Nefarobacterium
The Genus Nefarobacterium: A Taxonomic Analysis
In recent years, the group of microorganisms known as "nefarobes" has become an increasingly important focus of study, both due to financial interest in the biotechnological applications of these nefarious microorganisms, and also due to academic interest in the origins of nefarity in the Pre-Cambrian environment on the early Earth.
It is believed by many researchers in the field that an understanding of nefarious behaviour in microorganisms will greatly enhance our insight into the roots of nefarity in "higher" species such as Homo Sapiens.
With these intentions in mind, a summary of the characteristics of several species of nefarobacteria is given below. The reader is referred to the recent excellent review of Lo and McCrudden for information on nefarity in fungi, viruses and protozoa, topics not discussed in the present analysis.
TYPE STRAIN: Nefarobacterium osborneum
Originally isolated in 1976 from stains on a pair of underpants worn by a leading advocate of nefarity and general mayhem. N.osborneum strains have also been isolated from samples of saliva, smegma, toejam and vomit from locations around the globe.
Grows on most laboratory media at 25-37 degrees C. Requires inclusion of fermented yeast extract for optimum growth, preferably in conjunction with malt and hops extract.
Ribosomal DNA studies indicate that N.osborneum is most closely related to Nefarococcus and Nefarospirillum strains isolated from the Narrabeen Lakes aquifer system. Significant DNA sequence homology was also observed between N.osborneum and Iconodictium strains from Toongabbie Creek industrial effluent catchment area.
OTHER NEFAROBACTERIA: Nefarobacterium rastafariensis
First isolated in 1978 from a sample of rancid bongwater by workers in the Robert Marley Institute for Comparative Stonage Studies. N.rastafariensis strains have been reported to colonise diverse ecological niches, including soil and water, but are most commonly found in a symbiotic association with the roots of Cannabis.sativa species, where they contribute enzymic activities involved in THC biosynthesis.
N.rastafariensis strains can be cultivated at temperatures of 35-45 degrees C on Marley Medium No. 1 containing hemp extract, but do not grow well in standard media. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol synthase gene in isolates of N.rastafariensis from different locations indicate that this species probably evolved in the mid-1960s from an ancestral strain of Nefarobacterium, possibly N.kerouacii or N.ginsbergum.
Nefarobacterium australens
Very prevalent in southern latitudes, N.australens was first described by Petersen and co-workers in an enrichment culture derived from a sample of axle grease from a 1972 HQ Kingswood. The predominant variety, known as N.australens biovar "revheddium", is very hardy and thrives in association with many kinds of machinery, particularly muscle cars, tractors and hovercraft. Biovar revheddium strains are thermophilic, and are ideally cultivated on Petersen's Octane Medium at 80-90 degrees C under an atmosphere of 20% oxygen, 20% hydrogen and 60% nitrous oxide.
The less common strain, Biovar waxheddium was first isolated from a beer-soaked coaster by researchers at the Lennox Head Institute of have Kinetics and Bikini Research. Biovar Waxheddium strains grow on a variety of short-chain alcohols as sole carbon source, including methanol, ethanol and isopropanol. Best growth is seen at 28.31 degrees C on Loonfreak's Seawater Agar containing 4.4% ethanol. N.australens biovar waxheddium strains have also been isolated from the intestines of various fish, including flathead, john dory and tommy ruff.
Comparative DNA studies have not been performed on either biovar of N.australens, but it is suspected that these microbes are related to the archaebacterial species Nefarotorium rootyhillum.
Nefarobacterium electronicum
In molecular genetic analyses, peculiar bacterial DNA sequences characteristic of nefarobacteria have been increasingly reported during the late '90s, but these sequences do not match the DNA profile of any strains previously cultured. Tentatively assigned the species name Nefarobacterium electronicum, these microbes have so far remained impossible to isolate in pure culture.
These bacteria may be involved in obligate symbioses with other microorganisms, possibly the protozoal species Stonemastorria smokaholica and Lysergica trippenmaxia. The signature ribosomal DNA sequences of N.electronicum strains have been detected in diverse locations including samples of dust from disused warehouses, speaker cones from sub-woofers and on circuit boards from various electronic devices.
There has been speculation (predominantly from the laboratory of Prof. J. Gliddax) that these sequences represent a new form of microbial life, which has both biological and electronic components, but thus far, no evidence has been provided by Prof. Gliddax to substantiate this bizarre theory.
-- By N. Coleman
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