Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Since the time of the industrial revolution, microbes have continuously adapted to new and unique environments. From marine oil spills to plastic pollution in the oceans, these tiny organisms have shown remarkable resilience. Surprisingly, a recent study has revealed that microwaves, a common household appliance, also host a specialized community of highly adapted microbes.
This groundbreaking discovery was made by researchers from Spain and published in Frontiers in Microbiology. The presence of these microbes inside microwaves not only raises concerns about hygiene but also opens up possibilities for biotechnological applications. If these resilient bacteria can be utilized in industrial processes, it could lead to significant advancements in various fields.
“Our findings indicate that the microbial communities inside domestic microwaves closely resemble those found on kitchen surfaces, while laboratory microwaves harbor bacteria that are more radiation-resistant,” explained Daniel Torrent, a researcher at Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence SL in Paterna, Spain.
To investigate further, Torrent and his team collected samples from 30 microwaves, including those from single-household kitchens, shared domestic spaces, and laboratory settings. By analyzing these samples using advanced techniques, they identified a diverse range of microbial species, with Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria being the most prevalent phyla.
2024-08-08 01:15:02
Source from phys.org
