Pharmacy Daily | Dispensary Corner 30 Sep 11

COLOURFUL E. coli. Scientists claim to have genetically modified E.coli bacteria to create “invisible ink”. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers modified the bacteria so that it glowed and was able to express seven colours. The colours then led to enabled scientists to code the alphabet, the numbers 1-9 and some symbols into the bacteria. According to the researchers secretive people will, using this technology, be able to code a message into bacteria, grow it in a “broth”, place it onto a white “membrane” similar to paper, then send their message. The recipient will be able to read the message after stamping it onto a bacteria growth plate and translating the colours into words, numbers and symbols. As an added security measure, only the recipient’s growth plate will contain the right chemicals to develop the bacteria, and if the membrane is intercepted and grown into a message using the wrong chemicals, the message will be gibberish. IS the world of nature and science getting smaller? In his keynote address at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Associate Professor Mark Costello from The University of Auckland, told delegates that there are just two million species on earth, far fewer than previously thought. The statement is based on the description of marine, terrestrial and freshwater species recorded in the World Register of Marine Species and Catalogue of Life databases. According to the research around 16 percent of the world’s species are marine, with only 24 to 31 percent of earth’s marine species, and 21 to 29 percent of terrestrial species, yet to be discovered.

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