Square bacteria

2004/10/15 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Mikrobiologia

In 1980, microbiologist Anthony Walsby took some special bacteria in a well near the Red Sea. Its water was very salty and those bacteria growing there had a square shape. This discovery allowed to investigate bacteria capable of growing in hypersaline media.

Microbiologists, however, were unable to study these bacteria in the laboratory. Therefore, they could not be analyzed, since for this purpose many bacteria are necessary and the researchers cannot go to their place of origin whenever they need bacteria. Therefore, the bacterium has kept its secrets for years.

However, two groups of others have managed to grow the bacteria in the laboratory. To achieve this they have had to guess which is the ideal medium, among which is a concentration of salts of at least 18%. In addition, it is necessary to have a lot of patience, since these bacteria take a long time to reproduce: The bacterium Escherichia coli takes 20 minutes to bend, which is equivalent to one or two days.

Now taxonomists try to guess the name. Some have proposed Haloquadratum walsby in honor of what he saw for the first time.