Can You Identify These ‘Invisible’ Microorganisms?
Science Photo Library via Getty Images
Although microbes can’t be seen by the naked eye, these microorganisms are all around us. Beneficial and disease-causing microbes can be found on almost every surface on Earth, including in our food, our bodies, and animal hosts. Every day, Pew biomedical scholars and Latin American fellows look closely at the diverse microbes surrounding us—including bacteria, fungi, and viruses—to combat disease and promote human health.
Can you identify these tiny organisms? Test your knowledge in our latest quiz!
# results title text: Congratulations—you spotted {score} out of {total_questions} “invisible” microbes!
# results text:
# wrong text: Sorry, that's incorrect.
# right text: That's correct!
# social text incomplete: Can you identify these “invisible” microorganisms? Test yourself and share your results.
# social text complete: Can you identify these “invisible” microorganisms? I took the quiz and got {score} out of {total_questions}. Test yourself and share your results.
? What is growing on this block of cheese? (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question1/16x9_m.jpg" !)Getty Images
- Algae
- Protozoa
+ Bacteria and fungi
! Fun fact: One gram of cheese rind is home to 10 billion bacterial and fungal cells. Pew scholar Rachel Dutton uses cheese as a model to study the interplay between these microorganisms, and has mapped their diversity across more than 130 cheeses from 10 countries.
Today, Dutton and fellow Pew researcher Ilana Brito manipulate bacteria to study horizontal gene transfer—a mechanism by which bacteria acquire genes from one another to adapt to new or changing environments, work that has important implications for antibiotic resistance, agriculture, and biotechnology.
- Viruses
? Which type of biofilm, a filmy collection of bacteria, is shown below? (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question2/16x9_m.jpg" !)Wellcome Connection
- Pond scum
- Salmonella
- Tuberculosis
+ Dental plaque
! Certain microorganisms can form biofilms that adhere to diverse surfaces such as medical devices, lung tissue, and even teeth. Biofilms are difficult to eradicate because they can resist stressful environments, such as a lack of water or exposure to drugs. Dental plaque—a dentist’s No. 1 enemy—is a common example of biofilm. Left untreated, it can cause gum disease.
Pew scholar Arthur Prindle recently discovered that the electrochemical signals bacteria use to communicate, called bacteria signaling, can initiate the breakdown of biofilm. Using this knowledge, his lab will work to uncover new approaches to disrupt biofilms and improve treatments. Similarly, Pew scholar Hesper Rego studies the metabolic activity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can form therapy-resistant biofilms, to design drugs that can make the infection easier to treat.
? Which respiratory virus, pictured below, emerged as a recent threat in Asia and the Middle East? (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question3/16x9_m.jpg" !)Alamy
+ Coronavirus
! Coronaviruses, a class of viruses that cause a variety of respiratory infections, are common in many species of animals, including camels and bats, and can mutate and spread to other animals—including humans. In 2012, the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was first reported in Saudi Arabia and has since infected people in more than 25 countries. And in 2003, a coronavirus that leads to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) spread in Asia before the global outbreak was contained.
Pew scholar David Veesler studies the structure of coronaviruses to learn how the spike protein on the virus gains entry into cells and infects them. His group aims to engineer vaccines that neutralize the virus, which currently responds to limited drugs.
- Chicken pox virus
- Measles virus
- Rhinovirus
? This dangerous pathogen resulted in a major outbreak in 2013. (Hint: You may have heard about it in the news.) (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question4/16x9_m.jpg" !)Getty Images
+ Ebola
! The Ebola virus causes life-threatening hemorrhagic fevers that can result in internal bleeding and shock. Pew scholar Kristian Andersen studies the evolution of pathogens including West Nile, Zika, and especially Ebola, and investigates whether humans were exposed to less lethal forms of the deadly Ebola virus prior to the 2013 outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa—work that is critical to preventing and combating future outbreaks.
Similarly, Pew fellow Ana Peinetti seeks to design an analytical device that can spot signs of the dengue virus, which can also cause hemorrhagic fevers. By identifying specific markers of this virus, her work may help develop diagnostic tests that permit early intervention and improved prognosis for people at risk of serious health complications.
- Zika
- West Nile
- Norovirus
? “Stomach flu” is mostly spread by which microbe? (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question5/16x9_m.jpg" !)Shutter Stock
- Saccharomyces
- Lactobacillus
- Acetobacter
+ Salmonella
! Gastroenteritis, or the “stomach flu,” from Salmonella infections is often caused by eating raw or undercooked foods or being exposed to contaminated water. Some pets, such as birds and reptiles, can also carry the bacteria. Pew fellow José Soto studies how Salmonella injects virulent proteins into host cells to cause an infection.
Pew scholar Megan Baldridge examines the conditions that influence the evolution of severe strains of norovirus, another microbe that causes gastroenteritis and leads to symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. After exploring the immune conditions in the gut that influence severe strains of the norovirus, her research may lead to the development of novel probiotic treatments for this illness.
? This microbe is considered one of the most abundant and important commensal, or “friendly,” bacteria in the gut: (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question6/16x9_m.jpg" !)Alamy
- Listeria
+ Faecalibacterium
! Faecalibacterium is a “friendly” gut bacteria that helps to provide essential nutrients, shape immune responses, and defend against pathogens. For example, gut bacteria aids in the digestion of food and helps prevent and treat conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation.
Pew scholar Seth Rakoff-Nahoum studies how immune cells foster the development and maintenance of healthy microbes in the gut, while Pew fellow María Inda hopes to engineer commensal gut microbes with sensors that can recognize the molecular markers of inflammatory bowel disease and trigger a therapeutic response.
- Shigella
- Vibrio cholerae
? Which parasitic infection is transmitted by mosquitoes and invades red blood cells? (!img src="/-/media/post-launch-images/2019/12/microorganism-quiz/question7/16x9_m.jpg" !)Getty Images
- Dengue
+ Malaria
! Malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum that infects certain mosquitoes, which can then feed on humans. According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 219 million cases of malaria in 2017. In response, Pew scholar Paul Sigala looks at how the malaria parasite survives and proliferates inside red blood cells, work that could develop novel strategies to curb the disease.
Examining another agent of transmission, Pew scholar Seemay Chou investigates why only certain tick species carry Borrelia burgdorferi—the bacterium that causes Lyme disease—to help reduce ticks’ ability to carry and transmit the infection.
- Zika
- Lyme bacteria
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Pew’s biomedical scholars and fellows are on the cutting edge of biomedical research—using new tools and techniques to tackle complex questions about human health. Every day, they look closely at the molecules and cells that make up our bodies and surroundings. Could you identify their objects of study? Take this quiz to view some of their subjects up close, and see if you can guess what they are.
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