Hello, We are The Lotus STEMM team and we are taking part in the #globalscienceShow ! We are going to be discussing Bacteriain all it's glory!

Follow along the show and check out @vanshika_writes who is up next !

#sciencetwitter #scicomm
@GlobalSciShow @VoicesofIndAcad

We are going to be discussing #Bacteria They may be tiny but these shaggy creatures influence our world in major ways! Four members of the Lotus STEMM teamwill dive into the fascinating ways bacteria influences the world around us. So, scroll down for some bacteria fun

Hi, I am Dr. Jaishree Subrahmaniam ( @JSubrahmaniam), a plant lover, scientist, a #mentalhealth & #womeninSTEM advocate. I am super excited to share my view on #altruism & #cooperation, and how #bacteria, the master manipulators could help explain this #intelligentplant behavior!

The ability to help one another through difficult times may seem easy to justify ethically and even strategically, but it comes off as a fatal challenge to the #survivalofthefittest viewpoint of our evolution. But it exists in all forms of organisms, from #bacteria, #fungi,

#animals, #birds and according to my research, even #plants are capable of #beinggoodforthegroup ! Being a plant biologist, I have always been in lovewith understanding the complex behavior of plants

My PhD was to understand how plants interact with one another and whether the ability to help one another exists in plants. Spoiler alert, it does! Moreover, this charitable behavior could be associated with presence of some cool bacterial species plants host in their habitats!

During their life cycle, different genotypes in one population can recruit different microbiota based on their own #physiology, #requirement, and #environment, which contribute to the overall health and productivity of the plant. #holobiont #microbiota #rhizosphere #phyllosphere

Microbiota have the ability to alter host behavior and can transmitted upon social contact. These qualities make them interesting candidates to understand indirect interactions among plants.

Interestingly, nutrient accumulation by kin plants, warning their progenies and preparing them for pathogen attack have been demonstrated experimentally via this microbiota!

Mathematical models and computer simulations have recently shown how these transmissible microbes could promote altruism in their hosts ( @TelAviv University). Published in @Naturecommunications, the study showed how microbe mediating altruism would win survival battle

over microbes that did not! This could also explain how altruism may become a stable trait in the host population. My research, although based on correlational approach, gave evidence of similar dynamics occurring within the plant world

Future research in this direction is needed to confirm the role of microbes in evolution of altruism in plants ! #jayjaytalkscooperation

Hello all, I am Maryam Heba ( @marmar_h) I am a science communicator and I work in a clinic part-time. I will be talking about Bacteria in a clinical setting

When we think of a hospital or a clinic, many of us think of that sickly, detergent-like smell. That is the smell of disinfectants that prevent the growth of bacteria and viruses. Still, if patients, staff, and visitors don’t follow proper hygiene practices bacteria can spread!

Bacteria in clinical settings can spread by:
1. People carrying bacteria from outside (1)
2. Replacing hand-hygiene with protective equipment https://tinyurl.com/y6ybysy8 
3. Using a hand dryer instead of paper towels...huh?

A 2018 study observed several hospital washrooms in the UK, France, and Italy. Washrooms with air-jet hand 𝗱𝗿𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 had 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮on touch surfaces, floors and in dust compared to washrooms with a paper towel dispenser (2).

After hand-washing, some bacteria ( including 𝗳𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹 and 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮) can stay on wet hands The warm, rapid air from the hand-dryer forces water droplets with leftover bacteria onto nearby surfaces.

Some of these bacteria may not be harmful to us but they can be deadly to people with a weak immune system, such as hospital patients with cystic fibrosis. So, it is our responsibility to make sure to engage in proper hand-washing AND proper hand-drying techniques.

References:
(1) Mirhoseini, S. H., Nikaeen, M., Khanahmad, H., Hatamzadeh, M., & Hassanzadeh, A. (2015). Monitoring of airborne bacteria and aerosols in different wards of hospitals-Particle counting usefulness in investigation of airborne bacteria. Ann Agric Environ Med, 22(4)

(2) Best, E., P. Parnell, J. Couturier, F. Barbut, A. Le Bozec, L. Arnoldo, A. Madia, S. Brusaferro, and M. H. Wilcox (2018). "Environmental contamination by bacteria in hospital washrooms according to hand-drying method: a multi-centre study." JHI, 100(4): 469-475.

Hello All, I am Dr Vidya Chamundeswari Narasimhan ( @vidyachamundes1), a biomaterials scientistfrom California. I will be talking about Bacteria in Food #sciencematters #STEMeducation #Bacteria #sciencecommunication #staytuned

Did you know there are bacteria that can live in your food? These bacteria can cause you harm. There are bacteria in your body that fight against the bacteria in food to help you eat the second serving of your favorite meal.

