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Studies on bacteria-like particles sampled from the stratosphere

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Abstract

Bacteria-like particles recovered from the stratosphere and deposited on cellulose acetate membranes have been analysed to confirm their bacterial nature. One particle appeared to be attached to an inorganic particle apparently by mucoid material typically produced by bacteria. A filamentous structure, morphologically similar to a fungal hypha, was also observed. EDS analysis showed that the particles were all non-mineral and therefore could be biological in nature. However, the composition of several clumps of nanobacteria-sized particles were found, by SIMS analysis, to be inconsistent with that of bacteria. The results show that it is dangerous to assume that bacteria-like particles seen under scanning electron microscopy are necessarily bacteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

    M. Wainwright

  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA

    P. K. Weber, J. B. Smith & I. D. Hutcheon

  3. Astrobiology Research Trust, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA

    B. Klyce

  4. Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology, 2, North Road, Cardiff, CF10 3DY, UK

    N. C. Wickramasinghe

  5. Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Gamashkind, Post Bag 4, Pune, 411 007, India

    J. V. Narlikar

  6. Indian Space Research Organisation, Antariksh Bhavan, New Bell Road, Bangalore, 560094, India

    P. Rajaratnam

Authors
  1. M. Wainwright
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  2. P. K. Weber
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  3. J. B. Smith
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  4. I. D. Hutcheon
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  5. B. Klyce
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  6. N. C. Wickramasinghe
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  7. J. V. Narlikar
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  8. P. Rajaratnam
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Wainwright, M., Weber, P.K., Smith, J.B. et al. Studies on bacteria-like particles sampled from the stratosphere. Aerobiologia 20, 237–240 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-004-1188-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-004-1188-x

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