Public apology to prokaryotes

[Psi Wavefunction]

Dear Domains Eubacteria and Archaea,

I have previously stated that while being biochemically complex, you're just a lipid sac with lots of biochemistry inside, and no structure. I ignored you because of my aversion to biochemistry, and considered your innards too primitive to be of any interest to the cell biologist in me.

Today, I discovered for myself a multicellular, hyphal bacterium along you lot. Streptomyces has proven me wrong. When I saw the review on Streptomyces multicellularity in January 2009 Nature Reviews Microbiology, for a split second I thought "wow, there's hyphal prokaryotes?!". And then I smacked myself in the head and thought "Just because it's in Nat Rev Microbiol doesn't mean it's a prokaryote, you dumbfuck!" and fled the article in utter embarassment.

Today, I rediscovered Streptomyces. It's fungal-like. It's a prokaryote. It's multicellular. It has complex cell structure and development. It actually exists:



I was wrong. I would like to retract my statement about your structural 'primitiveness'. Please forgive me!

Signed,
--Arrogant Eukaryote





(And that's after going on massive tirrades against zoologists (and plant biologists) looking down on protists as "lower eukaryotes"! )

[ScholasticSpastic]

Very well. I will refrain from siccing my Pseudomonas fluorescens on you.

You're lucky: that shit can be pathogenic if you're already nearly dead and suffering from a wound resulting in exposed brain tissue and someone pours the culture directly into the hole.

[Psi Wavefunction]

Very well. I will refrain from siccing my Pseudomonas fluorescens on you.

You're lucky: that shit can be pathogenic if you're already nearly dead and suffering from a wound resulting in exposed brain tissue and someone pours the culture directly into the hole.

Thereby requiring containment level 3?

[ScholasticSpastic]

Very well. I will refrain from siccing my Pseudomonas fluorescens on you.

You're lucky: that shit can be pathogenic if you're already nearly dead and suffering from a wound resulting in exposed brain tissue and someone pours the culture directly into the hole.

Thereby requiring containment level 3?

Fucking biohazard jokes!

[ScholasticSpastic]

I don't think we really even rate level 1:

Biosafety Level 1 (BL 1) requires no special design features beyond those suitable for a well designed and functional laboratory.

The red bit is where we fail.

[Psi Wavefunction]

I don't think we really even rate level 1:

Biosafety Level 1 (BL 1) requires no special design features beyond those suitable for a well designed and functional laboratory.

The red bit is where we fail.

Hey, biohaz is funny stuff! Haven't you had one of those safety training courses?

And don't well all fail that red part? By the way... when was the last time someone checked the shower and eye wash? As long as the water ain't black, or fluorescing... it's all good, right?

Note to self: In case of chemical burn, you're on your own...

[Psi Wavefunction]

I know of a BSL1 lab that randomly decided to get Plasmodium falciparum one day! I had worries about being in the lab next door...

They said it was in -80, and they were gonna kill it 'right away', but that guy also centrifuges phenol in fresh, exposed lab air. Apparently placing the centrifuge in the fumehood never crossed his mind...

[ScholasticSpastic]

By the way... when was the last time someone checked the shower and eye wash? As long as the water ain't black, or fluorescing... it's all good, right?

Checked it last week, actually.

...but that guy also centrifuges phenol in fresh, exposed lab air. Apparently placing the centrifuge in the fumehood never crossed his mind...

Note to self: phenol goes in the hood.

I'll not tell you about fun I've had with phenol, then. I also regularly spill concentrated sulfuric acid on myself. It's itchy.

[Psi Wavefunction]

By the way... when was the last time someone checked the shower and eye wash? As long as the water ain't black, or fluorescing... it's all good, right?

Checked it last week, actually.

...but that guy also centrifuges phenol in fresh, exposed lab air. Apparently placing the centrifuge in the fumehood never crossed his mind...

Note to self: phenol goes in the hood.

I'll not tell you about fun I've had with phenol, then. I also regularly spill concentrated sulfuric acid on myself. It's itchy.

I've been handling 100% CH3COOH and H2O2 with my bare hands... until I've heard it may be advisable NOT to...

I have a "certificate" for having succesfully completed BSL2 safety training!

[ScholasticSpastic]

I completely lack BSL certification of any kind.

[Psi Wavefunction]

I completely lack BSL certification of any kind.

I lack chemical safety certification... as you can see.

As for biosafety, we work on fucking arabidopsis -- you have to have fucking TALENT to fuck things up there!

Although, rumour has it... agrobacterium, which we use to transform our shit, could theoretically transform human cells too I should stick my hand in blacklight in case I have GFP. I'm pretty certain I've stained some shit with DAPI though

[ScholasticSpastic]

Careful with the DAPI! It is toxic and mutagenic. Especially avoid rubbing it on your breasts. Seriously. Also not so seriously.