Julia Elledge - Bacillus pumilus

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Classification

Domain: Bacteria

Kingdom: Eubacteria

Phylum: Firmicutes

Class: Bacilli

Order: Bacillales

Family: Bacillaceae

Genus: Bacillus

Species: B. Pumilus

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Bacillus pumilus

Habitat Information

B. pumilus can be found in a wide variety of soils, plants, and surfaces. My particular sample was found in an area of Lewisville soils and Urban land, with 0 to 2 percent slopes. The temperature and humidity when the sample was taken were 73º F and 22%. Pressure was 30.03 in. and the solar radiation was at 17.55 MJm2. There had been no rainfall in the previous 24 hours. The specific location was a grassy area between my apartment building and the parking lot. The address is 2703 Manor Rd, Austin, TX, 78722.

Description and Significance

Colonial morphology: B. pumilus colonies are opaque and off-white. They are roughly circular, but with an irregular margin, and have a filamentous appearance.

Cellular morphology: B. pumilus is a gram positive rod bacterium with endospores.

B. pumilus can inhibit nematodes and fungal diseases once it colonizes a plant's root system. It is also being evaluated for use in the commercial production of cellulase, which is an enzyme that can convert cellulolytic (plant) materials into soluble sugars or solvents.

Genome Structure

B. pumilus has a single circular chromosome with 4000 genes.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.


Physiology and Pathogenesis

Biochemical characteristics, enzymes made, other characteristics that may be used to identify the organism; contributions to environment (if any).
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Author

Page authored by _____, student of Prof. Kristine Hollingsworth at Austin Community College.