Nanobacteria were originally discovered by two researchers from Finland, Drs. E. Olavi Kajander and Neva Ciftcioglu. They isolated very small (0.2 to 0.5µm) coccoid (round) particles from human and cow blood. They found that they were very difficult to work with and did not behave like typical bacteria. They reported: "Nanobacteria are poorly disruptable, stainable, fixable and exceptionally resistant to heat" (i.e. none of these standard techniques worked on the nanobacteria).
The researchers determined that a culture of nanobacteria will double in size in three days and high doses of gamma radiation or antibiotics will prevent this multiplication. They claim to have isolated a "16S rRNA gene sequence that falls within the α-2 subgroup of Proteobacteria," a class of bacteria that includes several human pathogens.
In a research report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA (PNAS 95: 8274-8279, 1998), Kajander and Ciftcioglu present additional information about nanobacteria. The data presented on Data Sheet 1 and Data Sheet 2 are excerpted from this article.
| Assignment for Part II: Scientists conduct experiments in an attempt to answer specific questions. Once they have analyzed their results, they write up their findings for publication. Scientific information is shared through publication in scientific journals. Other scientists can then read and evaluate the research. The scientific process can be complicated by the use of specialized language. |
| Homework: Read over the summary information presented above and examine the data. What terms or concepts are new or unclear to you? What questions do you have? List these on the Work Sheet for Part II and bring them with you to class. |
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