Slime molds in significant industrial biofilms

[Ralf Cord-Ruwisch]

Hi folks,

as a bacteriologist I have come across slime molds only very recently when I found they can actually dominate biofilms designed to treat wastewater. It seems this is not reported yet in the literature. Does anyone have similar observations?

Oh. I also find them at home on spend ground coffe cakes from my espresso cooker.

Cheers

Ralf

[Steven L. Stephenson]

Ralf:

      I would be interested in knowing more about your observations of slime molds in biofilms. 

             Steve

[Ralf Cord-Ruwisch]

Hi Steve,

we are slow and go scientific about it. It seems to be a species of tetramitus, which is not known (yet) to be a social ameba. 

[Natalie Andrew]

Hi Ralf,

Are they plasmodia or amoebas? Coffee grounds have not been good for my ink-cap cultures but I didn't test them on slime.

Natalie

[Ralf Cord-Ruwisch]

Looks like Physarum (yellow slimy and moving along a kind of network) to me. Forms puffy beige dust when I place the coffee grounds onto flower pots as organic mulch. I am curious about purifying it on agar plates. Nutrtient agar did not work.