Week 3
Happy Thursday everyone,
The microplastic research team met last Friday to discuss what directions we would like to see the research take this semester, and the majority of us found our distinct niche within the group. The research will be categorized into microplastic counts like the Nile Red and FTIR machine, identifying biological contaminants using the Biolog, and a potential solution to reducing microplastics in the wastewater!!
I will primarily be involved with the biological contaminants and will work closely with the microbiology and biology 181 students this semester to advance this aspect.
On another note, I decided I will be attempting to learn more about specific bacteria, so for this week's new enticing bacterium, we have Shigella.
Taxonomy: order Enterobacterales, family Enterobacteriaceae
Shigella is a gram-negative, bacilli-shaped, facultative anaerobic- growth with the absence and presence of oxygen. It targets the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract using a plasmid with antigens specific to the cells. It is transmissible through fecal and oral secretions. The risk groups include children and immunocompromised individuals.
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