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Related Concept Videos

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature01:27

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature

Microorganisms display remarkable adaptations, enabling them to thrive in diverse ecological niches across a wide range of temperatures. Temperature profoundly influences microbial growth by affecting enzymatic activity, membrane fluidity, and other cellular processes.Each microorganism operates within a specific temperature range defined by three cardinal points: minimum, optimum, and maximum. Below the minimum temperature, membranes lose fluidity, halting transport processes. Above the...
Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods01:27

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...
Key Techniques in Microbiology01:19

Key Techniques in Microbiology

Aseptic techniques prevent contamination, ensure experimental accuracy, and protect researchers and microbial cultures. These techniques are essential in clinical, industrial, and research settings where sterility is required.Maintaining Sterility in Laboratory PracticesScientists maintain sterility by sterilizing tools with heat or chemicals, disinfecting work surfaces, and handling cultures in controlled environments. Working near an open flame or within a laminar flow hood reduces the risk...
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Physical Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth: Temperature

Heat is a widely used method to control microbial growth by targeting and denaturing cellular proteins, thereby killing or inactivating microbes. This method's effectiveness is quantified using parameters such as the thermal death point (TDP), thermal death time (TDT), and decimal reduction time (D value). TDP represents the lowest temperature at which all microorganisms in a liquid suspension are eliminated within 10 minutes, whereas TDT is the time necessary to achieve sterilization at a...
Microbial Growth Measurement: Direct Methods01:23

Microbial Growth Measurement: Direct Methods

Direct methods for measuring microbial populations in a culture are essential tools in microbiology, providing quantitative data for various applications. Among these, microscopic counts, plate counts, and serial dilution are widely used techniques, each with unique principles and applications.Microscopic CountsMicroscopic counting involves the use of a Petroff-Hausser chamber, a specialized microscope slide with a grid and defined depth. By observing a liquid culture under a microscope,...
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Antimicrobial Effectiveness

The effectiveness of antimicrobial agents depends on various factors influencing their ability to eliminate microbial populations. Larger microbial populations require more time for complete eradication, emphasizing the importance of population size analysis when evaluating antimicrobial efficacy.Microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents varies significantly. Highly resilient microorganisms include endospores, gram-negative bacteria, and non-enveloped viruses, while prions are exceptionally...

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Related Experiment Video

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Investigating the Detrimental Effects of Low Pressure Plasma Sterilization on the Survival of Bacillus subtilis Spores Using Live Cell Microscopy
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Experimental methods for studying microbial survival in extraterrestrial environments.

Karen Olsson-Francis1, Charles S Cockell

  • 1Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK. k.Olsson-Francis@open.ac.uk

Journal of Microbiological Methods
|October 27, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Microbiology experiments in space and simulation facilities study microbial responses to extraterrestrial conditions. This review covers available facilities, microorganisms, and analysis methods for space exploration.

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Area of Science:

  • Astrobiology
  • Microbiology
  • Space Science

Background:

  • Microorganisms serve as models for extraterrestrial condition responses.
  • Studying microbial responses to space is methodologically challenging.
  • Numerous facilities exist for space microbiology experiments since 1935.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review facilities for space and simulation-based microbiology experiments.
  • To describe microorganisms and survival analysis techniques.
  • To discuss implications for future space missions and applications.

Main Methods:

  • Review of short-term (BIOPAN) and long-term (EXPOSE) space exposure facilities.
  • Analysis of laboratory simulation facilities for microbiological studies.
  • Inclusion of culture-dependent and independent analysis methods.

Main Results:

  • Overview of diverse facilities for space microbiology research.
  • Categorization of microorganisms used in exposure experiments.
  • Description of survival analysis techniques.

Conclusions:

  • Facilities for space microbiology are well-established.
  • Various microorganisms and analysis methods are employed.
  • Microbiology studies are crucial for future space exploration and applications.