The microbial jungles all over the place (and you) - Scott Chimileski and Roberto Kolter

Prevoditelj: Mirjana Zekic Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

As we walk through our daily environments,

Krećući se kroz naš svakodnevni okoliš

we're surrounded by exotic creatures

okruženi smo egzotičnim stvorenjima

that are too small to see with the naked eye.

koja su premala da bi ih vidjeli golim okom.

We usually imagine these microscopic organisms, or microbes,

Obično zamišljamo te mikroskopske organizme, ili mikrobe,

as asocial cells that float around by themselves.

kao asocijalne plutajuće stanice.

But in reality, microbes gather by the millions

No, u stvarnosti, mikrobi se okupljaju u milijunima

to form vast communities known as biofilms.

i tvore ogromne zajednice poznate kao biofilm.

Natural biofilms are like miniature jungles

filled with many kinds of microbes from across the web of life.

koje se pune mnogim vrstama mikroba putem lanca života.

Bacteria and archaea mingle with other microbes

Bakterija i archaea se druže s drugim mikrobima

like algae, fungi, and protozoa,

kao što su alge, gljivice i protozoi,

forming dense, organized structures that grow on almost any surface.

i formiranje guste, organizirane strukture koje rastu na gotovo bilo kakvoj podlozi.

When you pad across a river bottom,

Kad gazite po dnu rijeke,

touch the rind of an aged cheese,

dodirnete koru ostarjelog sira,

tend your garden soil,

obrađujete vrtnu zemlju

or brush your teeth,

ili četkate svoje zube,

you're coming into contact with these invisible ecosystems.

dolazite u kontakt s tim nevidljivim ekosustavom.

To see how biofilms come about,

Da biste vidjeli kako se biofilmovi stvaraju,

let's watch one as it develops on a submerged river rock.

pogledajmo razvoj jednog od njih na potopljenim riječnim stijenama.

This type of biofilm might begin with a few bacteria

Ova vrsta biofilma može započeti razvoj s nekoliko bakterija

swimming through their liquid environment.

koje plivaju u svom tekućem okruženju.

The cells use rotating flagella to propel towards the surface of the rock,

Stanice se uz pomoć rotirajućih bičeva kreću prema površini stijene,

which they attach to with the help of sticky appendages.

na koju se priljepe uz pomoć ljepljivih dodataka.

Then, they start producing an extracellular matrix

Zatim, počmu proizvoditi izvanstanični matriks

that holds them together as they divide and reproduce.

koji ih drži zajedno dok se dijele i razmnožavaju.

Before long, microcolonies arise,

Nedugo nakon pojave mikrokolonija,

clusters of cells sheathed in this slimy, glue-like material.

nakupine stanica se prekriju tim ljigavim, ljepljivim materijalom.

Microcolonies grow to become towers,

Mikrokolonije rastu i postataju tornjevi,

while water channels flow around them,

dok vodeni kanali koji teču oko njih,

functioning like a basic circulatory system.

funkcioniraju kao osnovni krvožilni sustav.

But why do microbes build such complex communities

Ali zašto mikrobi grade tako složene zajednice

when they could live alone?

kad bi mogli živjeti sami?

For one thing, microbes living in a biofilm

Mikrobi žive u biofilmu

are rooted in a relatively stable microenvironment

jer su ukorijenjeni u relativno stabilnom mikro okruženju

where they may have access to a nutrient source.

gdje mogu imati pristup izvoru hrane.

There's also safety in numbers.

Tu je i sigurnost u brojkama.

Out in the deep, dark wilderness of the microbial world,

Vani u dubokoj, tamnoj pustinji mikrobskog svijeta

isolated microbes face serious risks.

izolirani mikroorganizmi suočavaju se s ozbiljnim rizicima.

Predators want to eat them,

Predatori ih žele pojesti,

immune systems seek to destroy them,

imunološki sustav želi ih uništiti,

and there are physical dangers, too,

a tu su također i fizičke opasnosti,

like running out of water and drying up.

kao i sušenje zbog ponestajanja vode.

However, in a biofilm, the extracellular matrix

Međutim, u biofilmu, ekstracelularni matriks

shields microbes from external threats.

štiti mikrobe od vanjskih prijetnji.

Biofilms also enable interactions between individual cells.

