Studies of ion channels have for long been dominated by the animalcentric, if not anthropocentric, view of physiology. The structures and activities of ion channels had, however, evolved long before the appearance of complex multicellular organisms on earth. The diversity of ion channels existing in cellular membranes of prokaryotes is a good example. Although at first it may appear as a parado...

The germicidal effects of a non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma generated by a novel resistive barrier discharge on representatives of the two classes of bacteria (Gram-negative and Gram-positive) are discussed. The plasma exposure, while being lethal to both bacterial classes, also produced gross structural damage in the Gram-negative E. coli while none was observed in the more structu...

An accurate quantification of magnetic force microscope images has been accomplished. The magnetosomes produced by magnetotactic bacteria, an ideal micromagnetic model system, were the specimens used for the quantification (a moment on the order of 10 IJ emu). Magnetic force microscopes (MFMs) are a variant of the non-contact AFM in which magnetic fields have been imaged with submicron resoluti...

Take Toxoplasma gondii, the single-celled parasite. When mice are infected by it, they suffer the grave misfortune of becoming attracted to cats. Once a cat inevitably consumes the doomed creature, the parasite can complete its life cycle inside its new host. Or consider Cordyceps, the parasitic fungus that can grow into the brain of an insect. The fungus can force an ant to climb a plant befor...

The size range of life forms is dictated by basic principles of physics. Large microorganisms, with sizes approaching a millimeter, have compensating features that address the immutable laws of physics. For pathogens, size may impact a range of functions, such as adherence and immune evasion. We review several recent studies on factors impacting, and impacted by, the size of microorganisms.

In an earlier peper [ I ] on the experimental evd~~iit ioll of cyhernetic models for 1)acterial growth on multiple substrates, we presented certain hasic postulates 1)ased on all existing experimental literatnre known to us that all models for bacterial growth in a multisuhstrate environment must satisfy. At the suggestion of one of the reviewers of that paper, we are presenting an analysis of ...

the major components of biological systems on this earth. You have studied about the diversity of living organisms in Class XI. Do you remember which Kingdoms among the living organisms contain micro-organisms? Which are the ones that are only microscopic? Microbes are present everywhere – in soil, water, air, inside our bodies and that of other animals and plants. They are present even at site...

Walk on the small side. Nanotechnology meets Microbiology thanks to the high versatility of synthetic routes in microorganisms, leading to the production of nanoparticles of biotechnological and biomedical interest.

Background: Docetaxel is the standard first-line agent for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC). The combination of docetaxel with molecularly targeted therapies may offer the potential to increase the efficacy and decrease the toxicity of cytotoxic chemotherapy for prostate cancer. Previous studies demonstrate activation of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EG...