Winogradsky column lab page!


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Welcome to the Winogradsky column lab page! Students from the Departments of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina and Icthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Greece and the Microbiology course, Faculty of Sciences, University of Cádiz, Spain, discuss their findings on Winogradsky columns they constructed!

If you want to add a post, please feel free to contact the blog administrators (Hera Karayanni, Sokratis Papaspyrou or Kostas Kormas)!



Καλωσορίσατε στη σελίδα των Winobloggers! Διαδικτυακός τόπος συνάντησης φοιτητών, φοιτητριών και διδασκόντων δύο Τμημάτων από την Ελλάδα: Tμήμα Βιολογικών Εφαρμογών και Τεχνολογιών, Παν/μιο Ιωαννίνων και Τμήμα Γεωπονίας, Ιχθυολογίας και Υδάτινου Περιβάλλοντος, Παν/μιο Θεσσαλίας και ενός από την Ισπανία: Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών, Πανεπιστήμιο του Cadiz. Παρακολουθούμε, σχολιάζουμε, ρωτάμε, απαντάμε σχετικά με τα πειράματά μας, τις στήλες Winogradsky!


Bienvenidos a la pagina web de los Winobloggers! Aquí los estudiantes y profesores de dos departamentos griegos, el Departamento de Aplicaciones y Tecnologías Biológicas de la Universidad de Ioannina y el Departmento de Agricultura, Ictiología y Sistemas Acuáticos de la Universidad de Thessalia, junto con los estudiantes de Microbiología de la Facultad de Ciencias en la Universidad de Cádiz, se reúnen para observar, comentar, preguntar y responder a preguntas relacionadas con nuestro experimento, la columna Winogradsky.


Winogradksy columns

Winogradksy columns
'In the field of observation, chance only favors the prepared mind' Pasteur 1854

Blog posts

Monday 12 December 2016

STUDENTS:NENA KOUKOUGELI
                        DIMITRA-IOLI SKOUROLIAKOU
UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA GREECE
BIOLOGICAL APLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
AQUATIC MICROORGANISMS
WEEK: 7th
LEFT: warmth-exposed
RIGHT: control



   Warmth – exposed column                                          Control column

  

  Between the 6th and 7th week, we couldn’t descry any obvious difference.
  The growth of the purple sulfur bacteria in the middle zone is still more visible in the control column than in the warmth-exposed column. During photosynthesis, unlike cyanobacteria or plants, they bind sulfur from the bottom of the column producing hydrogen sulfide, rather than oxygen. Thus, the purple sulfur bacteria cause anoxic conditions in the middle zone they grow.
  In both columns, is still observed the presence of biofilms, the concentration of which, is greater in the first column.
  This gradual distinction in the zones of the column, starting with the display of sulphates purple bacteria, has only been observed in the control column, even after 7 weeks. Thus, it can be assumed that the growth rate of the bacteria in the 2nd column, is considerably slower, as zoning hasn’t been observed yet. This fact is probably due to the rapid fluctuation of temperature. In the warmth-exposed column, this affects the bacteria directly by limiting the growth of the non-resistant ones at high temperatures. Also, the bacteria in this column, in order to get protected from the temperature fluctuation, could form spores, which means a static metabolic condition. Rather than that, the overheating of the plastic bottle can excrete damaging chemicals for the bacteria.
  

Hypothesis: The rapid fluctuation of the temperature on daily basis, reduces the growth rate of the microorganisms in the 2nd Winogradsky column

Tuesday 6 December 2016

UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA GREECE
BIOLOGICAL APLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY

