Saturday, March 31, 2007
actually i'm not a bacteria.
i am
*drum rolls*
MISS ANNE CHUA!
noo that is not it.
i am
*drum rolls again*
MR JEFFERY NG!okok I AM ACTUALLY
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KIDDING!HAPPY APRIL'S FOOL DAY! =]lala and we are a happy bunch of people:
arent we?
=]
cos we HAVE FINISHED our project! *smirks*
and no, we are definitely NOT kidding about that
yay us!
THANK YOU FOR READING, HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED YOURSELVES!
MEANWHILE WE SHALL INDULGE IN YOGHURT, CHEESE AND
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*BEER*
if you're miss chua, please pretend you didnt see that =]
CHEERS!
p.s sorry people we wanted to put up pictures of miss chua and her boyfriend but aww... we are NOT the paparazzi. we are hardworking students doing our BIO PROJECT =]=]
BYEBYE, CIAO, ADIOS, AU REVOIR PEOPLE!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
HELLO AGAIN
The master of bacteria is not free today and therefore i shall replace him and update you guys on
SEE THIS?
this is the every day water that u drink !
do you know that
it is US that makes it poosible for you to have such crystal clear drinkable water!
DON't UNDERESTIMATE MY TALENTS
i am very important in sewage treatment
you are lucky that i am free to brief you on the complicated multiple processes
\
Sewege treatment have to go through many different treatment stages
Treatment stages
-Primary treatment
1 Influx (influent) and removal of large objects
2 Sand and grit removal
3 Screening and maceration (raw sewage pumping)
4 Sedimentation
5 Activated sludge
6 Filter beds (oxidising beds)
7 Biological aerated filters
8 Membrane biological reactors
9 Secondary sedimentation
10 Rotating Biological Contactors
-Tertiary treatment
1 Filtration
2 Lagooning
3 Constructed wetlands
4 Waste removal
5 Nitrogen removal
- Phosphorus removal
1 Disinfection
-Package plants and batch reactors
It is only after all those process, that we , bacteria is put to good use
During the sewage treatments, sludges are accumulated
They have to treated and disposed in a safe and effective manner.
The usage of anaerobic bacteria reduces the amount of organic matter and the number of disease-causing microorganisms present in the solids. The most common treatment options include anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion
This process is carried out in the abscence of oxygen.
We are used to breakdown the waste producing BIOGAS which can be used in generators for electricity production and/or in boilers for heating purposes.
Hydrolysis: complex organic matter is decomposed into simple soluble organic molecules using water to split the chemical bonds between the substances.
Fermentation or acidogenesis: the chemical decomposition of carbohydrates by enzymes, bacteria, yeasts, or molds in the absence of oxygen.
Acetogenesis: the fermentation products are converted into acetate, hydrogen and carbon dioxide by so-called acetogenic bacteria.
Methanogenesis: methane (CH4) is formed from acetate and hydrogen/carbon dioxide by methanogenic bacteria...
Advantages:
-Anaerobic Digestion Produces five times less sludge compared to aerobic digestion
- Does not require energy consuming equipment
Disadvantages:
-it requires more stringent process control and only reduces the organic pollution by 85 to 90%,
Aerobic digestion
Aerobic digestion is the degradation and purification process in which bacteria that thrive in oxygen-rich environments break down and digest the waste.We rapidly consume organic matter( pollutants) are broken down into carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), nitrates, sulphates and biomass (micro-organisms).
There are both advantages and disadvantages in using us( aerobic bacteria) for sludge treatment.
Advantages :
- very effective in breaking down waste products
-better effleunt quality than that obtained in anaerobic processes
-useful when high flows of wastewater with variable composition are treated
Disadvantages:
-the production of huge amounts of biosolids (sludge)
- need of aeration ( significant energy consumption)
-Aerobic micro organisms under the microscope
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SEE how we sacrifice ourselves, swimming in deep shit for the good of humankind!
Sludge
NOW that you are clear of my wonderful contributions, i am sure you would not maligned me for being a mean and destructive being and LOVE ME as you should.
=)
and before i go i shall end by showing you a nice candid shot of me!
The anaerobic and aerobic bacteria that is useful in sewage treatment!
aint we just the suavest =)
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
FACT OF THE DAY:
MONSIEUR BACTERIA is not a lazy fat ass who is empty of anything useful.
