ANDRZEJ WOŹNICA¹, TYTUS BERNAŚ², JAGNA KARCZ³, AGNIESZKA NOWAK¹,
ALEKSANDER GMUR⁴ (authors of photographs)
ANDRZEJ WOŹNICA¹ (project manager)

¹ University of Silesia
Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Biochemistry;
Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice
e-mail: andrzej.woznica@us.edu.pl

² University of Silesia,
Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology;
Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice

³ University of Silesia,
Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Laboratory of Scanning Electron Microscopy;
Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice

⁴ Division of Radiology, District Hospital,
Antesa 11, 43-200 Pszczyna

Description popularizing the research project

Intelligence Services have honed the spy tools since the very beginning. They have trained the best people to become reliable agents. They have set undetectable bugs and masked observation points spending heaps of money. Intelligence war fought clandestinely is as fierce and merciless as wars fought by armies. But the aim of intelligence is information, key data of strategic importance. Information just like silence has its price. The best spy is the one who informs you quietly, does not expect payment and does not pose any conditions, simply expects just a bit of ammonium. Most of all the best spy is absolutely discreet as it is invisible to the naked eye.
Yet under microscope, in magnification of a few hundred times, colored with bright dyes the whole network of spies is revealed. They could even introduce themselves saying coolly “My name's bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria".
What is the bacteria capable of? So it can detect poisons in water. Employed in water treatment plants and monitoring fresh water, immobilized in special constructions it transmits information on an unwanted chemical compound to the Center. And the Center know what to do then. Bacteria on war with terror? It is not so improbable. So far an ordinary leak from a tanker, uncontrolled sewage discharge or another chemical danger are enough. The information on the condition of water may be transferred at intervals of several seconds. How do they do that? Stop. It is TOP SECRET information protected with a patent.

Abstract

The project was the continuation of researches connected with Automatic Biodetector of Water Toxicity (ABTOW) (patent University of Silesia). One of the biodetector elements were polyurethane sponges (open cellular polyurethane material- OCPM) used as the base for nitrifying bacteria immobilization. Microorganisms were the biological sensor of ABTOW.
The aim of that stage of researches was to find out how the biofilm is created, and how the sponges are colonized by nitrifying bacteria: ammonia- oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite- oxidizing bacteria (NOB). 3D structure reconstruction of that colonies allowed to understand bacteria functioning in these systems and also showed ways (types) of immobilizing the examined bacteria.
Only the compilation of different analytical techniques allowed to get the image that resembles the original structures the best. In our researches we used X-ray computed tomography, confocal laser scanning microscope and a low and high vacuum scanning electron microscope. That imaging 3D structure of the biofilm allowed to describe the bacterial colonies architecture. That biofilm was not homogenous.