User:Pruner1

Introduction

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a type of gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that has been used as a model organism in biology since it was discovered in 1885. The bacteria is named after German pediatrician Theodor Escherich, who discovered it in the stool of infants while looking for the cause of neonatal dysentery. (CITE LEDENBERG) E. coli has been put to good use since its discovery in 1885; discoveries involving E. coli have received eleven Nobel prizes and the bacteria has been used in countless experiments, making it one of the most important organisms in science. E. coli became one of the foremost model organisms owing to the fact that it is small, reproduces quickly, and can be grown and cultured easily. As a model organism, it has shaped knowledge in the fields of genetics and biology. Five groundbreaking experiments involving E. coli have been summarized below.

Experiment 1

Discovery of Genetic Code: In 1961, Marshall Nirenberg and Heinrich Matthaei made the groundbreaking discovery of the genetic code. While scientists understood that DNA served as a template for RNA and proteins, they didn’t fully understand how. Nirenberg and Matthaei mixed ribosomes, tRNA, and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from the (E. coli) with a synthetic RNA chain of uracil bases. (CITE NIRENBERG NOBEL) Essentially, they put all the tools of protein synthesis in a test tube and created their own RNA to see what proteins might be created from it. When mixed, the (E. coli) components read the chain of uracil bases and created a protein chain of only phenylalanine. The conclusion they drew was that uracil coded for the protein phenylalanine. Having broken into one example of the genetic code, the duo then fed different sequences of RNA through the elements to see what proteins were created. This laid the foundation of discovering how DNA translated RNA into proteins. It allowed scientists to understand how the 64 combinations of RNA codons, based on three nucleotides each, can encode the twenty standard amino acids. These combinations make up the translation we now call ‘genetic code’. (CITE ACS) Because the proteins, such as ribosomes, could be easily harvested from the (E. coli) and used (in vitro) in the cell, (E. coli) once again proved itself as an effective model organism.

Select a topic about genetics or evolution in a specific organism or ecosystem.
Overall text length (all text sections) should be at least 1,000 words (before counting references), with at least 2 images.

The topic must include one section about microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protists). This is easy because all organisms and ecosystems have microbes.

Compose a title for your page.
Type your exact title in the Search window, then press Go. The MicrobeWiki will invite you to create a new page with this title.

Open the BIOL 116 Class 2024 template page in "edit."
Copy ALL the text from the edit window.
Then go to YOUR OWN page; edit tab. PASTE into your own page, and edit.

Figure 1. Electron micrograph of the Ebola Zaire virus. This was the first photo ever taken of the virus, on 10/13/1976. By Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, then at the CDC.[1].

At right is a sample image insertion. It works for any image uploaded anywhere to MicrobeWiki. The insertion code consists of:
Double brackets: [[
Filename: PHIL_1181_lores.jpg
Thumbnail status: |thumb|
Pixel size: |300px|
Placement on page: |right|
Legend/credit: Electron micrograph of the Ebola Zaire virus. This was the first photo ever taken of the virus, on 10/13/1976. By Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, then at the CDC.
Closed double brackets: ]]

Other examples:
Bold
Italic
Subscript: H₂O
Superscript: Fe³⁺

Section 1 Genetics

Section titles are optional.
Include some current research, with at least one image. Call out each figure by number (Fig. 1).

Sample citations:

A citation code consists of a hyperlinked reference within "ref" begin and end codes.

For multiple use of the same inline citation or footnote, you can use the named references feature, choosing a name to identify the inline citation, and typing

Second citation of Ref 1:

Here we cite April Murphy's paper on microbiomes of the Kokosing river.

Section 2 Microbiome

Include some current research, with a second image.

Here we cite Murphy's microbiome research again.

Conclusion

You may have a short concluding section. Overall, cite at least 5 references under References section.

References

Edited by [Author Name], student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 116, 2024, Kenyon College.