And so, #14DaysofMicrobiologyPoems continues.
I reached out to the science Twitterverse earlier this month in search of 14 microbes worthy of poems.
Here is Poem Three, requested by @hhlee.
Vibrio natriegens: the speedster bacterium
Could it be?
A bacterium growing faster than E. coli?
Yes, in fact!
Vibrio natriegens,
A salt loving, cold-sensitive bacterium,
First found in marsh mud off the coast of Georgia.
It can replicate in less than 10 minutes,
Making E. coli’s 20 minutes seem slow.
So fast, that some think V. natriegens as the lab favorite.
Fast growth means fast science.
So what are the secrets behind this speedster?
We’re not completely sure yet.
Its chromosome is actually bigger than E. coli’s,
By about 10%.
This means more DNA to replicate.
So how can it grow so fast?
It could be because V. natriegens has two chromosomes
While E. coli has only one.
Meaning each of V. natriegen’s chromosome is smaller,
Smaller than E. coli’s lone chromosome.
Divide and conquer perhaps?
Or could it be the abundance of rRNAs
That are essential for protein synthesis?
V. natriegens can surely grow quickly
With all these protein building machines.
Next time you’d like to turn to E. coli,
Why don’t you give V. natriegens a try?
For genetics systems are abound.
Further reading:
Vibrio natriegens as the new E. coli. The Microbial Menagerie. 2016.
Vibrio natriegens as a fast-growing host for molecular biology. Nature Methods. 2016.