Biofilm omogućuje interakcije između pojedinih stanica.

When microbes are packed against each other in close proximity,

Kada se mikrobi nalaze u neposrednoj blizini,

they can communicate,

mogu komunicirati,

exchange genetic information,

razmjenjivati genetske informacije,

and engage in cooperative and competitive social behaviors.

i biti dio socijalnih ponašanja koji se baziraju na suradnji i natjecanju.

Take the soil in your garden,

Tlo u vašem vrtu,

home to thousands of bacterial species.

stanište je tisućama bakterijskih vrsta.

As one species colonizes a plant root,

Kad se jedna vrsta naseli na biljni korijen,

its individual cells might differentiate into various subpopulations,

iz nekih od njenih stanica mogu se razviti različite subpopulacije,

each carrying out a specific task.

od kojih svaka obavlja određeni zadatak.

Matrix producers pump out the extracellular goo,

Proizvođači Matrixa ispumpavaju vanstaničnu tekućinu,

swimmers assemble flagella and are free to move about or migrate,

plivači se uz pomoć ugradjenih bičeva slobodno kretaću ili migriraju,

and spore-formers produce dormant, tough endospores

i tvorci spora proizvode dormantne, vrste endospore

that survive starvation,

koje preživljavaju glad,

temperature extremes,

ekstremne temperature,

and harmful radiation.

i štetno zračenje.

This phenomenon is called division of labor.

Ta se pojava naziva podjela rada.

Ultimately, it gives rise to a sophisticated system of cooperation

U konačnici, to dovodi do sofisticiranog sustava suradnje

that's somewhat like a multicellular organism in itself.

koji nalikuje višestaničnom organizmu.

But because biofilms often contain many different microbes

S obzirom da biofilmovi često sadrže mnogo različitih mikroba

that aren't closely related to each other,

koji nisu u uskoj vezi jedni s drugima,

interactions can also be competitive.

interakcije su i kompetitivne.

Bacteria launch vicious attacks on their competitors

Bakterija pokreće začarani napad na svoje konkurente

by secreting chemicals into the environment,

izlučujući kemikalije u okoliš,

or by deploying molecular spears to inject nearby cells with toxins

ili uvođenjem molekularnih koplja kojima ubrizgavaju toksine u obližnje stanice

that literally blow them up.

i tako ih doslovno raznesu.

In the end, competition is all about resources.

Naposlijetku kompeticija je uvjetovano resursima.

If one species eliminates another,

Ako je jedna vrsta eliminira drugu,

it keeps more space and food for itself.

ima više prostora i hrane za sebe .

Although this dramatic life cycle occurs beyond the limits of our vision,

Iako se ovaj dramatični životni ciklus događa van granica naše vizije,

microbial communities provide humans and other species with tangible,

mikrobne zajednice daju ljudima i drugim vrstama opipljive,

and sometimes even delicious, benefits.

a ponekad čak i ukusne, prednosti .

Microbes make up a major fraction of the biomass on Earth

Mikrobi čine veliki dio biomase na Zemlji

and play a critical role within the global ecosystem

i imaju važnu ulogu u globalnom ekosustavu

that supports all larger organisms,

koji podržava sve veće organizme,

including us.

uključujući i nas.

They produce much of the oxygen we breath,

Oni proizvode većinu kisika koji udišemo,

and are recruited to clean up environmental pollution, like oil spills,

te su regrutirani za čišćenje okoliša, kao izlijevanje nafte,

or to treat our waste water.

ili za tretiranje naših otpadnih voda.

Not to mention, biofilms are normal and flavor enhancing parts

Biofilmovi su prirodni pojačivači okusa

of many of the foods we enjoy,

mnogih namirnica u kojima uživamo,

including cheese,

uključujući sir,

salami,

salamu,

and kombucha.

i kombuchu.

So the next time you brush your teeth,

Dakle, sljedeći put kada perete zube ,

bite into that cheese rind,

zagrizete koru sira,

sift through garden soil,

prekopate vrt,

or skip a river stone,

ili preskočite riječni kamen,

look as close as you can.

dobro se zagledajte.

Imagine the microbial jungles all around you

Zamislite džungle mikroba svuda oko vas

waiting to be discovered and explored.

koje čekaju da budu otkrivene i istražene.