Morticia (MLS, ASCP)
@morticiaslab.bsky.social
microbiologist (MLS, ASCP) specializing in gross, slimy stuff and fighting in defense of truth || hell on eight wheels 🛼 and black demon of the resistance ⛧𐕣
Donut granulomas from a Coxiella burnetii infection🍩
September 23, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Donut granulomas from a Coxiella burnetii infection🍩
Even microbes need a hug! I love this TEM image of a phage helper (blue) and its satellite virus (pink) 🥰 Satellite viruses are dependent on helper viruses for genome replication. They are not able to invade a cell and replicate their genetic material without attaching to one. Teamwork! 🤝
July 10, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Even microbes need a hug! I love this TEM image of a phage helper (blue) and its satellite virus (pink) 🥰 Satellite viruses are dependent on helper viruses for genome replication. They are not able to invade a cell and replicate their genetic material without attaching to one. Teamwork! 🤝
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the primary causative agent for the disease known as tuberculosis, showing off its prolific "cording" trait. These cord-like structures play an important role in both endogenous antibiotic resistance and disease progression!
June 8, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the primary causative agent for the disease known as tuberculosis, showing off its prolific "cording" trait. These cord-like structures play an important role in both endogenous antibiotic resistance and disease progression!
Paenibacillus dendritiformis is captivating. Just look at that colony morphology! This "social" microbe forms dynamic communities that behave like a multi-cellular organism; with specialized cell differentiation, communication and linguistics. It reminds us what we can achieve when we work together.
April 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Paenibacillus dendritiformis is captivating. Just look at that colony morphology! This "social" microbe forms dynamic communities that behave like a multi-cellular organism; with specialized cell differentiation, communication and linguistics. It reminds us what we can achieve when we work together.
I rated my resilience as average. I was a little surprised to see my results at the end!
April 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I rated my resilience as average. I was a little surprised to see my results at the end!
If you're looking for book recommendations, The Furies by Elizabeth Flock has easily been my favorite read of 2025. Three incredible stories of sisterhood, resilience and a beautiful reminder that we make our own justice, we keep each other safe.
April 10, 2025 at 3:48 PM
If you're looking for book recommendations, The Furies by Elizabeth Flock has easily been my favorite read of 2025. Three incredible stories of sisterhood, resilience and a beautiful reminder that we make our own justice, we keep each other safe.
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a fascinating troublemaker. This organism is ubiquitous in the human mouth, making it a symbiotic member of the healthy, human microbiome! However, it may play a role in endometriosis, colorectal cancer and has even been implicated in preterm birth and neonatal sepsis.
April 4, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a fascinating troublemaker. This organism is ubiquitous in the human mouth, making it a symbiotic member of the healthy, human microbiome! However, it may play a role in endometriosis, colorectal cancer and has even been implicated in preterm birth and neonatal sepsis.
New tapeworm species (genus Rhinebothrium) were just described and uh...I'm just going to say it. It's a really good day to not be a stingray because what the fuck is that. (Scolex of Rhinebothrium palmeri. SEM, 300 uM) #microbiology
March 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM
New tapeworm species (genus Rhinebothrium) were just described and uh...I'm just going to say it. It's a really good day to not be a stingray because what the fuck is that. (Scolex of Rhinebothrium palmeri. SEM, 300 uM) #microbiology
Lokiarchaeota provides a reminder that life doesn't really give a shit about human mechanisms of classification, and rarely fits perfectly into them. This complex archaea has features of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and is described as "bridging the gap" between the two.
February 21, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Lokiarchaeota provides a reminder that life doesn't really give a shit about human mechanisms of classification, and rarely fits perfectly into them. This complex archaea has features of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and is described as "bridging the gap" between the two.
The world is really dark but sometimes tiny things make it a little brighter. Like this bacterium, Photorhabdus luminescens. It glows blue! P. luminescens saved the lives of countless American soldiers during the Civil War by colonizing wounds, preventing infections w/ the antibiotics it produces.
February 18, 2025 at 6:05 PM
The world is really dark but sometimes tiny things make it a little brighter. Like this bacterium, Photorhabdus luminescens. It glows blue! P. luminescens saved the lives of countless American soldiers during the Civil War by colonizing wounds, preventing infections w/ the antibiotics it produces.
Every day is a good day to learn something new. Did you know the first "sit-in" during the US Civil Rights Movement was at a roller rink in Chicago? Roller skating is an integral part of black, civil rights AND music history in the US! 🛼✨
February 16, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Every day is a good day to learn something new. Did you know the first "sit-in" during the US Civil Rights Movement was at a roller rink in Chicago? Roller skating is an integral part of black, civil rights AND music history in the US! 🛼✨
Maybe you're already familiar with the bacteriophage- a virus that infects bacteria. Did you know there is a very similar entity among the viruses, a virophage? These viruses infect other viruses! 🤯
February 15, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Maybe you're already familiar with the bacteriophage- a virus that infects bacteria. Did you know there is a very similar entity among the viruses, a virophage? These viruses infect other viruses! 🤯
Did you know the oldest fossils we have are microfossils of cyanobacteria from 3.5 billion years ago? Here's some of their (much younger, at 850 m.y.a) cousins! ucmp.berkeley.edu/precambrian/...
