Chris Fields wrote:
>[snip]
> This isn't entirely true, even for E. coli.
Of course, but my point was that E coli will not grow at 70°C. I
consider 15°C a minor difference :-). Its all semantics I guess.
> I agree about splitting hairs. I believe someone else in this thread
> mentioned that bacterial evolution is probably best described as a
> network instead of a tree (W. F. Doolittle had a great article in
> Science from June 25 about this very thing).
Yep. the concept of horizontal gene transfer espeically in bacteria is
going to force everyone to rethink evolution.
> So much gene swapping has
> occurred (according to the genome projects,at least) that the lines
> between genus, species, and strains are more blurry than ever.
>>
> BTW,
> aren't you guys up there in Wisconsin sequencing 0157:H7 (Blattner's
> lab)?
Yep. They are making much more rapid progress due to the new gene
sequencers. Many of the undergraduates I teach work in Fred's lab.
--
Cheers,
Timothy Paustian
Univ.of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
http://www.bact.wisc.edu/gradstudies/paustian.html
