Peculiarities of the study of distant non-chemical interactions in microorganisms
Nikolaev Yury A., El-Registan Galina I.
The Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
Two physical (biophysical) phenomena that link the life of microorganisms with physical fields (PF) are beyond doubt - the presence of their own PF of different nature and intensity (including super-weak ones), and the impact of natural and anthropogenic PF on microorganisms. However, the question of the biological significance of microorganisms' own weak and super-weak physical fields (their distant interactions, DI) in the activity of microorganisms is far from being resolved.
The report will critically examine experiments on DI of microorganisms, conducted by the authors, as well as those described in the literature over the past decades. The presence of DI has been demonstrated: between growing bacterial cultures; during germination of bacilli and streptomycetes spores; during adhesion of pseudomonads; during changes in growth conditions of bacterial cultures; during interactions between algae and bacterial satellites, and in a number of other cases.
Another microbiologically relevant example of the manifestation and importance of DI is the reaction of microorganisms to ultra-weak signals from the surrounding world (which has been demonstrated by changing the dissociation spectra and other properties of bacilli cultures at different times of the year, and in a some other cases).
Of primary importance for the detection and convincing demonstration of the biological role of DI (when both the source of radiation and its recipient are living (micro)organisms) is the choice of an experimental system. Optimal recipients are systems at critical points in development.
For correct and convincing interpretation of experimental data, it is necessary to use special statistical methods (usually non-parametric ones).
The prospects for research into DI in microorganisms, both in fundamental and applied aspects, lie in three directions: the search for sensitive experimental systems, the use of molecular biology methods, and the use of highly sensitive measuring equipment.
Speaker
Nikolaev Yury
The Federal Research Centre “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Research Center of Biotechnology RAS)
Russia
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