Dr. Greta Reintjes

Visualising the uptake of a complex sugar in gut bacteria

General summary The microorganisms which live in human and animal digestive tracts play a major role in health and nutrition. Why? Well, they have a vast capacity to digest and breakdown the foods we eat (catabolic potential), thereby helping us digest our food and influencing our nutrition. Side note: They also help regulate our immune system,Continue reading “Visualising the uptake of a complex sugar in gut bacteria”

Marine Bacteria Can Act Selfishly

In the oceans, single cellular plants (microalgae) fix CO2 and form biomass. This fixed material (marine organic matter) is a mixture of several compounds, including large sugars (polysaccharides). Marine bacteria (heterotrophs) degrade a large amount of the produced organic matter, and this cycling of organic matter is called the microbial loop and is a keyContinue reading “Marine Bacteria Can Act Selfishly”