Macromonas bipunctata
| Macromonas bipunctata | |
|---|---|
| Moonmilk in the cave Bergmilchkammer | |
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| Species: | M. bipunctata |
| Binomial name | |
| Macromonas bipunctata (Gicklhorn 1920) Utermöhl and Koppe | |
Macromonas bipunctata is a Gram-negative, colorless, and heterotrophic sulfur bacterium of the genus Macromonas. It is commonly found in sewage aeration tanks and caves where moonmilk has formed. In the 1920s, researcher Gicklhorn first discovered this organism under the name Pseudomonas bipunctata. After further study and culturing by Utermöhl and Koppe, in 1923, it was later renamed Macromonas bipunctata. This organism is thought to be non-pathogenic species. In fact, the moonmilk produced was referenced as a remedy for infections in the Middle Ages.