#microbiology

[niqvassieart]

A little tiny microscopic dragon, rotifers passing by.

I've spent a lot of time peering down a microscope in the last few years, enjoying taking inspiration from the real tiny organisms to make one of my own.

[bioluminesced]

the xenomorph from alien drawn in bacterial culture on agar plates

[myxomycota]

a tiny springtail on Craterium minutum

by Barry Webb

[mindblowingscience]

Twilight fish study reveals unique hybrid eye cells

Researchers have identified a new type of visual cell in deep-sea fish larvae that challenges a century of knowledge about vertebrate visual

Researchers have identified a new type of visual cell in deep-sea fish larvae that challenges a century of knowledge about vertebrate visual systems. Dr. Fabio Cortesi from The University of Queensland's School of the Environment said the finding could lead to new camera technology and medical treatments. "For more than 150 years, textbooks have taught that vision in most vertebrates is made of cones and rods—cones which work in bright light and rods for dark situations," Dr. Cortesi said. "But our study of deep-sea fish larvae revealed a new cell type—a photoreceptor that optimizes vision in gloomy or twilight conditions.

Continue Reading.

[cl0ckworkpuppet]

fun new game!

https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

go to a random page on WikiSpecies (link above). look up the scientific name. what did you get?

a species i actually recognize

microscopic Thing

weird fucking bug

plant

animal that is bigger than a bug

fungus

name of a person

i cannot find any information on the thing i got

other / not listed here

Voting ended onFeb 9

[hope-for-the-planet]

Scientists reveal the potential of a tiny soil bacterium to beat the Haber-Bosch process

​A new review finds that biological ammonia production offers strong potential as a cleaner, greener alternative to the costly Haber-Bosch p

From the article:

Microbes such as Azotobacter can produce ammonia under ambient conditions and atmospheric pressure, unlike the traditional method that requires temperatures in the hundreds and high pressure, according to Dr. Nuttavut Kosem of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. Carbon Neutral Research Center (MCI-CNRC), Kyushu University, who led the review. [...] Dr Kosem’s research focuses on solar-to-chemical energy conversion through the integration of photocatalysts and biocatalytic enzymes to develop sustainable biofuel production systems. “The global production of ammonia, a key component for fertilizers and emerging energy systems, currently relies on the Haber–Bosch process, which consumes large amounts of energy and contributes significantly to carbon emissions. This creates an urgent need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives,” he explained. “In our work, we aimed to explore how biological systems can produce ammonia under mild, ambient conditions by using natural enzymatic processes. Specifically, we sought to understand how to improve the efficiency, stability, and scalability of these biological pathways to support future carbon-neutral ammonia production technologies.”

[xanaxfarts]

Tal Danino: Microuniverse (2015)