And WHY?, you ask sceptically.
dont i just reproduce, reproduce, AND reproduce somemore?
NO darlings, there is more to my glorious reproduction.
Say, if you insert a certain gene into MY BODY(being the so-sadistic-and-cruel humans you people are),
eg human insulin, i can make ALL the insulin needed to treat the diabetic patients in the world.
yup, you didnt hear me wrong, i AM that 伟大!
PLUS, i produce enzymes needed in cheese making
so to make me more useful to mankind, i undergo this really simple operation that has
THREE stages to it.
1. isolating and identifying the gene for the protein
2. putting the isolated gene into another organism using a vector eg any agent that acts as a carrier or transporter, as a virus or plasmid that conveys a genetically engineered DNA segment into a host cell
3. cloning the organism to produce large numbers of the genetically engineered organisms all containing the gene for the protein.
SO WHAT? you may say. what's so great about being able to produce stuff.
pfft you are SO DEAD if you ever doubt my abilities people!.
for that GRAVE mistake on demeaning the whole species of BACTERIA-THE-GREAT, you're in for a LECTURE.
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i can rattle of the benefits that GENETIC ENGINEERING in which i play A VERY IMPORTANT PART:
in PLANTS-->
1.quicker, more predictable way to generate new cultivars
2.increased biodiversity of weed populations and hence farm wildlife
3.overall herbicide and pesticide use lower
4.cultivar properties better known than ever before
5.helps food security
6.gene flow (pollution) controllable (male sterility, terminator genes)
7.production of vaccines and other drugs in plants
in ANIMALS-->
1.GM animals can generate pharmaceutical proteins which cannot be made in any other way
in MICRO-ORGANISMS
1.versatile tool for gene manipulation in preparation for making other GMOs
2.creation of new pharmaceuticals which cannot be made in any other way
3.ease of containment bioremediation (cleaning up waste/pollution with living organisms)
hmm i guess i sound like i'm bragging eh? =/
sorry to spoil your good impression of me, but i must let you know about the negative side about reality darlings.
but hey hey, no one's perfect, i'm not to blame!
there is always the POSSIBILITY, that
in PLANTS-->
1.creation of new invasive species (super-weeds)
2.contamination of organic/non-GM crops/food with transgenes
3.loss of biodiversity of farm wildlife
4.loss of crop genetic diversity increases famine risk
5.increase in herbicide use to control volunteers (weedy crop plants)
6.spread of antibiotic resistance marker genes
7.allergenicity of foods
8.toxins from GM plant debris affect soil flora/fauna
9.increased risk of pesticide/herbicide resistance
in ANIMALS-->
1.animal suffering
2.diseases through transfer
I shall not preach, but there IS always two different sides to things. you have to accept that darlings! just make the most out of the positive =]
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
ok this post TODAY, shall be of one of my my great, numerous CONTRIBUTIONS to the world and the environment.
yeah yeah, so what if sometimes i cause food spoilage and foodborne diseases,tuberculosis, i do have my good points too!
the dairy products that you eat everyday?
MOI improve food flavor and nutrition and contribute to the fermentation of dairy products.
Yogurt, considered a healthful food, is produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. in bacteria-speak, i produce lactic acid, which turns the milk sour, and hampers the growth of OTHER disease-causing bacteria(definitely not nice me), and gives a desirable flavor to the resulting yogurt, full of goodness!
yummy my personal favourite is MEIJI hehe. try out the kiwi flavour one sold by your canteen store uncle too!!
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Cheese is often made with Streptococcus and Lactobacillus bacteria.
The blue veins found in cheeses, like Stilton and Roquefort, are caused by growth Penicillium roqueforti, which is deliberately added now to cheese.
The holes in Swiss cheese are the result of Propionibacterium shermanii.
BAH who cares about those CHEEEEEM names. They only serve to CONFUSE.
ALL YOU PEOPLE need to know is that the most important thing that cause about all the changes is MOI MOI MOI =]=]
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ok now we move on to something MORE INTERESTING~ like alcohol heehee
now dont pretend you've never drink before, all you naughty under-aged kiddos. what's life without liquor!
ok i digress. to serious business
Beers, etc. --
Traditionally, the natural yeasts on grape skins determine the quality of wine produced.