Now, let’s get to know more about bacteria that have prominent roles to play in the food industry. Let’s classify these as Good bacteria and bad bacteriain the food we consume

Common “good bacteria”:

1. Lactobacillus - they exist as many species and are a prominent source of probiotics found in yogurt, kefir etc.

2. Streptococcus thermophilus - These are probiotic and “friendly” bacteria that are found within our bodies. Any guesses? They live in our digestive, urinary, and genital systems

3. Bifidobacteria - These are the Gut bacteria and work relentlessly to eliminate harmful bacteria from invading the human body. They live predominantly in your intestines and aid in digestion of fibre.

Let’s spend some time talking about the “Bad bacteria”.
1. Clostridium perfrigens - These form spores and are commonly found on raw meat and poultry. They are anaerobic Beef,poultry, gravies and dried or pre-cooked foods are common sources of C. perfringens infections.

This infection often occurs when foods are prepared in large quantities and kept warm for a long time before serving. Outbreaks often happen in institutions, such as hospitals, school cafeterias, prisons, and nursing homes, or at events with catered food

Prevention:
Cookand keep food at the correct temperature , refrigerate leftovers and reheat them properly & When in doubt, throw it out.

2. Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) It’s the most dangerous of the lot. It can spread through direct contactwith an infected person and is very contagious. They are the more common causative organisms for skin infections, pneumonia, bone infections etc.

Antibiotics are the main source of treatment; however, many strainsof Strap have developed antibiotic resistance (do not respond to common antibiotics). The most common prevention strategy is to wash handsregularly and thoroughly.

3. Clostridium botulinum (botulism) - Found extensively in soil and marine sediments. What happens is life threatening due to exposure and thereby ingestion of a potent neurotoxin which can affect the central nervous system of the body. It is prominent in canned foods

4. Listeria - commonly found in water , soil and faecesThe most common foods containing this are deli meats and unpasteurized dairy products. There are a few sub species that can cause the resulting listeriosis.

This is a deadly disease and some outbreaks of epidemic proportions have occurred in the past.

5. E.coli - Well, we all would have heard of these at some point! They are regular inhabitants of your intestines and can also be harmless in some instances. However, they are classified under bad bacteria as they can be potentially encountered through contaminated food or water.

Prevention:
COOK meats thoroughly. Ground beef and meat that has been needle-tenderized should be cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F/70˚C. It’s best to use a thermometer, as colour is not a very reliable indicator of “doneness.”

AVOID raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, and unpasteurized juices (like fresh apple cider).
AVOID swallowing water when swimming or playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, and backyard “kiddie” pools.

PREVENT cross contamination in food preparation areas by thoroughly washing hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.

Salmonella – Why don’t you go ahead and look up this harmful bacterium? What causes its ill effects and how can it be prevented? I am staying tuned to hear from you all!

Hello, I am Jovita Pinto, an aerospace engineer working in structural analysis from Toronto, Canada. I am a #STEM enthusiast working to promote women in STEM careers. I love keeping myself updated on astronomical discoveries that unlock different mysteries of the universe.

Have you ever thought about extra-terrestrials from other planets?? One way to predict the physiology of extra-terrestrials is to experiment on Bacteria in Space

Gravity plays an important role in how our bodies function. It is proven from data collected that the lack of gravity dependent forces like buoyancy and convection have a significant impact of bodies of astronauts

Similarly, bacteriastudied for long periods of time in space manifest different physiologies than those on Earth

Hope you liked the thread ! It was curated by @cm_manasvi on behalf of the Lotus STEMM team !

Hi, I’m Goppikka (@goppikkanata) post-graduate student in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, born & raised in Canada

Stay tuned in a series of tweets where I will talk all about #AntibioticResistance #sciencetwitter #scicomm #STEM

Let’s first discuss bacteria! They're small, single-celled organisms with no nucleus, it contains DNAthat exists freely in the nucleoid or in circular pieces called plasmids. Bacteria can either be beneficial to humans or destructive where antibiotics are used to treat it!

Benefits of Antibiotic use? It’s any substance that inhibits the growth of bacteria which is known as an “antimicrobial” to prevent the development of infections. Antibiotics differ from antiseptics which sterilize surfaces or disinfectants used in hospitals.

Antibioticstreat bacterial infections by preventing the reproduction of bacteria(i.e., by inhibiting the process that builds their cell walls).

Thus, antibiotics changed the way infections were treated that once killed many lives & increased the life expectancy!

What is #AntibioticResistance?This happens when germs like #bacteria & #fungi can defeat the drugsdesigned to target & kill them.

Now, the germs aren’t killed & grow continuously which is bad for our immune system’s defence in protecting us from infections.

Wait, how does #AntibioticResistance happen?

It’s due to natural selection, a process where organisms that have adapted to their environment survive & produce more offspring of the same kind.

In this case, it's the antibiotic-resistant bacteria instead of the good bacteria

Examples of Antibiotics is found in poultry to prevent/treat infections or promote the growth of the animal to meet the growing demand.

Tetracycline a common drug used in poultry which is a drug bacteria is most resistant to due to overuse/abuse of it for profits.

If effective antibiotics run out, modern medicine would be set back by decades where minor surgeries like appendectomies can become life-threatening! Thus, the proper use of antibiotics needs to be followed to avoid #AntibioticResistance