Lena's Notes: 

1. Classification – Aerobic/Anaerobic; Formal scientific name (anything interesting about name?) This bacteria Anaerobic, so it can live without oxygen.Bacillus Lentimorbus is the formal name. The full clasification goes as follows: domain: bacteria; kingdom: animalia; phyllum: firmicutes; class:bacilli; order: bacillales;family:bacilaceae; and genus bacillus.

    

2. Gram stain – Is the bacteria gram – or gram + It is gram positive, meaning its cell wall is thick enough to hold the crystaline purple dye, and the cell remains purple when looked at under a microscope.

    

3. Structure – shape; cell wall; internal structures; flagella present? Spore forming (endospores)? All bacillus cells have a rod shape, a cell wall, nuclear matter and cytoplasm. There are also flagella present and can have endospores.
4. Habitat – where would you find this bacterium? Because it is a pathogen, it is usually found in soil, plants and nature, insects (especially the Japanese beetle associated with the milky diseases).
5. Nutritional Requirements – Heterotrophic? Autotrophic? Chemoautotrophic?  It is autotrophic, meaning it can make its own food
6. History – When discovered; interesting historical information dealing with your bacteria. In 1872 , Bacills subtilis was discovered by Ferdinand Cohn, and this was the first bacillus to be discovered and named.It was discovered in the 1940s, and though that it could be used to control Japanese beetle population
7. Problems associated with the loss of bacteria in the environment? If there was a shortage of Bacillus Lentimorbus, then there would be more fungi and insects, because this bacteria helps control both of these problems.
8. Interesting or unusual facts about your bacteria.The bacteria is used in a chemical-free alternatives for lawn care treatment to kill off insects and other crop infecting pests. It is a soil inoculant, which helps plants grow by allowing more minerals to become available for plants.
9. Milky Diseases: The infected beetle or insect sometimes turns white (hence the name 'milky') and sometimes develop brown spots. Bacillus Lentimorbus spreads the Type B Milky Disease which was discovered by Dutky in 1940. The disease can also be useful though because the Japanese beetle (Popillia Japonica) distroys many crops thoughout the United States causing substantial damage, and the Milky Disease kill off many of these beetles, helping the problem. The disease usually takes between 14 and 21 days to kill the beetle. Spore powder of the disease can be put over crops to kill the Japanese beetle.