The study relates to the speed of bacterial growth relative to the efficiency of it and making this interesting should get me an Oscar in writing screenplays. (Science Daily: Revving the microbial engine: Horsepower versus fuel efficiency in bacterial genomes)
Insofar as some bacteria react to changes more quickly than others, we have our symbolic jumping frogs but the unusual part is whatever may be driving the reaction / growth when the cause may be oil or herbicide pollution. The bacteria which show stable and efficient growth patterns aren't much good for responding to such situations but other bacteria respond rapidly so the sciencers need to find out why.
In the growth-rate study, Schmidt and his colleagues conducted a comparative analysis of genomes from 1,167 bacterial species. In each genome, they counted the number of copies of the genes that code for the RNA molecules in ribosomes. The number of copies varied from 1 to 15 per bacterial genome. - Science Daily
Previous studies showed that soon after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, there was a bloom of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria containing nine copies of the ribosomal RNA genes. In terrestrial environments, bacteria that responded quickest to the addition of 2,4-D, an herbicide that is metabolized by bacteria, had more copies of the ribosomal RNA genes than those that responded slowly. - Science Daily
Insofar as some bacteria react to changes more quickly than others, we have our symbolic jumping frogs but the unusual part is whatever may be driving the reaction / growth when the cause may be oil or herbicide pollution. The bacteria which show stable and efficient growth patterns aren't much good for responding to such situations but other bacteria respond rapidly so the sciencers need to find out why.
In the growth-rate study, Schmidt and his colleagues conducted a comparative analysis of genomes from 1,167 bacterial species. In each genome, they counted the number of copies of the genes that code for the RNA molecules in ribosomes. The number of copies varied from 1 to 15 per bacterial genome. - Science Daily
Without going into any detail about what RNA molecules or ribosomes do, we see immediately there's tremendous variation between bacterial genomes for how many they have to use and this turns out to be the best measure found so far to indicate how quickly such genomes will grow in response to something. In this way the sciencers differentiate between the efficient growers who maintain a stable long-term pattern of growth and the fast growers which will manifest various changes when the environment changes.
There's some specific purpose in doing this type of research because some types of bacteria, the ones which show fast growth, can break down oil products after an oil spill. The same is said by them to be true for that type of herbicide.
The first question became what's happening after the Deepwater Horizon disaster and that revealed sudden appearance of bacteria which can go at least a small distance toward breaking the oil down. Now that they have shown what about the bacteria drives this, they can possibly moving forward to harness the knowledge in some specific process toward dealing with oil spills with a biological solution.
The oil spills will keep coming as the ex-Sir Fred Goodwin business model for corporate incompetence still lives. He took down Royal Bank of Scotland and nearly the entire UK economy with it in part due to simple hubris when he bought something the bank didn't need (i.e. ABN AMRO in Netherlands) and didn't add any particular value yet he found a way to spend far more than it was worth.
That principle was most recently employed the the Shell CEO who paid billions to drill the deepest well on Earth even when he does it for a loss because of falling oil prices. That site carries even more risk than the Deepwater Horizon but never let risk stop a corporate decision. Maybe that CEO can wind up with a Knighthood as well but it didn't last too long with that scurrilous slutdog, Goodwin, and he lives in luxurious disgrace to this day because UK doesn't punish wayward bankers either.
Regardless of the CEO reality show of plastic corporate prostitutes, someone has to clean up their mess and so the oil-eating bacteria along with the scientific interest in understanding them. When scientists determine how to get the bacteria to start eating CEOs instead, the problem will be solved completely.
This doesn't lead to sci fi but rather a horror movie which won't scare anyone. Oh, nooooo, the bacterial blob which came to eat New York ... or at least Wall Street. Are you scared or will you help them get it done?? (larfs)
(Ed: oy, Mac, don't be holding your breath on that Oscar!)
No worries as I didn't think it was likely but I just had to give it a try. Tallyho, pip pip, and all that.
(Ed: oy, Mac, don't be holding your breath on that Oscar!)
No worries as I didn't think it was likely but I just had to give it a try. Tallyho, pip pip, and all that.
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