University of Groningen Bacillus subtilis: sporulation, competence and the ability to take up fluorescently labelled DNA Boonstra, Mirjam

University of Groningen

Bacillus subtilis: sporulation, competence and the ability to take up fluorescently labelled DNA

Boonstra, Mirjam

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Publication date:

2017

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Boonstra, M. (2017). Bacillus subtilis: sporulation, competence and the ability to take up fluorescently

labelled DNA. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

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Propositions associated with the thesis

Bacillus subtilis: sporulation, competence and the ability to take up

fluorescently labelled DNA by

M. Boonstra

1. The effect of Spo0A on replication is most important when sporulation is induced by factors other than nutrient limitation (chapter 2).

2. Non-coding RNAs may play an important role in fine tuning of the competence state (chapter 3).

3. The role of metabolic enzymes in the K-state merits further investigation (chapter 3).

4. YhfW and YhxC are mysterious as they affect both competence and sporulation (chapter 3).

5. When developing a research method it is important to take into account the physical characteristics of the biological system of interest (chapter 4). 6. Fluorescent DNA is a useful tool for studying transformation, but can also potentially be used for other types of horizontal gene transfer such as conjugation and transduction (chapters 4&5).

7. Not statistically significant uses an arbitrary cut-off and does not necessarily mean not biologically relevant.

8. Society needs to be prepared for the advances of genetic engineering in order to prevent that divisions based on economic and social class turn into genetic upper and lower classes.

9. In an age of unlimited access to information it is important that skepticism, critical reading and differentiating between reliable and unreliable sources is taught at an early age.

10. Most of humanities problems are the result of the combination of our animal instincts and our technology.