Micrococcus luteus
This fella was isolated by Alexander Fleming in 1922 by swabbing the nose of a patient that was sick with a cold. This isolation occurred years before Mr. Fleming’s famous discovery of penicillin. M. luteus is saprophytic in nature, meaning it feeds on decaying organic matter, which is characteristic of most soil-dwelling microbes and fungi. It has one of the smallest genomes of all bacteria, making it great for genetic studies. Being that it’s a Gram-Positive saprotroph, it grows well without moisture in areas where decaying organic matter can build up, and that’s exactly why this sucker is being brought into the spotlight for this week’s Microb...