Love in Microbiology Lab

Serratia marcescens is a rod-shaped, gram negative, meaning it has a smaller peptidoglycan cell wall and a lipopolysaccharide layer on top of that. The red pigment is naturally occurring! It is found a variety of places, many that you may not expect! You can find it in soils, in your bathroom (it will live off of soap and shampoo residue!), and even your teeth!! I hope that you don't have it in your teeth... Wikipedia says it will stain your teeth reddish.

Read more:
Life starts now.: Pink, purple, and... bacteria?

Source: Life starts now
Image credits: Tasha P

______________________________________________________________

Follow Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine on


_____________________________________________________________