Vampire Bacteria discoverd

Well, this is an interesting article, I think. They say that the bacteria, called Micavibrio aeruginosavorus, was discovered about 30 years ago, in waste water.

A "vampire" bacteria species, which survives solely by sucking the life out of other bacteria, has had its genome sequenced, revealing its potential to serve as a living antibiotic. Researchers discovered that the bacterium hunts down prey and attaches itself to the outer layer, or cell wall, of its victim, then sucks them dry of nutrients and energy. In the end, the "victim" bacteria is dead, which could present a very useful strategy for treating bacteria-based human diseases. "Pathologists may eventually be able to use this bacterium to fight fire with fire, so to speak, as a bacterium that will aggressively hunt for and attack certain other bacteria that are extremely harmful to humans," study researcher Martin Wu said in a statement.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Virginia used modern genetic techniques to isolate and sequence the genome of the "vampire bacteria." The genome showed that the vampire bacteria aren't able to survive on their own, even if all vital nutrients are available. That's because they don't have the genes necessary to transport some integral nutrients through their cell wall, so they need to get them directly from other bacteria.

The team also discovered a group of genes that likely play a role in how the vampire bacteria seek out and attach to their prey, and genes that enable them to transport nutrients and energy from the bacteria they eat. The researchers analyzed what genes were turned on during different phases of the bacteria species' life. When they are "on the hunt," before they settle into their vampirelike existence, genes were turned on that regulated the movement of the bacteria's tail and the sensing of chemical signals in the environment. But during the attach-and-suck-dry phase, the researchers noticed that genes involved in protein production got turned on. Those genes likely helped to build the bridges between the two bacterial cells and for the vampire bacteria to grow and divide in response to the available nutrients.

Scientists have known that these kinds of vampire bacteria species attack many different kinds of bacteria, including those that cause chronic lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. If this vampire could be tamed to kill off these lung infections, it could greatly improve survival of cystic fibrosis patients who often succumb to lung complications of their disease by the time they reach 40, the researchers said. New approaches like these are needed to control bacterial populations, especially those dangerous to human health, Wu said. Traditional antibiotics breed resistance as the bacteria adapt to the drugs and "escape" their antibacterial effects. This resistance leads to super-bugs, bacteria that are resistant to multiple kinds of drugs. Using a living antibacterial agent like the vampire bacteria would enable this bacterial "treatment" to adapt along with the harmful bacteria, decreasing the likelihood that this resistance would develop, the researchers noted. With the sequence of the vampire bacteria genome in hand, researchers will be able to better understand how it seeks out and attacks specific kinds of bacterial prey.

This could, eventually, enable the scientists to tailor-make vampire bacteria to attack just a single type of disease causing bacteria. "It is possible that a living antibiotic such as M. aeruginosavorus — because it so specifically targets certain pathogens — could potentially reduce our dependence on traditional antibiotics and help mitigate the drug-resistance problem we are now facing," Wu said.

I think this could be an interesting development, as it pertains to its effects on humans...I can't help but wonder about this, because in one of the cemeteries in the city where I live was using waste water to irrigate and water the lawn. There were signs all around it that said not to drink the water because it was non-potable. This just gives me the heebee jeebies thinking about it. On the other hand, maybe it can be used for a positive cause, that is, of course, it doesn't start the zombie apocalypse...

news.yahoo.com...;


Mod Edit: External Source Tags Instructions – Please Review This Link.

if there is any place the zombie apocalypse will start it is the Bio-engineering field. I do like the fact that this bacteria has no way to sustain itself outside of its vampiric ways, that means when the infection is gone the treatment will self eradicate.
However, there is always the lesson about life and how it wants to progress and survive, who is to say that a harnessed bacteria wont, "jump the fence" and become a bane instead of a boon.

In all things I like contemplation and careful study.

This might look awesome to people that's been out of the loop, but if you are of science field, its already a common knowledge, they are known. They are part of the predator bacteria group, like organized gangs

Wow. I find this so fascinating and creepy.The implications could be wonderful and devastating at the same time. This is one of those moments in which science can take one of two roads. The first being the high road in which this is manufactured to attack strains like MRSA. Which is close to me because my Uncle being a diabetic is being systematicly destroyed by this bacteria from the inside out.He's already lost both his legs and it's in his lungs. Something like this could save his life. Then I think of the most likely potential for this as a weapon to destroy all the good bacteria inside humans like the ones that aide in digestion and using it as biological weapon. Why is when humans are given a choice to either save or destroy we end up with the latter of the two?

T-Virus anyone?
Seriously once its food source i eradicated would it switch to attacking human cells? That would be a case where the cure was more dangerous than the disease.

Originally posted by rcanem
T-Virus anyone?
Seriously once its food source i eradicated would it switch to attacking human cells? That would be a case where the cure was more dangerous than the disease.

Either that, or they die, killing you with the toxins they release when they die ....
quite a common effect, causes all sorts of nasty diseases, like Septicaemia, Botulism (the most powerful neurotoxin), etc....

you can find quite a nice article here :
textbookofbacteriology.net...

Originally posted by rcanem
T-Virus anyone?
Seriously once its food source i eradicated would it switch to attacking human cells? That would be a case where the cure was more dangerous than the disease.

They have a very specific range of bacteria they can attack. They would be tailor made to kill a specific pathogen and be unable to attack anything else.

Originally posted by Hellhound604

Originally posted by rcanem
T-Virus anyone?
Seriously once its food source i eradicated would it switch to attacking human cells? That would be a case where the cure was more dangerous than the disease.

Either that, or they die, killing you with the toxins they release when they die ....
quite a common effect, causes all sorts of nasty diseases, like Septicaemia, Botulism (the most powerful neurotoxin), etc....

you can find quite a nice article here :
textbookofbacteriology.net...

Definitely an either or, there is no way it could die off and not kill you.