The exact nature and function of the metachromatic (volutin) granules seen in many microorganisms is still a matter of conjecture although polymetaphosphates (polymers of highenergy anhydride-linked phosphates) are a known constituent. The object of this paper is to re-examine volutin as a cytological entity, and to present a working hypothesis on the mechanism of formation of this substance. T...

An important current issue of modern molecular medicine and biotechnology is the search for new approaches to early diagnostic assays and adequate therapy of infectious diseases. One of the promising solutions to this problem might be a development of nucleic acid aptamers capable of interacting specifically with bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Such aptamers can be used for the specific recogn...

Organisms were grown for periods varying from 20 to 48 hours in a peptone-yeast extract-glucose medium buffered at pH 6.8 to 7.0 with 0.05 Y phosphate buffer. Representative types which grew satisfactorily on this medium were selected for study. Cells were harvested by centrifugation and washed three times with water. The washed cells were suspended in a small volume of water, lyophilized, and ...

Management of water quality has been applied mainly to receiving waters contaminated by point sources of human pollution. Waters affected by point sources of pollution are usually subject to regulation, because the pollution frequently impacts bathing beaches or shellfish harvesting waters, as well as drinking-water supplies. Water resources contaminated by dispersed, unidentified sources of po...

Intracellular bacteria and viruses must survive the vigorous antimicrobial responses of their hosts to replicate successfully. The cellular process of autophagy — in which compartments bound by double membranes engulf portions of the cytosol and then mature to degrade their cytoplasmic contents — is likely to be one such host-cell response. Several lines of evidence show that both bacteria and ...

chemical foundation of these disciplines. The author avoids the principal pedagogic sin of talking, in an equal tone of voice, of subjects of widely varying importance. This is clearly one man's account, but it is balanced, reasonable, and so lucid that one can read it with pleasure. It is a pity that the production of the book is not of as high a standard as its contents. In the review copy a ...

Microbial colonization and alteration of basaltic glass J. Einen, C. Kruber, L. Øvreås, I. H. Thorseth, and T. Torsvik Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5, N-5020 Bergen, Norway Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allegt. 41, N-5007 Bergen, Norway Received: 20 December 2005 – Accepted: 5 January 2006 – Published: 7 March 2006 Correspondence to: J. Einen (jo...