Microbial Communities under Siege! Petroleum Hydrocarbons vs Microbial Community 

by: Diana Tarver

Figure 1. Species diversity and functional community and its relationship with soil multifunctionality in soils with different petroleum hydrocarbon contamination levels. The Simpson index (A) and Chao index (B) of the microbial community in highly contaminated soils (H), lightly contaminated soils (L) and uncontaminated soils (N). The Pearson correlation between the Simpson index (C) or Chao index (D) and soil multifunctionality in highly contaminated soils (H), lightly contaminated soils (L) and uncontaminated soils (N). The Pearson correlation between the Simpson index (E) or Chao index (F) and soil multifunctionality in all soil samples. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to calculate significant differences (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001).

Environmental microbes are an important part of keeping the soils functioning and our tampering and adding of chemicals into the environment has made them evolve, and adapt to these chemicals.  Petroleum hydrocarbon, it changes the soil environment increasing organic carbon content changing how microbes interreact with soil. Some microbes have been able to adapt and to these contaminated soil. This study carried out by Wenjuan Jia and colleagues wanted to see how the diversity of these soil microbes were being affected by the petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. They went ahead and collected samples from 3 sites in Beijing China that had low, medium and high contamination. With these soil samples they did some culture dependent and independent studies on the microbes. Results concluded that there was a much lower diversity in high concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons but surprisingly in the lower concentrations there was a huge increase in diversity giving us hope that these contaminated site will eventually heal. Although we may have known about the idea that microbes can help with contamination in the environment it is good to be able to see when we need to intervene this data could bring us closer in identifying what kind of management plan we can implement. 

Original Article 

Wenjuan J., Lirong C., Qiuyang T., Yueqiao L., Junfeng D., Kai Y., Qing Y., Senjie W., Jing L., Geng N., Lei Z., Aizhong D. (2023). Response of the soil microbial community to petroleum hydrocarbon stress shows a threshold effect: research on aged realistic contaminated fields. Frontiers in Microbiology Volume 14; 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1188229   

Environmental adaptation of host and a microbiome

By. Natalie Reyna

Results of common garden experiments, in which population growth was measured for C. elegans population isolated from mesocosms at day 100 ( final) and initial worm in present of mesocosms. Population growth is shown as offspring per worm added at the beginning of experiment. 

Microorganism when partnered up with plants and animals known to be microbiomes. Microbiomes are very important as they provide biological functions for various things such as digestion, nutrients and resistance to pathogens, and even help our immune system. With this in mind, its important to know how these microbes are able to acclimate and adapt to their changes in the environment they are associated with, typically microbes respond rapidly to these environments challenge both through genetic composition and phenotypically, however, host respond slower to a changing environment because they have longer generation time periods as compared to the microorganisms. 

Microbiome -medicated acclimate to environmental change has been documented before for multiple organisms. The model presented takes into consideration these factors disentangle the contributions of the host and microbiomes to metaorganisms adaption. Worms were harvested as well as associated microbiomes, to which were subjected to a common garden designed to unravel the impacts of microbiome composition and the host genetic adaptation. The results were that different forms of fitness occurred, being increasing and others decreased. The host and microbes play a factor in these adaptations paths.   

original article 

Petersen C, Hamerich IK, Adair KL, Griem-Krey H, Torres Oliva M, Hoeppner MP, Bohannan BJM, Schulenburg H. Host and microbiome jointly contribute to environmental adaptation. ISME J. 2023 Nov;17(11):1953-1965. doi: 10.1038/s41396-023-01507-9. Epub 2023 Sep 6. PMID: 37673969; PMCID: PMC10579302.

Overcoming contamination in hospital: Finding hidden source of bacteria in a radiopharmacy.

By: Albert Gonzalez

    Image of the locations sampled for bacterial content on surfaces in the hospital's radiopharmacy. Each red diamond shows the sampled location, and the arrows display the bacterial contamination's movement. 

