Profile

Tell us more...:

Nostoc species belong to a group of bacteria called Cyanobacteria which are pigmented bacteria that create their energy by way of photosynthesis, similar to green algae and plants. The common name is blue-green algae because of their blue-green colour and similar morphology of algae.

Nostoc can be found in many environments such as soil, rocks, stream and lakes. It may also grow symbiotically with fungi to form lichen or plants such as Gunnera and Cycad. Nostoc fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and so plays an important role for both plants and animals. Colonies of  Nostoc species appear black and brittle when dry, but become swollen green-blue masses with the consistency of jelly when in contact with water. The rapid growths of Notoc after the rain, led to a common belief in the middle-ages that this blue-green jelly fell from the sky.

Nostoc cyanobacteria have even been send to space to test if they would be good terra-forming photosynthetic organisms for space habitation such as Mars.

Another cool fact about me is that the blue colour for smarties is made from cyanobacteria pigment.

Nostoc’s History

The word Nostoch was invented by the 15th century scientist, philosopher, and alchemist Paracelsus to describe the gelatinous colonies of Nostoc commune. The name was derived from the Old English and German word for Nostril and Nasenloch. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek also examined and described the genus under his prototype microscope in 1702. However, mentions of Nostoc can be traced back much further in human history. Over 1,600 years ago during the time of the Eastern Jin Dynasty 317-420 AD Nostoc commune (known as Ge-Xian-Mi) was used as a staple food by Alchemist Hung Ge. Nostoc is still cultivated and consumed as a food source, primarily in Asia due to its high protein and vitamin C content. All cyanobacteria including Nostoc, produce beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine  (BMAA), a toxic amino acid that could affect the normal functions of nerve cells. By sequencing the genome of this cyanobacteria we can learn more about how genes work together to direct the growth, development and maintenance of Nostoc commune.

Nostoc has grabbed both scientists and the public’s attention for thousands of years due to its divergent properties and almost magical appearance. It would be fantastic to be able to sequence this genome to have 21^st century scientific insight into this species and reveal the secrets within the DNA of the so-called nostril slime or troll’s butter.

Click here to vote for me: