Tag: organisms

What are Extremophiles?

Extremophiles are organisms that can survive in environmental conditions that are hostile and even lethal for other organisms; this includes extremes of temperature, high salt concentrations, extremes of pH, and even toxic waste, radiation, and organic solvents. Image Credit: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock.com To be able to survive in these extreme conditions, adaptations are needed. Often, an

A reservoir of bacteria—sink drains next to toilets in patient rooms may harbor dangerous organisms

Sinks situated next to patient toilets in hospital rooms may be reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), increasing the risk of dangerous germ transmission, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. The study found a high prevalence