Hospitals need to be as clean as possible; the patients' health rests on it. This being said, preventing bacterial contamination in a hospital environment is essential. A recent investigation surrounding sudden and persistent bacterial contamination of a hospital's radiopharmacy was conducted. Radiopharmacies are the section of the hospital that holds radioactive medicine. These medicines are highly important; protecting them from contamination is vital to their maintenance. In this investigation, the radiopharmacy unit of a university teaching hospital searched for the source of an ongoing bacterial contamination. They did this by testing the bacterial content of many surfaces. An interesting new method they used involved placing sterile water into a container, shaking it, and testing it to see what kinds of bacteria were on the surfaces of the container. The unit discovered that the contamination source came from reusable plastic containers. From the data gathered through this investigation, the unit realized the potential of old plastic containers to be a source of bacterial contamination and the effectiveness of a method for sampling surfaces for bacteria. These findings can be shared with other hospitals and help keep them free from contamination, ultimately ensuring patients' health.

Original article: Armando, M., Barthelemi, L., Couret, I., Verdier, C., Dupont, C., Jumas-Bilak, E., Grau, D., (2022) Recurrent environmental contamination in a centralized radiopharmacy unit by Achromobacter spp: Results of a large microbiological investigation. American Journal of Infection Control,  51, 5., 557-562.

Ions Effectively Inhibit Airborne Bacteria Viability

 By: Destinee Lopez

Figure 1 (A and B) S. aureus (A) and E. coli (B) plated at 104 CFU/ml on 150-mm petri dishes were subjected to a direct ion effect, with the ionizer positioned 5 or 10 cm away. n ≥ 3 duplicate studies. *, Student's t-tests; P < 0.05.

Human health depends on indoor air quality, and since airborne pathogens can be harmful, there is growing interest in air ionization technology as a potential means of reducing bacterial growth and improving overall air quality. This study investigates the impact of ion exposure on the survival of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria, regardless of whether the bacteria is trapped in air filters or plated on agar. Potential variations in the effects of exposure are examined, which may be influenced by factors such as filter type, action area, distance from the ion generator, bacterial type and load, and exposure time. This study supports the potential use of air ionizers for preventing and controlling indoor airborne infections by offering essential insights into the solid antibacterial activity of air ions and demonstrating their effectiveness in lowering the viability of common airborne pathogens, such as S. aureus and E. coli, under a variety of conditions. The purpose of the experiment was to determine how different experimental conditions, such as bacterial type and load, action area, distance from the ion generator, exposure time, and filter type, affected the viability of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria, both plated on agar and trapped in air filters. The results supported the potential use of air ionizers for preventing and controlling indoor airborne infections by showing a significant and consistent antibacterial activity of both positive and negative ions, which reduced the viability of both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria, whether plated on agar or trapped in air filters, across various experimental conditions. 

Original article: Comini, Mandras, N., Iannantuoni, M. R., Menotti, F., Musumeci, A. G., Piersigilli, G., Allizond, V., Banche, G., & Cuffini, A. M. (2021). Positive and Negative Ions Potently Inhibit the Viability of Airborne Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria. Microbiology Spectrum, 9(3), e0065121–e0065121. https://doi.org/10.1128/Spectrum.00651-21

Dustborne vs Airborne Fungi in Domestic Environments

By: Esmeralda Sandoval

In recent years, poor aeration is a major cause of increasing microbial concentrations in domestic environments because of limited air exchange and removal of indoor pollutants due to windows not being left open in efforts to maintain comfortable climate conditions indoors. Dust serves as reservoir for fungi, allowing it to proliferate in high humidity conditions by using its organic matter. The dustborne fungi can then be suspended into the air and become airborne. In this study conducted by Pyrri and colleagues, fungal concentration were examined from the air and dust during the winter and summer months to determine the negative implications posed to human health. The results showed that fungal concentrations were higher in the summer, averaging at 931 CFU m-3 in the air, than in the winter, averaging at 739 CFU m-3. These concentrations are higher than the suggested level by the World Health Organization (WHO), 150 CFU m-3. These results indicate that when dust is not frequently removed, fungal concentrations increase allergen and pathogen exposure to humans.

Concentration of dustborne, expressed in CFU m−2, and airborne, expressed in CFU m−3 fungal exposure levels during the winter and summer. Figure taken from Pyrri et al. 2023.

