Bacteria is an entity which cannot be seen with the naked eyes. These microorganisms are ubiquitous. They are even present inside us. However, bacteria are usually related to harm and damage. That’s not true, they have several applications which can benefit us in so many ways. Steward Brand said,
“ If you don’t like bacteria then you are on the wrong planet.’’
Today, climate change is one of the major problems our world is facing. Bacteria can play a role in this regard. Transport is a major contributor to air pollution. According to Statista, the green house emissions of transportation is increased by 30%. Biofuel which can serve as an alternative to the fuel we use is considered to be a renewable source of energy. A bacterium, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum strain (TG57) which occurs naturally is able to convert cellulose to biobutanol, which is known as biofuel.
A huge amount of plastic is being injected into the oceans. It is becoming a major issue. A bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis feeds on PET — polyethylene terephthalate it is used to make disposable drink bottles. Two enzymes are being used by this bacteria to break PET into two compounds which can be used to produce new PET. This can help to reduce the plastic waste and we will not de dependent on fossil fuels.
Oil spill is a form of pollution. Liquid petroleum is released into the marine environments by human activity. This has a huge impact on the species. Some bacteria are known to degrade oil spills such as, Colwellia and Neptuniibacter.
Electricity is something which is a requirement of everyone. Some species of bacteria are known to generate electricity. These bacteria need only electrons to survive. Exoelectrogens bacteria can transfer their electrons to outside the cell. Scientists have used many many electrodes in order to transfer the electrons to electrodes to harness the electricity of bacteria. Electronic devices combined with bacteria can be used in the fuel cells. Geobacter sulfurreducens is unique because it is able to grow on electrodes to produce electricity. The ability to generate electric energy from metals of this bacterium is regulated by the enzymes which produce signals.
Cancer is a disease which is a major cause of deaths in this world. It is highly contagious. Bacteria can help us to fight cancer. The progress and development in the field of science has opened the door of bacterial therapy although, the idea of manipulating bacteria to treat cancer is not new.
In 19th century, an immunotherapy pioneer, William Coley that cancer patients with skin infections are more likely to get better.
The scientists found some strains of bacteria on the equipment which was sent back from the International space station (ISS). These bacteria are not harmful and they can prove to be beneficial for missions of moon and mars. One is a species known as Methylorubrum rhodesianum. The other three were from an entirely new species, named Methylobacterium ajmalii.
Lastly, we can use bacteria to shape our future. Scientists are already working on the ideas which are discussed above. The problem lies in the fact that how to move these approaches from lab scale to commercial scale. They should not only be efficient but also affordable. To conclude, bacteria can help us.