AQUATIC MICROORGANISMS 

Team 7: Serasidis Konstantinos, Tsinoglou Makrina
Week: 4

Fourth week’s observation: 18/11/2016

Between the previous weeks and this week’s observations several changes have been noticed in the Control column. Firstly, at the bottom of the column green color has been noticed. Specifically, these changes state the growth of green sulfur bacteria. These bacteria require anaerobic conditions, sulfide ions and light effect in order to photosynthesize. Also, at the bottom of the column are noticeable black spots that are caused by anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria. These bacteria use either sulfate or oxidized forms of sulfur as the terminal electron acceptor, generating large amounts of H2S. The H2S will react with any iron in the sediment, producing black ferrous sulfide. At a higher level of the column a brown color in the sediment shows the growth of heterotrophic bacteria. There is a green color band immediately above the sediment. The green colored band is caused by the diffusion of H2S from the sediment into the water column that enables anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria to grow. The orange color in the water of the column that is caused of purple non-sulfur bacteria seems to be the same as the previous week. Finally, biofilm is observed at the top of the water column. A biofilm is any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often these cells adhere to a surface.
At the bottom of the column in the dark, the sediment is observed darker in comparison with the previous week. The darker color of the sediment indicates the increasing growth of anaerobic bacteria. Also, black spots are noticed at the lower levels of the sediment that are caused by anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria. Additionally, the black band which formed at the upper levels of the sediment is caused by the growth anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria. The anaerobic conditions are formed by the diffusion of H2S from the sediment into the water column. Finally, biofilm is observed at the top of the water column.

2.Column in the dark 

1. Control column    

Sunday 4 December 2016

STUDENTS:NENA KOUKOUGELI
                        DIMITRA-IOLI SKOUROLIAKOU
UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA GREECE
BIOLOGICAL APLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
AQUATIC MICROORGANISMS
WEEK: 6th
LEFT: control
RIGHT: warmth-exposed




The differences between the two columns are more obvious from the 5th to the 6th week.

In the first column, growth of urple sulfur bacteria in the middle zone is more odvious.

Purple sulfur bacteria are group of proteobacteria capable of photosynthesis and they are illuminated in anoxic zones. Unlike cyanobacteria or plants they do not use water as ther reducing agent, so they do not produce oxygen. Instead, they use hydrogen sulfide from the botom of the bottle which oxidised ti produse granule of elemental sulfure

In both columns, is still observed the presence of biofilms, the concentration of which, is greater in the first column

After 6 weeks, it has started a gradual distinction in the zones of the column, starting with the disply of sulphates purple bacteria. Considering that the forementioned zoning hasn't been yet observed in the 2nd column we can safely assume that it's groth rate is considerably slower. This happens probably due to the rapid fluctuation of temperature that affects the bacteria, not only directly by limiting the growth of the non-resistant, at high temperatures, bacteria, but also it affects them indirectly by the overheating of the plastic bottle that excretes damaging chamicals.

Hypothesis: The rapid fluctuation of the temperature on daily basis, reduces the growth rate of the microorganisms in the 2nd Winogradsky column

Thursday 1 December 2016

Monday 28 November 2016

Tampakidou Maria-Ioanna Mpelonias Fivos University of Ioannina



Team 4 

Tampakidou Maria-Ioanna, 1479, Mpelonias Fivos, 1178 University of Ioannina 

5th-6th week observation:  11/11/2016 - 18/11/2016 

       The winograsky column-1 (contains eggs and it is closed) on the right has dark-black color that surely reveals anoxic conditions in the water. This is a sign of the presence of sulfate reducers and methanogens (archae). This column contains a lot of sulfide and very sandy sediment that allow the sulfide to diffuse easily into the bulk of the column, and as a result is anaerobic throughout. In addition, there are a lot of organics (great amount of eggs and paper) that make the decomposers increase. Many decomposers use sulfur, ferum and other kinds of anorganic matterials to oxidate organic matter and produce energy. In some of these reactions  there are byproducts such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methane CH4 that cause the black color of the water. 
      On the other hand, in the winograsky column-2 (contains plasters and it is open) the water isn’t still clear anymore. It has been light green which is a sign of photosynthetic conditions. There is definatelly  some green algae and cyanobacteria , we can also see the biofilm which is products of microorganism witch after  the live there. Moreover, there are some organisms swimming in the water. They could be eterotrophs  and consume the autotrophs and their byproducts. Some of them have overall shape .The mud, is still totally black in some points and in some others is orange-red. It is a proof of red sulfur bacteria that finally are really observable. In the same time, the black spot are becoming bigger as sign of sulphur reducing bacteria such as Desulfovibrio that use products for anaerobic respiration using sulphates producing lots of H 2SThis H 2S will react with any iron producing black ferrous sulphide.
   
5th week