What is a microbiologist?

10 μm

Dr. Gregory Palmer, Ph.D.
The University of Texas at Austin
What does micro mean?

Small
What does bio mean?

Life!
BACTERIA
• Single celled

• Microscopic organisms
• Micrometers (μm)
• smaller than a strand hair
Where do bacteria live?

Almost everywhere
there’s water
You are made up of:

human cells
~1014 cells

bacterial cells
~1015 cells

10 times more bacteria?!
A white blood cell “chases” Staphylococcus aureus
D. Rogers, Vanderbilt University; dnatube.com
What do bacteria do?
Most bacteria (~99.99999%) are HARMLESS!

Lactobacillus acidophilus
Helps digest food, makes vitamins

~0.00001% bacteria can cause disease

Staphylococcus

Streptococcus

Infects human tissue—can make you very sick

Strep throat
How do we stop bad bacteria??

Important: bacteria and viruses are very different!
Antibiotics don’t work on viruses like the flu or the
common cold!
Where do antibiotics come from?
• Humans have basically never come up with an
antibiotic on our own… we always steal them
from nature!
• Most of our current antibiotics come from
bacteria and fungi that live in the soil
• We need to find new antibiotics, because
bacteria are becoming resistant to the ones
we have now!
My lab looks for bacteria that
MAKE antibiotics

Streptomyces bacteria are known to make antibiotics
Collecting soil samples and isolating
bacteria

We spread soil samples on plates like these that
have the right kind of food for the bacteria we want.
When the bacteria grow up, they look like this!
Sometimes we just mess around…

Bacterial Abe Lincoln!

Bacterial longhorn!

SCIENCE IS FUN!!!!
What did we learn?
• Microbiology is the study of microbes
– Microscopic, single-celled living organisms

• There are more bacteria cells in your body than
human cells! That’s okay because most bacteria
are harmless and some are helpful.
• Almost all the antibiotics we have came from
bacteria and fungi that live in the soil!
• It’s important to look for new antibiotics, to fight
off resistant strains of bacteria that keep popping
up in hospitals and the community
Thanks!

“I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me ROAR”

Alli's class 112013

  • 1.
    What is amicrobiologist? 10 μm Dr. Gregory Palmer, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin
  • 2.
    What does micromean? Small
  • 3.
    What does biomean? Life!
  • 4.
    BACTERIA • Single celled •Microscopic organisms • Micrometers (μm) • smaller than a strand hair
  • 5.
    Where do bacterialive? Almost everywhere there’s water
  • 6.
    You are madeup of: human cells ~1014 cells bacterial cells ~1015 cells 10 times more bacteria?!
  • 7.
    A white bloodcell “chases” Staphylococcus aureus D. Rogers, Vanderbilt University; dnatube.com
  • 8.
  • 9.
    Most bacteria (~99.99999%)are HARMLESS! Lactobacillus acidophilus Helps digest food, makes vitamins ~0.00001% bacteria can cause disease Staphylococcus Streptococcus Infects human tissue—can make you very sick Strep throat
  • 10.
    How do westop bad bacteria?? Important: bacteria and viruses are very different! Antibiotics don’t work on viruses like the flu or the common cold!
  • 11.
    Where do antibioticscome from? • Humans have basically never come up with an antibiotic on our own… we always steal them from nature! • Most of our current antibiotics come from bacteria and fungi that live in the soil • We need to find new antibiotics, because bacteria are becoming resistant to the ones we have now!
  • 12.
    My lab looksfor bacteria that MAKE antibiotics Streptomyces bacteria are known to make antibiotics
  • 13.
    Collecting soil samplesand isolating bacteria We spread soil samples on plates like these that have the right kind of food for the bacteria we want. When the bacteria grow up, they look like this!
  • 14.
    Sometimes we justmess around… Bacterial Abe Lincoln! Bacterial longhorn! SCIENCE IS FUN!!!!
  • 15.
    What did welearn? • Microbiology is the study of microbes – Microscopic, single-celled living organisms • There are more bacteria cells in your body than human cells! That’s okay because most bacteria are harmless and some are helpful. • Almost all the antibiotics we have came from bacteria and fungi that live in the soil! • It’s important to look for new antibiotics, to fight off resistant strains of bacteria that keep popping up in hospitals and the community
  • 16.
    Thanks! “I got theeye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me ROAR”