Original Article:

Pyrri, I., Stamatelopoulou, A., Pardali, D., &amp; Maggos, T. (2023). The air and Dust Invisible mycobiome of urban domestic environments. Science of The Total Environment, 904, 166228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166228 

Double Trouble Oil Degradation

 By: Raul Gonzalez

Bar graph representation of a 7-day culture biodegradation measurement of crude oil, saturates and aromatics by Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  T1 shows B. subtilis only, T2 is P aeruginosa, T3-T5 show both cultures at ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, respectively.  Figure taken from Wu et al. 2023.

Throughout history humans have caused negative impacts on environmental health, namely through crude oil spills like that of the Exon-Valdez disaster.  Several techniques have been used for oil clean-up with bioremediation being a helpful and cost-efficient method for large-scale disasters.  Bioremediation is a way to help clean up environmental pollutants by using biological organisms, like bacteria, to do the work.  A recent study conducted by Wu et al. in 2023 has taken bioremediation a step further by utilizing a co-culture method.  In this method, two bacterial species--Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are grown in a petri dish containing crude oil to see how well they clean it up.  Other saturates (hydrocarbons) and aromatics were included in the study to see how well those were also cleaned up by the bacteria.  The methods included five observations: B. subtilis only, P. aeruginosa only, both bacteria at 1 to 1, 1 to 2, and 2 to 1 ratios, respectively.  The results showed that over the course of a 7-day period 63.05% of crude oil was degraded most efficiently by the 1 to 1 ratio of both bacteria working together.  This finding opens a new method for environmental scientists to approach bioremediation strategies that could provide a greater impact on pollutant clean-up efforts worldwide.  

Wu B, Xiu J, Yu L, Huang L, Yi L and Ma Y (2023) Degradation of crude oil in a co-culture system of Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Frontiers in Microbiology. 14:1132831.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1132831

Harmful algal blooms

 

Algal Blooms are a naturally occurring phenomena in freshwater and marine environments, blooms can be an essential part of an ecosystem, providing food and oxygen for the environment. However, human intervention has allowed algal blooms to become an environmental hazard. In the last 30 years, Factors such as climate change, agricultural runoff, and sewage pollution, have led to the harmful algal blooms to increase in frequency and intensity, leading to the formation of “Dead Zones”.  Dead Zones are named as such due to their low oxygen content and have caused species of fish to die off and negatively impacting the food web by causing the small organisms such as plankton to die off as well. The ability of certain species of algae to produce toxins can also negatively affect humans who are exposed to the infected bodies of water, not to mention the risk it poses to pets and livestock. Despite the fact the impact of blooms is detrimental to most environments they occur in, little is being done in the way of remedying the issue.

Influence of the Rama Stable Isotope approach

Figure 1: Growth using H2O and heavy water (B) is recorded. Each spectrum represented carbon source and growth conditions in single carbon sources, aromatics (ar), casamino acids (ca), peptone (pe), SCFA (fa), sugars (su) as well as a complex medium. Each box plot represents medium and upper and lower quartile (C) . The mean value of the relative deuterium amount of all six carbon sources conditions are represented with a black line.

A rapid and reliable method for differentiation between active and inactive bacteria cells is urgently needed, one of these methods to identify active microbes is stable isotope probing or (SIP), where microbial communities are supplemented with substrates label with heavy, nonradioactive isotopes, resulting in the assimilation of these isotopes by active microorganisms. However, when combined with Raman micospectroscopy, a nondestructive technique for obtaining information about the molecular composition's of microorganisms at the single cell level, can be a potential way for a more effective approach to collect data about these microorganisms (Georgette et al. 2020) did a study based on the quantification of deuterium assimilation from heavy water (D2O) into single bacterial cells to check the influence of carbon source and bacterial identity on the deuterium uptake. During the study they showed that the presence of simple sugars had a higher presence but differ significantly among bacterial isolates. Despite this variability, the classification models could easily differentiate deuterium labeled and unlabeled single cells with high sensitivity and specificity. This shows that the Raman-D2O approach when combined with chemometrics, proves to be a great approach to monitoring single bacterial cells.

