To all(?) of you who have been waiting with baited breath for the answer to last week's competition "Guess the Bug" I can now reveal the answer. The bacterium in question is Brucella. The electron micrograph is actually of B. abortus and taken from a paper by Detilleuxet al. I would have accepted any Brucella species as correct. The grant is on B. melitensis which is a human (as well as animal) pathogen and is the cause of undulant fever. It's also classified as a category B bioterrorism agent by the American Centers for Disease Control. And they should know as apparently the US developed cluster bombs filled with the stuff in the 60's (one of Tricky Dicky Nixon's gifts to mankind was to cancel the biowarfare programme and destroy these stockpiles of nastiness).
So the winner, sort of, is SaneScientist, who got the answer after a bit of prompting. Sir, I shall buy you a cup of coffee or two when you next visit Seattle. But shame on the half dozen or so alleged scientists who I know read this blog and didn't even attempt an answer: feeble I say, and it's no good pretending that you didn't know because you are immunologists or virologists. Pah!
Peace!
3 comments:
WooHoo!!!
Of course I can't claim all the credit - Google did most of the hard work!
(and no I didn't cheat and look you up on PubMed).
If you had looked me on PubMed you wouldn't have found a Brucella citation -this is a new departure for me.
Oh, and if you do come to Seattle I'll treat you to lunch as well.
Quite noble. The bloody grant is due in today. There are few loose ends to tie up but it's looking quite good. Keep your fingers crossed..
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