Dyeing bacteria to study extraterrestrial life

Researchers at the Moscow Institute of Physical Technology (Russia) have collaborated with German and Russian colleagues at the University of Chemical Technology to describe a new way to study the bacteria that can survive in hard condition.

Scientists have chosen a fluorescent dye that allows observing microbial activity in real time.

This dye helps us better study the bacteria that live in harsh environmental conditions.

According to a press release from the Moscow Institute of Physical Technology, the authors of the study experimented with halophilic bacteria that can live in high salinity environments."These microorganisms are often found in ancient salt mines millions of years old. Our method allows them to be found and studied in mineral blocks. Such a search can shed light on the the problem of the origin of life on Earth that, according to one hypothesis, has been taken from the alien to the form of bacteria, " said Valentin Barshcheuski, the lead author of the study.

To study bacteria in natural conditions, biologists need selective dyes, which allow them to see more when observing in a non-staining environment. But there are things that fluorescent markers and antibodies, when combined with color dyes, often do not work in salt environments. Moreover, the thick shells of bacteria halophiles create more complexity, so that until recently, the bacteria have not been observed.

In a new article presented in Scientific Reports, the Russian-German research team described the solution to this problem. In the experiments conducted by them, there is no need to synthesize any new special dyes, but only to use the previously created substances for mitochondrial staining in eukaryotic cells . It turns out that MitoTracker color dye is also suitable for dyeing a range of microorganisms such as halobacterium salinarium, haloferax sp, halorubrum sp, salicola sp . and halomonas sp. These experiments not only help to capture clear images and to count the number of cells, but can also monitor the transformation of halobacterium salinarium cells. Under the unfavorable chemical effects, long form cells can turn into spheres: this process has even been recorded on video in real-time mode.

The new method will first allow the efficient extraction of microorganisms in natural conditions such as from the rock on Mars that the explorer ships and then, to help accurately study the behavior of the microbes. bacteria.