Bugbuster—survivability of living bacteria upon shock compression

Willis, M. J.; Ahrens, Thomas J.; Bertani, L. Elizabeth; Nash, Cody Z.

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2006.03.054

Cited by 35 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This organism was chosen because it is naturally endolithic. The ruptured cell walls show that the vegetative cell walls are susceptible to mechanical failure, consistent with the observations of the effects of shock on Escherichia coli (Willis et al 2006). The experiments have shown that even for desiccated vegetative cells, shock pressures at the lower end required for escape velocity from Mars and Mars-like planets can be survived.…”

Section: Launch Of Photosynthesis From a Planetsupporting

confidence: 70%

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

Cockell

Raven

Kaltenegger

et al. 2009

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background:In the coming decades space telescopes will be constructed that will attempt to find the gaseous products of oxygenic photosynthesis, the most promising biosignatures of life, in the atmospheres of temperate Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars. Aims: This paper aims to provide a synthesis of the range of feasible targets -either planets or their satellites -that could harbour photosynthesis. Methods: We calculated photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) fluxes on a diversity of planetary bodies including those receiving direct light from a single star, similarly to the Earth, and investigated the potential of these fluxes to support photosynthesis. Results: All main sequence stars emit radiation that is capable of supporting photosynthesis on Earth-like planets. We discuss tidally-locked M star planets as a special case. Less conventional targets for searches include large moons orbiting gas giant planets, which receive reflected light from their host planets and from the host star, planets in stable orbits in binary star systems, and the search for two planets within the same star system with photosynthetic signatures. Conclusions: A diversity of planetary bodies are targets in the search for extrasolar photosynthesis. The demonstration that many or none of these candidate planetary bodies harbour photosynthesis would be an important conclusion in understanding the evolution and prevalence of photosynthesis.

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Section: Launch Of Photosynthesis From a Planetsupporting

confidence: 70%

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

Cockell

Raven

Kaltenegger

et al. 2009

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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“…Further work into quasi-one-dimensionally shock loading E. coli at these pressures would help to verify these data and possibly reduce scatter while confirming where survival increases at the lower end of this scale. However, the apparent exponential decrease in survival with pressure increase in the present data does match up with previous work on E. coli and other types of bacteria [5,7], while demonstrating that the nature of the loading regime likely effects survival. It is also clear from both investigations that there is a drop in magnitude of survival within the 1-1.5 GPa range.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Loading regimes likely play a part in micro-organism survival rates, evidence for which has been seen from contrasting E. coli survival rates between particular past studies [5,9]. However, this paper aims to provide additional data to previous work on the one-dimensional shock loading of E. coli by Leighs et al [10] and may contribute to further understanding of what the nature of the loading regime does to bacterial survival before eventually examining what mechanisms may be affected within the cell.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…More evidence has been gathered in support of the concept of panspermia and lithopanspermia (the transfer of life through space via rocks) with examinations of the survival rates of bacteria, including Escherichia coli and spores of Bacillus subtilis, on the surface of rocks undergoing dynamic impact [5,6]. Dynamic pressure loading of B. subtilis cells by Burchell et al [7] even showed survival rates of 10 -7 at pressures of close to 100 GPa; within the region of pressures faced by rock ejection into space and asteroid impact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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On the response of Escherichia coli to high rates of deformation

Fitzmaurice¹,

Painter²,

Appleby-Thomas³

et al. 2017

AIP Conference Proceedings

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“…), and lichen (Xanthoria elegans) embedded in gabbro when subjected to high shock stresses (>10 GPa). Willis et al [13] also reported limited mortality rates for Escherichia coli shocked to an initial shock pressure of 0.26 GPa using the flyer-plate technique.…”

Section: Article In Pressmentioning

confidence: 99%

The shock compression of microorganism-loaded broths and emulsions: Experiments and simulations

Hazell

Beveridge

Groves

et al. 2010

International Journal of Impact Engineering

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By carefully selecting flyer plate thickness and the geometry of a target capsule for bacterial broths and emulsions, we have successfully subjected the contents of the capsule to simultaneous shock and dynamic compression when subjected to a flyer-plate impact experiment. The capsules were designed to be recovered intact so that post experimental analysis could be done on the contents. ANSYS® AUTODYN hydrocode simulations were carried out to interrogate the deformation of the cover plate and the wave propagation in the fluid. Accordingly, we have shown that microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Zygosaccharomyces bailii are not affected by this type of loading regime. However, by introducing a cavity behind the broth we were able to observe limited kill in the yeast sample. Further, on using this latter technique with emulsions it was shown that greater emulsification of an oil-based emulsion occurred due to the cavitation that was introduced.

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Bugbuster—survivability of living bacteria upon shock compression

Cited by 35 publications

References 28 publications

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

On the response of Escherichia coli to high rates of deformation

The shock compression of microorganism-loaded broths and emulsions: Experiments and simulations

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