Beers, lagers, and ales generally rely on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, although lager yeasts will probably always be known as Saccaromyces carlsbergensis.
hmmm CARLSBERGENSIS. i bet that the name CARLSBERG derived from there!
Well, you can't deny that you LOVE the food i took part in producing!
They taste just fabulous!
Ok Ok i have to now go, CHOW TIME babes!
Monday, March 12, 2007
HELLO now i will tell you about the role I play in biomass fuels and how biomass fuels can be developed and used as an energy source.
you know the electricity that you need in your everyday life?
I CAN HELP TO GENERATE IT AND SAVE YOUR MONEY!
all you need to know is BIOMASS.
So, do you know what is biomass?
Basically, biomass is
-organic material made from plants and animals
- and it contains stored energy from the sun
It is a renewable source because we can grow more trees and crops, thus waste will always exist!
Examples of biomass are wood, crops, manure! and garbage.
stinking pile of shits and whatnot you may say, but NONONO, never ever estimate those stuff.
Now, I will tell you briefly about the various sources of biomass.
Firstly, there's the wood from the trees! Many manufacturing plants in the paper industry use wood waste to produce electricity. This method is cheaper as they do not have to dispose their waste product and buy as much electricity. Isnt this so environmentally friendly?
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Secondly, there's MSW (Municipal Solid Waste)
Examples of MSW are food scraps, leaves and trash produced by organisms.
To use MSW as an energy source, there are 2 methods.
1. to burn them in waste-to-energy plants
2. capturing biogas.
After burning them in waste-to-energy plants, steam is produced and it can be used to generate electricity.
Certain landfills have a type of system which is able to collect the methane gas produced, so that it can be used as a fuel source.
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Next, there's "biofuels" - ethanol and diesel.
Although ethanol and diesel are more expensive, they are cleaner burning fuels, and thus more environmentally friendly, which is what we want in order to save our Mother Earth!
so isn't it worthwhile to spend a little more money but save the earth?
Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from the sugars found in grains, eg corn, wheat, rice, sugar cane etc.
Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils, fats or greases. They can be used in diesel engines without changing them. It is safe, biodegradable and reduces the emissions of most air pollutants.
There are many ways to produce biomass fuels, such as
- combustion
-distillation
- gasification (a process that converts carbonaceous materials, such as coal, petroleum)
- fermentation
- pyrolysis (the chemical decomposition of organic
materials by heating in the absence of oxygen or any other reagents, except possibly steam.)
A major advantage of this technology is that they are carbon dioxide neutral and renewable. Also, it is a versatile fuel.
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HOWEVER...
Land is needed to grow these crops and such technologies involve high prices.
Moreover, it is concerned that farmers have to increase their production rate to meet the world's increasing need of raw materials for biofuels. Hence, if the matter is not taken care of, it may lead to a rise in food prices.
Lastly, the impact of growing biofuel crops may be small as compared to the devastating impacts made on the world through global warming.
HMMMMMMMM so now it's up to all of you humans out there to DECIDE what to do.
remember, YOU HAVE A CHOICE.
BE A MAN, MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
HELLO world!
although i am TINY,
i am in no way, INSIGNIFICANT!
let MOI, monsieur Bacteria, enlighten you about my greatness *smirks*
My Comrades and i, are microscopic organisms
we come in many shapes and sizes,
but even the largest are only 10 micrometres long (1 micrometre = 1 millionth of a metre). v
this is my nude photo:
arent i SEXY~
Us, Bacteria are living cells and in favourable conditions, we can multiply very rapidly. Inside the body we attack tissues and release poisons or toxins.
We can be MEAN and cause deadly diseases such as:
food poisoning,
cholera
gonorrhoea (a sexually transmitted disease)
you definitely do NOT want to mess with us
Though we dont look the same, we share certain common features:
-we are all microscopic
-have a cell wall but unlike a plant cell it is not made of cellulose
-have no nucleus BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN WE ARE
BRAINLESS ; instead our DNA is
dispersed throughout the cytoplasm
-reproduce by binary fusion and do not indulge in
sexual desires unlike
foolish humansok i suppose you people dont have a good impression of me.
but i shall soon change that.
right after i finish reproducing
reproducing takes a bit of time
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