A Most Bitter Enemy
by Mechas — Uncovering the diversity of bacterial defenses against their most abundant enemies.
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Deep-Sea Viruses Wreak Havoc
Noteworthy — Absorbed in our daily activities and concerns, personal, local or global, we remain largely unaware of how life unfolds on this planet. Viruses, and especially those in our vast oceans, play a major life-defining role.
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Not a bad hair day for Phage 7–7‑1
Noteworthy — While the phages χ and PBS1 attach to the flagella of their hosts via the tail fibers, phage 7–7‑1 of Agrobacterium sp. H13‑3 has another trick up its sleeve – or better: on its head (capsid). Noteborn et al. Found that phage 7–7‑1 sports a bunch of dreadlocks on its head, proteinaceous fibers with which it attaches to host flagella.
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Genomic Dark Matter
by Mechas — Discovering microscopic organisms and elements that exist at the edge of sight is no easy task. New tools designed to explore this mysterious world reveal previously unknown elements and uncover a complex web of forms whose secrets remain to be fully unraveled.
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Searching for ΦX174
The search for ΦX174 was the task that our fellow blogger naturepoker set himself some time ago. His search was not in some largely forgotten and iced-over box in the back corner of a –80°C freezer. Instead, he searched the literature as to when and where this bacteriophage was first described. Naturepoker has recorded the result of this sleuthing...
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Phage & Bacteria: A Space for Mutual Co-Existence
by Roberto — Phage-bacteria population dynamics can be remarkably complex. This is reflected in the natural history of both; new phage defense systems in bacteria and anti-defense systems in phage seem to be discovered daily. Behind these intricate strategies to help in the reproductive success of each lies the basic problem of any predator-prey relationship.
