery and more with focus on pathogenic fungi from University of Adelaide and medical training program)
The Big Picture Book of Viruses
Fungus and Actinomycete Photo Gallery
Parasites and Parasitic Resources (from Ohio State University--photo gallery and taxonomic, other info on Protozoan and eukaryotic parasites)
Try reading again. Original technical description
Anticipates rest of semester:
- Unit 2. Microbial physiology: What are requirements for growth? How do bacteria survive at JPL? What makes new species of bacteria--what is role of gene sequences, proteins, metabolic pathways?
- Unit 3: Microbial Environments: What other environments to Bacillus live in? Pathogenic Bacillus?
- Unit 4: Immunity and fighting disease: How good are sterilization techniques?
Mars Odyssey mission home page [link]
The Cell as a City: Finding your Way Around. A guided tour of the basics of cellular metabolism using a city as a metaphor with your British tour guides, Keith and Caroline, on a double-decker bus. (nice review of cell biology)