Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Learning (And Harvesting) from Extremophiles

Posted by Hemos on from the long-term-effects dept.

kudyadi writes "BBC News has an article on the threat posed to extremophiles by anxious prospectors ready to exploit their unique nature. Potential discoveries include glycoprotein, which prevents Antarctic fish from freezing, and an extract from green algae for use in cosmetic skin treatment, and anti-tumour properties in a strain of yeast. This article explains the issue more lucidly, but in the end, one must consider the environmental ramifications of this biological exploitation before moving ahead full scale. So how is Tux in danger? Let me remind you of a thing called the food chain and then read this."

17 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Extremophiles? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Is that like Michael Jackson bungee jumping?

  2. Oh. by proj_2501 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had to read the article before figuring out that extremophiles were not folks who enjoy things like base jumping on Mars, "water"skiing on the freeway, real-life Crazy Taxi, nude Antarctic beaches, etc. etc.

    1. Re:Oh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I thought extremophiles refered to Howard Dean supporters.

  3. Extremophiles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is that one of those Audiophiles that buys all the best equipment and scoffs at CD audio in favor of DVD audio?

  4. There is a bad joke here someplace... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 5, Funny
    Extremophiles are micro-organisms that grow optimally in some of earth's most hostile environments of temperature

    ...and tend to congregate at Slashdot...

    Sorry, had to be said...

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
    1. Re:There is a bad joke here someplace... by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bunch of posers. Real extremophiles inhabit the alt groups of usenet.

      Stupid git.

      KFG

    2. Re:There is a bad joke here someplace... by Lehk228 · · Score: 3, Funny

      those are pedophiles

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
    3. Re:There is a bad joke here someplace... by kfg · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why is everybody always picking on cyclists?

      KFG

  5. Re:Brilliant. by yotto · · Score: 5, Funny

    the first man to create fire would have been stoned to death for creating smoke, and the first one to create the wheel would have been burned at the stake for making something that could roll over grass.

    Well, at least the cavemen in the parallel universe finally accepted fire...

    --
    Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
  6. hyperstable macromolecules by torpor · · Score: 3, Funny

    yay, nano-slavery!

    t-minus 5 years and counting to 'grow your own processor' vat kits for teenagers and above ...

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  7. I support the use of extremophiles. by burgburgburg · · Score: 4, Funny
    It's the reason that I personally jam over 15 pounds of antartic fish into my radiator every winter. And while the smell can be a bit noisome (especially when the heater is on), it's obviously environmentally friendly and much cheaper than anti-freeze (except for the cost of shipping all those fish, which, now that I think about it, is really expensive).

    I've changed my mind.

  8. Re:It's not like its strip mining by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Haven't you ever had a throat culture taken?

    Man, them cotton swabs is deadly weapons, I'm tellin' ya.

    KFG

  9. On the horizon... by MarsCtrl · · Score: 5, Funny
    Potential discoveries include glycoprotein, which prevents Antarctic fish from freezing
    Scientists expect this reasearch to lead to exciting new research in the field of pre-thawed frozen fish sticks.
    --

    I was going to put a sig here, but I had already submitted the message.
  10. Learning from Extremophiles... by Glowing+Fish · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can I call my browsing of the stranger Y! Member Profiles scientific research now?

    --
    Hopefully I didn't put any [] around my words.
  11. Re:Invitrogen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The bacteria which live in fish that keep the food chain going that.... wait for it... keeps you from being DEAD!

    Maybe you went to a school that wasn't allowed to teach science. That's ok, the rapture will come soon enough. Right?

  12. Re:Brilliant. by nomadic · · Score: 3, Funny

    Let's just stop ALL science until we're absolutely sure of every ramification of every single thing we do.

    Yes, I would have concluded the article was suggesting that extreme measure as well, if I were also a simpleton.

  13. Re:It's not like its strip mining by Rupert · · Score: 3, Funny

    They use those cotton swabs in places much more sensitive than your throat. I've had broken bones that hurt less.

    --

    --
    E_NOSIG