Novel nano-organisms from Australian sandstones

Abstract

We report the detection of living colonies of nano-organisms (nanobes) on Triassic and Jurassic sandstones and other substrates. Nanobes have cellular structures that are strikingly similar in morphology to Actinomycetes and fungi (spores, filaments, and fruiting bodies) with the exception that they are up to 10 times smaller in diameter (20 nm to 1.0 m). Nanobes are noncrystalline structures that are composed of C, O, and N. Ultra thin sections of nanobes show the existence of an outer layer or membrane that may represent a cell wall. This outer layer surrounds an electron dense region interpreted to be the cytoplasm and a less electron dense central region that may represent a nuclear area. Nanobes show a positive reaction to three DNA stains, [4Ј,6-diamidino-2 phenylindole (DAPI), Acridine Orange, and Feulgen], which strongly suggests that nanobes contain DNA. Nanobes are communicable and grow in aerobic conditions at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperatures. While morphologically distinct, nanobes are in the same size range as the controversial fossil nannobacteria described by others in various rock types and in the Martian meteorite ALH84001.

Purported nanobacteria in human blood as calcium carbonate nanoparticles

“…Similar structures described as ''nannobacteria'' were also reported to abound in calcium carbonate (15) and sulfides sediments (16) where they were seen as overlooked factors affecting geochemical cycles. Other authors reported the presence of so-called ''nanobes,'' a purported form of nanoscopic actinomycete-like microorganisms, which supposedly grow on Triassic and Jurassic sandstones (17). Similar nanoparticles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were also detected in meteorite fragments from Mars, leading to the hypothesis that these structures represent fossilized bacteria (18).…”

Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders: I. Amauropelma gen. nov. (Araneomorphae: Ctenidae)

“…More recently, novel nano-organisms (nanobes) have been described growing on Triassic and Jurassic sandstones collected from petroleum exploration boreholes off the Western Australian coast (Uwins et al, 1998). These cells (20-150 nm in diameter) provide further evidence in strong support of nano-scopic life.…”

Diverse uncultivated ultra-small bacterial cells in groundwater

“…Over the following years, various publications proposed the existence of 'nannobacteria' (or nanobes) in terrestrial samples 2 , sometimes with implied medical 3 and environmental 2 significance. However, a lack of solid biological evidence for the existence of cells considered to be too small to accommodate sufficient genomic DNA, RNA, proteins and solvent for life consigned nanobacteria to the scientific fringe ('the cold fusion of microbiology' 4 ).…”