Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tektronix!zeus!amadeus!rob
From: rob@amadeus.TEK.COM (Dan Tilque)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Metabolic selection of isotopes?
Message-ID: <3230@zeus.TEK.COM>
Date: 9 Mar 88 08:56:12 GMT
Sender: news@zeus.TEK.COM
Reply-To: dant@mrloog.LA.TEK.COM (Dan Tilque)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.
Lines: 18

In a recent Science News (5 Mar 88) there is an article about the finding
of bacteria which live in underground aquafers.  The following passage
caught my eye even though it was not the major story:

	"Earlier experiments had shown that the carbon in water from this
	particular aquifer was abnormally rich in carbon-13, a heavy
	isotope of carbon.  Chapelle's group found that the carbon
	generated in the lab also contained high levels of carbon-13.  he
	suggested that the bacteria, which feed on organic molecules, have
	a metabolism that selects this heavy isotope when producing carbon
	dioxide."
    
I have never heard of any metabolic process which could distinguish
isotopes.  Is this bacteria unique or are there other cases like it?


---
Dan Tilque  --  dant@mrloog.LA.TEK.COM