On episode 61 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent and Dick muse about the symbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia, that protects flies from viral infection, the origin of 2009 influenza H1N1 virus, and the lure of original antigenic sin.
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Re “vinegar flies”: the story I remember is that there is a bacterium colonising drosophilia's legs which converts ethanol to ethanoic acid (substitute your favourite non-IUPAC terminology), itself remarkable because it produces of the form of cellulose it produces in order to remain on the surface (er, the bacterium produces cellulose, that is).
So when brewing beer, you have to look out for drosophilia because it might spoil the ethanol. I'd imagine that, conversely, drosophilia traditionally were useful in making vinegar from wine.
JLM
Vincent, thank you so much for answering my question about OAS. Looking forward to next week obviously!
Cheers,
J
JLM
Vincent, thank you so much for answering my question about OAS. Looking forward to next week obviously!
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Re “vinegar flies”: the story I remember is that there is a bacterium colonising drosophilia's legs which converts ethanol to ethanoic acid (substitute your favourite non-IUPAC terminology), itself remarkable because it produces of the form of cellulose it produces in order to remain on the surface (er, the bacterium produces cellulose, that is).
So when brewing beer, you have to look out for drosophilia because it might spoil the ethanol. I'd imagine that, conversely, drosophilia traditionally were useful in making vinegar from wine.
Vincent, thank you so much for answering my question about OAS. Looking forward to next week obviously!
Cheers,
J
Vincent, thank you so much for answering my question about OAS. Looking forward to next week obviously!
Cheers,
J