Luis Teixeira said that there was "a region of the Wolbachia genome responsible for regulation of its densities in the flies. This is the first study linking genes and their functions in this bacteria and it provides a unique point of entry for the understanding of the widespread insect-Wolbachia symbiosis"(Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia 1) Since we have a better understanding of how bacteria can effect small creatures such as flies, we should start/continue researching what could happen if a single genomic change occurred in one of the many bacteria in our own bodies.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Bacteria: The good and the bad
The human body is home to hundreds of different types of bacteria that we want and need. In a way we have a symbiotic relationship with many of the naturally occurring bacteria in our bodies. For example we benefit from them helping to maintain overgrowth of potential pathogens and they are able to reproduce and spread in our bodies. However as we all know too much of a good thing is not always good for us. Too many bacteria can become hazardous to us. "Ewa Chrostek and Luis Teixeira studied the symbiosis between a fruit fly and the bacterium Wolbachia to answer how
benign bacteria become pathogenic"(Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia 1) It was found that a single genomic change in the bacteria can make them deadly. The bacteria originally protected the fly and other insects from numerous viruses, but if they grew and reproduced too fast they could quickly become deadly.
Luis Teixeira said that there was "a region of the Wolbachia genome responsible for regulation of its densities in the flies. This is the first study linking genes and their functions in this bacteria and it provides a unique point of entry for the understanding of the widespread insect-Wolbachia symbiosis"(Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia 1) Since we have a better understanding of how bacteria can effect small creatures such as flies, we should start/continue researching what could happen if a single genomic change occurred in one of the many bacteria in our own bodies.
Luis Teixeira said that there was "a region of the Wolbachia genome responsible for regulation of its densities in the flies. This is the first study linking genes and their functions in this bacteria and it provides a unique point of entry for the understanding of the widespread insect-Wolbachia symbiosis"(Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia 1) Since we have a better understanding of how bacteria can effect small creatures such as flies, we should start/continue researching what could happen if a single genomic change occurred in one of the many bacteria in our own bodies.
Labels:
Bacteria,
fruit flies,
Genetics
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