Microbial fun facts

We are collecting a selection of fun facts about bacteria, infections and antibiotics for a new page that we would like to add to our Superbugs website.

If you know any interesting examples that we should be including in our page please feel free to share it in the comment section below or on Twitter using the hashtag #SuperbugsFunFacts — please together with appropriate references and sources so that your information can be verified!

Here is a starter:

Did you know that the slime bacterium Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis holds the record for having the longest scientific name of any living or fossil organism?

It was first isolated on the island of Anglesey in North Wales, near the town Llanfair­pwll­gwyn­gyll­go­gery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, from where it got its name.

And:

With a length of up to 1 cm, the filament-like species Thiomargarita magnifica is the largest bacterium ever found. That is 5,000 times longer than a normal E. coli bacterium!

This size difference between E. coli and Thiomargarita magnifica would correspond to a human being as tall as Mount Everest.