Microbial Primers
In the constantly evolving world of microbiology, new research and discoveries can often be overwhelming. ‘Microbial Primers’ is a series of short articles designed to simplify and illuminate intricate microbiological concepts, making them easily digestible and accessible. Each article in the series focuses on a specific subject, distilling it to the most fundamental points, and explaining its importance in the wider scientific context. The series serves as a starting point, to encourage further exploration and discovery in the fascinating world of microbes. Whether you're an early career researcher or an established scientist looking to broaden your horizons, ‘Microbial Primers’ is your first-step navigational tool in the expansive landscape of microbiology.
Photo credit: iStock/SpicyTruffel
Collection Contents
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Microbial Primer: Cooperation in bacteria
More LessThe growth and success of many bacteria appear to rely on a stunning range of cooperative behaviours. But what is cooperation and how is it studied?
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Microbial Primer: Lipopolysaccharide – a remarkable component of the Gram-negative bacterial surface
More LessLipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a fundamental tripartite glycolipid found on the surface of nearly all Gram-negative bacteria. It acts as a protective shield for the bacterial cell and is a potent agonist of the innate immune system. This primer serves to introduce the basic properties of LPS, its function in bacterial physiology and pathogenicity, and its use as a therapeutic target.
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Microbial Primer: Bacterial growth kinetics
More LesstGrowth of microorganisms and interpretation of growth data are core skills required by microbiologists. While science moves forward, it is of paramount importance that essential skills are not lost. The bacterial growth curve and the information that can gleaned from it is of great value to all of microbiology, whether this be a simple growth experiment, comparison of mutant strains or the establishment of conditions for a large-scale multi-omics experiment. Increasingly, the basics of plotting and interpreting growth curves and growth data are being overlooked. This primer article serves as a refresher for microbiologists on the fundamentals of microbial growth kinetics.
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Microbial Primer: The bacterial flagellum – how bacteria swim
More LessBacteria swim using membrane-spanning, electrochemical gradient-powered motors that rotate semi-rigid helical filaments. This primer provides a brief overview of the basic synthesis, structure and operation of these nanomachines. Details and variations on the basic system can be found in suggested further reading.
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Microbial Primer: In vivo biofilm
More LessIn this primer on biofilms and their role in infections, we trace the historical roots of microbial understanding from Van Leeuwenhoek’s observations to Bill Costerton’s groundbreaking work, which solidified biofilms' significance in infections. In vivo biofilm research, investigating patient samples and utilizing diverse host models, has yielded invaluable insights into these complex microbial communities. However, it comes with several challenges, particularly regarding replicating biofilm infections accurately in the laboratory. In vivo biofilm analyses involve various techniques, revealing biofilm architecture, composition, and behaviour, while gaps in knowledge persist regarding infection initiation and source, diversity, and the Infectious Microenvironment (IME). Ultimately, the study of biofilms in infections remains a dynamic and evolving field poised to transform our approach to combat biofilm-associated diseases.
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Microbial Primer: Transposon directed insertion site sequencing (TraDIS): A high throughput method for linking genotype to phenotype
Genetic screens are a key tool for linking phenotype and genotype. Transposon mutagenesis was one of the first genetic methodologies to associate genetic loci with phenotypes. The advent of next-generation sequencing transformed the use of this technique allowing rapid interrogation of whole genomes for genes that correlate with phenotype. One method is transposon directed insertion-site sequencing (TraDIS). Here we describe the method, recent developments in technology, and the advantages and disadvantages of this method compared to other genetic screening tools.
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Microbial Primer: Multidrug efflux pumps
More LessMultidrug efflux pumps are molecular machines that sit in the bacterial cell membrane and pump molecules out from either the periplasm or cytoplasm to outside the cell. While involved in a variety of biological roles, they are primarily known for their contribution to antibiotic resistance by limiting the intracellular accumulation of antimicrobial compounds within bacteria. These transporters are often overexpressed in clinical isolates, leading to multidrug-resistant phenotypes. Efflux pumps are classified into several families based on their structure and understanding the characteristics of each family is important for the development of novel therapies to restore antibiotic potency.
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Microbial Primer: LuxR-LuxI Quorum Sensing
More LessQuorum sensing is a term describing bacterial cell-to-cell communication systems for monitoring and responding to changes in population density. This primer serves as an introduction to the canonical LuxR-LuxI-type quorum sensing circuits common to many species of Gram-negative bacteria. Quorum sensing can synchronize behaviours across a community. Different species employ quorum sensing strategies to control specific behaviours such as bioluminescence, virulence factor production, secondary metabolite production, and biofilm formation.
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Microbial Primer: An introduction to biofilms – what they are, why they form and their impact on built and natural environments
More LessBiofilms are complex communities of microbes that are bound by an extracellular macromolecular matrix produced by the residents. Biofilms are the predominant form of microbial life in the natural environment and although they are the leading cause of chronic infections, they are equally deeply connected to our ability to bioremediate waste and toxic materials. Here we highlight the emergent properties of biofilm communities and explore notable biofilms before concluding by providing examples of their major impact on our health and both natural and built environments.
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Microbial Primer: The logic of bacterial plasmids
More LessThis short primer is intended to give an overview of bacterial plasmids for those not yet familiar with these fascinating genetic elements. It covers their basic properties but does not attempt to cover the diversity of phenotypic properties that can be encoded by plasmids, and includes suggestions for further reading.
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