Original Article 

Anal. Chem.2020, 92, 16, 11429–11437 Publication Date: July 22, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02443

Reprint of Organic waste conversion through anaerobic digestion: A critical insight into the metabolic pathways and microbial interactions

Figure 1. Description of how waste becomes analytical platforms, anaerobic bioprocess turned to two different processes, and valuables becoming analytical data

Anaerobic digestion is the process where organic waste is broken down into biogas since it is the best way where no harm is done to the environment. Anaerobic digestion is a process where it includes four biochemical phases such as: hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis. Hydrolysis is the process where the greater molecules are transformed to smaller ones. Acidogenesis is the process where hydrolytic products such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are then turned into volatile fatty acids such as butyric acids. Acetogensis is the process where its products are converted into hydrogen as well as acetate. In this study, the methods used include an explanation of how the pathways are arbitrated from bacteria and archaea are important due to the relationship of the communities. The results that were concluded by the scientists explain that the chemical conversion such as the conversion of microbes to methane, or the conversion to acetic acid were important for the discoveries in regards to anaerobic digestion. In conclusion, anaerobic digestion is known what it is today due to the studies of the four biochemical pathways and the microbes. The authors concluded that in order to come to a final discussion, hydrogenotrophic using 30% of methane and acetoclastic uses 70% of methane which are necessary for anaerobic digestion.  

References 

Monika Yadav, Chandrakant Joshi, Kunwar Paritosh, Jyotika Thakur, Nidhi Pareek, Shyam Kumar Masakapalli, Vivekanand Vivekanand, Reprint of Organic waste conversion through anaerobic digestion: A critical insight into the metabolic pathways and microbial interactions, Metabolic Engineering, Volume 71, 2022, Pages 62-76, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1096717622000258 

From Soil to Sweetness: The Role of Bacteria in Sugarcane's Thriving Journey

 By: Kenya Luquin

This image shows the results of the application of beneficial bacterial to soil used to grow sugarcane. Part A) The growth of a sugarcane stem after different bacteria strains were added. Part B) The weight of a sugarcane stem after different bacteria species were added. Part C-E) The content of different nutrients in the soil (nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, respectively) after different bacteria species were added. Microbial isolate SRB-109 produced the tallest and heaviest stem.

Soil microbes are known to form complex communities with plants. In these interactions, plants provide microbes with nutrients produced from photosynthesis while microbes provide beneficial properties that can improve the plants' overall health. Sugarcane is an important crop worldwide; however, it is a type of crop that requires large amounts of nutrients, especially nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizers are commonly used in agriculture and are known to negatively affect the environment. Some studies have suggested that sugarcane can get most of its nitrogen from a process called nitrogen fixation. In this process, some soil bacteria have the capability to turn nitrogen gas from the air into a form of nitrogen that can be taken up by plant roots. In this study, Li and colleagues isolated several nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the soil directly around the roots of sugarcane. Several sugarcane seedlings each received a nutrient solution containing a different microbial isolate while the control pots did not receive any type of solution. They were grown in a growth chamber for two weeks and the four seedlings with the most growth, along with the control, were then transplanted to a field where they grew for 120 days. The results of this experiment identified a species of bacteria called Acinetobacter, which was labeled SRB-109 in the experiment, as the most beneficial bacterial strain to the growth of sugarcane. While further testing would be useful, this observation could lead to a decrease in fertilizer use as well as more sustainable agricultural practices.

Original article: Li, M., Liu, R., Li, Y., Wang, C., Ma, W., Zheng, L., Zhang, K., Fu, X., Li, X., Su, Y., Huang, G., Zhong, Y., and Liao, H. (2022) Functional investigation of plant growth promoting rhizobacterial communities in sugarcane. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12: 783925-783925

Leprosy-causing bacterium's DNA detected in soil

By: Elizabeth Maldonado 

Leprosy is a contagious illness caused by the Mycobacterium leprae organism. This disease affects the skin and nerves of infected humans, which is the reason why it is considered a major health threat. In a study conducted by Tió-Coma and colleagues (2019), it was investigated whether the DNA of this organism could be found in the soil of regions where leprosy is common. To detect the presence of this organism in the collected samples, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed. PCR is a highly specific laboratory technique utilized to make copies of a DNA segment. This allows scientists to identify genetic material by detecting and amplifying a region of the bacterium's genetic sequence. The results revealed that the DNA of M. leprae was present in the soil in proximity to houses of leprosy patients in Bangladesh. It was also discovered in the holes of armadillos located in Suriname, and in the habitat of leprosy-carrying red squirrels in the British Isles. This suggests that the DNA of M. leprae can be found in the soil, indicating that the environment could serve as a temporary bank for this bacteria.

