Researchers dipped turtles in glowing bacteria to figure out if they spread cholera
Cholera is a dangerous and very infectious disease that can be spread through water, feces and, apparently, soft-shelled turtles. In a study published this week in the journal American Society for Microbiology, researchers dipped these turtles in glowing cholera bacteria to figure out if they spread the disease.
Unfortunately, they do — which is bad news in China, where they’re considered a delicacy.
First, the researchers injected the cholera bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, with genes that made it glow. Next, they dipped the soft-shelled turtles in a solution that contained the glowing cholera.
The scientists then checked on the turtles every day for the next four days. By day one, they were already seeing light signals. By day four, the…