February 15, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Did you know the oldest fossils we have are microfossils of cyanobacteria from 3.5 billion years ago? Here's some of their (much younger, at 850 m.y.a) cousins! ucmp.berkeley.edu/precambrian/...
Bdellovibrio is a genus of predatory bacteria that, oddly enough, prey on other bacteria. Odder still, they use the cytoplasmic contents (proteins, nucleic acids) of their prey for fuel. Check out these micrographs showing Bdellovibrio (B) predation of Burkholderia cepacia (small black arrow)
February 12, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Bdellovibrio is a genus of predatory bacteria that, oddly enough, prey on other bacteria. Odder still, they use the cytoplasmic contents (proteins, nucleic acids) of their prey for fuel. Check out these micrographs showing Bdellovibrio (B) predation of Burkholderia cepacia (small black arrow)
What's wrong with this bacterium, why the dark circles? Those are actually aggregates of iron, or tiny magnets. 🧲 Magnetotactic bacteria make their own, compass-like navigation systems! (Told you microbiology is really fucking cool.)
February 5, 2025 at 10:24 PM
What's wrong with this bacterium, why the dark circles? Those are actually aggregates of iron, or tiny magnets. 🧲 Magnetotactic bacteria make their own, compass-like navigation systems! (Told you microbiology is really fucking cool.)
What's wrong with these isopods? They're infected with a virus! Iridovirus is a genus of viruses that has a very interesting effect on the arthropods it infects; it makes them ✨iridescent✨
February 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
What's wrong with these isopods? They're infected with a virus! Iridovirus is a genus of viruses that has a very interesting effect on the arthropods it infects; it makes them ✨iridescent✨
Do you see two worms or one? 👀 Schistosoma mansoni is a parasitic worm that has a very interesting trait; the female worm lives in the gynecophoral canal of the male. Couple goals! 💖🥰
January 30, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Do you see two worms or one? 👀 Schistosoma mansoni is a parasitic worm that has a very interesting trait; the female worm lives in the gynecophoral canal of the male. Couple goals! 💖🥰
More microbiology, less doom scrolling! Anyways, this is Cupriavidus metallidurans- a type of bacteria that produces colonies of gold. (Yes, you did read that correctly)✨
January 29, 2025 at 11:49 PM
More microbiology, less doom scrolling! Anyways, this is Cupriavidus metallidurans- a type of bacteria that produces colonies of gold. (Yes, you did read that correctly)✨
The strongest adhesive on the planet isn't manufactured in any industrial factory and isn't made by human hands at all. It is made by this, Caulobacter crescentus. The adhesive these bacteria produce can withstand forces equivalent to multiple cars stacked on a coin. 🤯
January 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The strongest adhesive on the planet isn't manufactured in any industrial factory and isn't made by human hands at all. It is made by this, Caulobacter crescentus. The adhesive these bacteria produce can withstand forces equivalent to multiple cars stacked on a coin. 🤯
I especially like to make sure this box is checked when contacting my Congressman (congress.gov) to ask what they are doing to stand against executive overreach that is illegally depriving their constituents of federal funds.
January 28, 2025 at 8:28 PM
I especially like to make sure this box is checked when contacting my Congressman (congress.gov) to ask what they are doing to stand against executive overreach that is illegally depriving their constituents of federal funds.
Just started War on Science (Otto) for my fourth book of 2025. Safe to say it is a relevant read and one you probably need.
January 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Just started War on Science (Otto) for my fourth book of 2025. Safe to say it is a relevant read and one you probably need.
Can you guess which of these two organisms is a fungi and which is bacteria? 🤔 (I'll give you a hint, the organism in the left image is eukaryotic) 🦠🍄🟫
January 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Can you guess which of these two organisms is a fungi and which is bacteria? 🤔 (I'll give you a hint, the organism in the left image is eukaryotic) 🦠🍄🟫
Vampirovibrio (arrow) is a predatory bacteria that preys on its food by attaching to the exterior (Chlorella algae here), puncturing the cell membrane and sucking out the contents, much like a vampire 🧛🏻♀️🩸
January 17, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Vampirovibrio (arrow) is a predatory bacteria that preys on its food by attaching to the exterior (Chlorella algae here), puncturing the cell membrane and sucking out the contents, much like a vampire 🧛🏻♀️🩸
What's that? 👀 Rotting wood,fruiting body..looks like a fungus! Just kidding, this beautiful example of convergent evolution is known as Myxobacteria. Their multicellular life cycle mimics fungi to a bizarre degree. (I like to think they just enjoy confusing humans.)
January 12, 2025 at 1:53 PM
What's that? 👀 Rotting wood,fruiting body..looks like a fungus! Just kidding, this beautiful example of convergent evolution is known as Myxobacteria. Their multicellular life cycle mimics fungi to a bizarre degree. (I like to think they just enjoy confusing humans.)
Meet Thiomargarita magnifica, an aquatic gammaproteobacteria. Your eyes do not deceive you! 👀This incredible organism has an average length of a centimeter. We can see it with the unaided eye.
January 5, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Meet Thiomargarita magnifica, an aquatic gammaproteobacteria. Your eyes do not deceive you! 👀This incredible organism has an average length of a centimeter. We can see it with the unaided eye.