In this figure, a gel for the PCR amplification is shown. Lanes 2 to 4 demonstrate the samples collected in Suriname, lanes 5 to 14 were from the samples collected in Bangladesh, lane 15 shows the DNA of M. leprae (Thai-53 strain), lane 16 is the negative control, and lanes 1 and 17 are the molecular weight markers for comparison. The genetic material of M. leprae was detected in the soil samples.

Original article: Tió-Coma, M., Wijnands, T., Pierneef, L. et al. Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA in soil: multiple needles in the haystack. Sci Rep 9, 3165 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39746-6

Nectar Inhabiting Bacteria's Affect on Olfactory Responses of Insect Parasitoids by Altering Nectar Odors

By Victoria Barrera 

The figure demonstrates the Olfactory response of adult T. basalis females when given the choice between test and control odors. Test odors consisted of either buckwheat raw or synthetic nectar.

Produced by flowering plants, floral nectar is a sugar-rich resource colonized by various microorganisms that alter physical and chemical traits including scent due to production of microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). Nectar is mainly studied for its role in attracting insects such as parasitoids, commonly found visiting and feeding on nectar of various plants. That being said, mVOC’s effect on parasitoid's olfactory responses to flowering nectar is often overlooked. Currently, researchers aim to record if bacteria from phyla: Firmicutes (8 isolates), Proteobacteria (4 isolates), and Actinobacteria (2 isolates) associated with the nectar of Fagopyrum esculentum (Buckwheat) affect the response of Trissolcus basalis (wasp species) via odor changes. Nectar from 50 F. esculentum flowers were collected and 100 µL from 20 samples were placed onto a trypticase soy agar (TSA) for isolation. T. Basalis females were used in all bioassays and were individually placed in small vials 24 hours prior to induce starvation. Their results found that 4 out of 14 strains attracted T. Basalis, indicating that nectar-inhabiting bacteria affect interactions between flowering plants and parasitoids. Correspondingly, these results are relevant to biological control of insect pests as nectar modifications may enhance the future progression of human agriculture/pesticides.

Original Article:

Cusumano A., Bella P., Peri E. et al. Nectar-Inhabiting Bacteria Affect Olfactory Responses of an Insect Parasitoid by Altering Nectar Odors. Microb Ecol 86, 364–376 (2023). 

What we leave behind; The alternative and stabilizing treatment for abandoned waste.

 By. Carolina Perez

The image shows both abandoned mine tailings sites, an analysis of anaerobic sludge acclimation for sulfate reduction, and the set up for biological treatment of these mine tailings. Figure taken from E. I. Valenzuela et al. 2020.

 

The mining industry can provide many metal compounds used for financing, technology, and many more consumer products. Although, mining underground can cause waste of rocks, residue from the overall mining production and tailings. This type of waste can lead to potential hazards based on the environmental atmosphere, the number of deadly particles exposed, and the timing for which the mine was created. Tailings are most concerning as they contain a high concentration of metals and soluble salts. The alternative processes of sulfate reducing factors were examined as a possible treatment for stabilizing hazardous metal elements. This study included two samples from two different abandoned mine tailings of known activity within Sonora, Mexico. With several treatments the mine tailings were utilized as a solid phase that supplies sulfate in support of sulfate reducing activities, which stabilizes harmful components by the precipitation of metallic sulfide. The end results initiated the toxic metals concerning the environment can relocate from an aqueous phase to a residual phase. Restricting the release of these metals in natural solution and depleting their impact on the environment. It was concluded that sulfate reducing processes can be an effective stabilizer toward collateral pollution caused by residue waste in abandoned mines. If these exposed metals were to be left abandoned and unchecked without treatment, the most at risk will be environmental ecosystems and human health.

