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NNTP-Posting-Date: 13 Jul 1999 23:12:46 GMT
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My goodness, Cindy.
We have a large number of bacteria, and other organisms, attached to a
surface. What else is required for it to be considered a biofilm? I
think your response was rather arch and superior. I hope you had fun,
"correcting" my "proposition", and acusing me of "insinuating". If
you're going to be caustic, at least spell my name correctly.
I was speaking informally, encouraging her to investigate other types
of biofilms, or whatever you want to call microorganisms attached to
surfaces. It wasn't for publication and I don't think I deserved your
nastyness.
> In his response to Mary's question, DB Hendrick states that:
> >"Plant leaves have a biofilm called the phyllosphere. Plant roots, the
> >rhizosphere (or rhizoplane, I can never remember).
> >Your skin, as well as every body orifice, has it's own microbial
> >community. "
> 'Phyllosphere', 'phylloplane', 'rhizosphere', 'rhizoplane', ARE NOT
> biofilms. "Phyllo" is the Greek combining form for leaf, "rhizo" for root,
> and the more familiar words "plane" for surface and "sphere" for (you
> guessed it!!) sphere. Hence, rhizoplane is the root surface. The rest of
> them you can figure out for yourselves.
> To more correctly state his proposition, DB Hendrick could have said that
> the phylloplane of numerous plants harbor large populations of
> micro-organisms (up to ca. 10E8 per leaf), of which some may be aggregated
> into biofilms. But, the vast majority of the phylloplane (about 90-98%) is
> virgin territory. The presence of biofilms in the rhizosphere is less well
> known, but the rhizosphere harbors a rich microbial population.
> Furthermore, DB Hendrick also insinuates that microbial community = biofilm.
> Perhaps it is very likely that the organisms assembled in a biofilm function
> as a community; but just because that organisms function as a community
> does not imply that they are biofilms!!
> Sorry to be so severe, but I think that a professional technical writer
> should be a bit more careful in use of terminology.
>> Sincerely
> Cindy E. Morris
> INRA - Station de Pathologie Vegetale
> B.P. 94
> 84143 Montfavet, France
> tel : (33) 490-31-63-84
> fax : (33) 490-31-63-35
> e-mail : morris at avignon.inra.fr>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
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--
~DBH
Technical writing, literature search, and data analysis at the interface
of chemistry and biology.
davidbhedrick at icx.net
David B. Hedrick
P.O. Box 16082
Knoxville, TN 37996
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