Bacteria against pollution
Pseudomonas are aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria. They can use over one hundred organic compounds as a source of energy and carbon. Because of this, some strains have been used to remove highly polluting, hard-to-degrade compounds, such as some components of oil, fungicides, pesticides and herbicides. Research is testing several methods to use these bacteria in ecological disasters caused by oil leaks from tankers. In particular, strains are being selected in an attempt to find those that are able to feed on oil. These micro-organisms break up the masses of crude oil that float on the water or soil the beaches and destroy them through digestion.
Special reports
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3 November 2014
Conan the bacterium
Have you ever leafed through the pages of a book of Guinness World Records? You can find records of all…
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2 July 2014
A hoax? No thank you, I prefer to find out myself!
In Italian, bufala: a hoax, also means a female buffalo...
12 October 2020
Crispr-Cas9, the gene factory
Nobel 2020. The biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier, French, and Jennifer A. Doudna, from the United States, were awarded the most important…
10 May 2020
A virus’s life
What are viruses Virus is a Latin word meaning poison. Viruses do not eat, breathe, move or reproduce on their…
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29 February 2020
Let’s find out about viruses
Parasites at the edge of life Virus is a Latin word meaning poison. Viruses are pathogens (they make you ill)…
31 October 2019
What language does science speak? 2nd part
There is an old proverb that says “the apple does not fall far from the tree ”. Apparently it seems…
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3 November 2014
Conan the bacterium
Have you ever leafed through the pages of a book of Guinness World Records? You can find records of all…
-
2 July 2014
A hoax? No thank you, I prefer to find out myself!
In Italian, bufala: a hoax, also means a female buffalo...
-
12 October 2020
Crispr-Cas9, the gene factory
Nobel 2020. The biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier, French, and Jennifer A. Doudna, from the United States, were awarded the most important…
10 May 2020
A virus’s life
What are viruses Virus is a Latin word meaning poison. Viruses do not eat, breathe, move or reproduce on their…
-
3 November 2014
Conan the bacterium
Have you ever leafed through the pages of a book of Guinness World Records? You can find records of all…
From the Multimedia section
Facts
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Bio-luminescence
Many sea animals, including a lot of fish and molluscs that live in the dark in the ocean depths...
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Bacteria as Sherlock Holmes
A drop of blood, a fragment of skin or a hair found on the scene of a crime can supply…
Down-pouring bacteria
It sounds incredible, but recent researches have found that bacteria can cause some atmospheric phenomena...
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Who lives well with low oxygen?
<i><span style="font-style: normal; " class="Apple-style-span"><i><em>Aquandriella fermentas</em> </i>lives in stagnant waters and can stand complete anaerobiosis...</span></i>
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13 May 2011
Bio-luminescence
Many sea animals, including a lot of fish and molluscs that live in the dark in the ocean depths...
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Bacteria as Sherlock Holmes
A drop of blood, a fragment of skin or a hair found on the scene of a crime can supply…
-
Down-pouring bacteria
It sounds incredible, but recent researches have found that bacteria can cause some atmospheric phenomena...
-
Bio-luminescence
Many sea animals, including a lot of fish and molluscs that live in the dark in the ocean depths...