 

Original article

Valenzuela, E. I., García-Figueroa, A. C., Amábilis-Sosa, L. E., Molina-Freaner, F. E., & Pat-Espadas, A. M. (2020). Stabilization of potentially toxic elements contained in mine waste: A microbiological approach for the environmental management of mine tailings. Journal of Environmental Management, 270, 110873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110873

 

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Environmental exposure to plastics shapes the marine microplastic - associated bacterial communities.

By: Victoria Spring

The Venn diagram (A) shows the category-specific (i.e., Pacific—week 1, etc.) and core taxa in microbial communities throughout all plastic types found in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea (Dudek et al., 2020). The size of the circle correlates to the classified taxa. The heatmap (B) shows all 57 core taxa and their relative abundance as affected by time and location within the core community. The highlighted classified amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) show a mean relative abundance of >1% throughout the samples. 

Human's excessive use of plastic and lack of suitable waste disposal has led to a rise in pollution. As a result, marine ecosystems face a worldwide microplastic hazard. Researchers conducted a study to determine the effects of different plastics, incubation periods, and geographic settings on a plastisphere's microbial community. In the study, the researchers analyzed six varying plastic polymers found in ordinary households. The polymers withstood a 6-week incubation period in coastal Pacific waters and served as secondary microplastic representations. The researchers then compared the bacterial plastisphere community to an identical once incubated at Bocas del Toro and Panama in the Caribbean Sea. Researchers in this study found that the incubation period and geographic location had the most significant effect on the bacterial community and that the type of plastic did not affect it. The study also found a 'core plastisphere' consisting of 57 amplicon standard sequence variations to different plastics, incubation periods, and locations. The researchers concluded that geographic location and incubation periods significantly affect a plastisphere's composition. 

Original Article:

Dudek, K.L. & Neuer, S. (2023) Environmental exposure more than plastic composition shapes marine microplastic-associated bacterial communities in Pacific versus Caribbean field incubations. Environmental Microbiology, 1-15. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16519

Unraveling the Mysteries of Cyanobacterial Toxins: Implications for Water Safety

By: Stephanie Herrera

This figure illustrates production and partition of cyanoginosin during photoautotrophic batch culture of Microcystis aeruginosa strain PCC 7820. a) growth was estimated as absorbance at 600 nm measured with an OR1 filter in an EEL colorimeter. b) toxicity was measured by mouse bioassay of samples removed from the culture at the times shown. One mouse unit is the amount of lyophilized cells or extracellular dry material needed to kill a 20 g mouse. ●-●, cellular toxin; O-O extracellular (released) toxin.

In the research article “Cyanobacterial toxins in water,” the enigmatic world of cyanobacterial toxins is unveiled, shedding light on their significance in water safety. These toxins, produced by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), have long been known to be harmful to animals, yet their impact on human health remained elusive until recently. This study reveals that toxic cyanobacteria are more prevalent in water bodies than previously believed, raising concerns about drinking water safety worldwide. The research highlights the diverse range of symptoms in animals and humans, emphasizing the urgency for increased awareness and monitoring. The scientists also explored factors influencing toxin formation, offering crucial insights into the regulation of these harmful compounds. This study is a vital step toward safeguarding public health and necessitates further research to develop strategies for toxin detection and removal, ensuring the purity of our water sources. As society grapples with water scarcity and increasing demand, this research holds paramount importance for policymakers, environmental scientists, and health professionals, guiding future practices to preserve our most precious resource, clean water.

Original article: 

Codd, G. A., Bell, S. G., & Brooks, W. P. (1989). Cyanobacterial toxins in water. Water Science and Technology, 21(3), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1989.0071 

Cyanobacteria Blooms and the reaction with Dynamic Microbiomes

Figure. Metatranscriptomes were re-examined to demonstrate shifts. A) community richness (rpob phylogenies) and B) functional richness or unique KEGG orthology assignments of the re-occuring microbiome. The data results show that only small components of communit and function are 4% and 15% respectively that remained common after 3 generations. 

