Our Water

Overview: ‘Water is life!’ Most cells consist mostly of water, which plays several key roles. Water is essential for life, which is why the search for extra-terrestrial life is usually restricted to those planets having water (liquid, solid or gas) or indications of a history of having water. Insufficient water is a pervasive form of stress for cells and organisms, as we realise when we get thirsty in hot weather or during vigorous sport. Plants wilt when there is not enough water, and we consecrate an enormous amount of water to irrigate farmland to enable good growth of crops. But water comes in different forms – seawater, ice, rain, snow – and because many compounds dissolve in it, it is rarely pure. Microbes respond in different ways to different forms of water, and indeed their activities influence the content of water, for example they purify it so that we can drink it. Let’s discover how microbes influence water and how water influences microbes!