In nature, the natural process of bacteria persisting in fresh water environments depends on the effect of weather, organisms, etc. In the laboratory, scientist are able to manipulate the reduction of contaminants and creating pure cultures. Without microbiomes and the relationship of cyanobacteria the process is limited and complications may occur in research. Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-843 cultures were in light limited control with different sources and reduced conditions in samples that were cultivated identical microbiomes for 3 cycles of growth. On the right hand side on the image, we are able to depict that there is nutrient availability from the shift in microbiomes. Specifically, Microcystis aeurginosa NIES-843 cultures that were started from the same stock and transferred for 3 generations to Nitrogen and Phosphorus conditons to experiment how cyanobacterium would react (Steffen et al. 2014). A series of questions such as to what extent can a microbe's microbiome affect gene expression & what biological pattern can scientists expect to see in nature in combination with cell interaction, chemistry, physics, etc. within changing environments. 

Pound, Helena L., et al. “Environmental Studies of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms Should Include Interactions with the Dynamic Microbiome.” Environmental Science & Technology, 16 Sept. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04207. 

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Oil Spill Clean Up

 By: Jessica Rodriguez

Oil spills can harm shorelines, animals, ocean water and floors. Oil is toxic to fish embryos and their developmental stages are sensitive to oil exposure and about 100% of them die when exposed to it. The reduction of fish population has an impact on the food source for people and all marine life. SQT (Sediment quality triad), are three ways to determine treatment for animals that live in ocean waters and floors that are at risk of harmful chemicals, potential toxic affects to rocks and sediments that are sensitive to fuel chemicals, and health of all marine life. There are biological and physical treatments to help clean up oil spills. Physical treatment of hot water and high-pressure flushing resulted in the maximum removal of oils by (93%). Fertilizer, chemical agents, stimulants, and bacterial growth are examples of biological treatments that improved environment recovery and removal of oil by (66%). It has been found there are bacteria such as Dietzia sp. and Rosevarius sp. that grow in marine environments that can help break down oil residues from oil spills. Together, biological treatments and promoting the growth of these bacteria have helped to reduce residual oil. More research is required to decide between biological and physical remediation, as well as whether applying bacteria capable of breakdown of oil is required for an oil spill response.

The figure shows SQT and physical & chemical treatment techniques in oil spills. The figure is from Kim et al. (2022)

Original article: 

Kim, Taewoo, et al. "Best available technique for the recovery of marine benthic communites in a gravel shore after the oil spill: A mesocosm-based sediment triad assessment," Elsevier (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128945.

Indoor bioaerosols in hospitals influenced by air conditioning

Ricardo Gonzalez

(Figure 1) Bacterial colony formation 

(Figure 2) Fungal colony formation

Figure 1. represents how much bacterial colony formed in units per cubic meter (CFU/m^3) in hospitals. (blue) represents without an HVAC system, (orange) use of conventional HVAC, and (grey) with the use of an enhanced HVAC system. This represents how the different types of filters and quality had an effect of the presence of bioaresoles. 

Figure 2. represents the same ting but this is fungal colony formation

    Hospitals around the world are essential for human health but as a consequence, everyone is mostly sick, causing many bioaerosols to roam freely. The objective of this experiment is to evaluate the relationship between HVAC systems and bioaerosol concentration between different hospital rooms. As to when it comes to results, HVAC systems that are enhanced effectively remove bioaerosols but this is predictive, since these are restricted areas, which are meant to be clean and concise throughout. This study was influenced because of the coronavirus disease in 2019 HVAC systems are known to speed up the change and direction of indoor airflow which researchers suspect the HVAC systems may increase the SARS-CoV-2 infection back in 2019 along with current viruses and bioaerosols infectious diseases. The results come to prove that conventional HVAC systems, effectively remove bacteria and fungi from indoor air and enhanced HVAC systems were a lot more effective than conventional HVAC systems in this study. The figures for bacterial colony formation shows that inpatient facilities without HVAC systems had a CFU/m^3 of 356.45 compared to restricted areas without HVAC system where the value of CFU/m^3 was 387.50. If you are to compare this with the values of enhanced HVAC systems, the inpatient facility would have a 20 CFU/m^3 value and restricted area of 36.12 significantly decreasing the amount of bioaerosols in the system in both environments. Overall study concluded that the infection risk associated using HVAC systems did not increase infection risks during the pandemic. All that HVAC systems do in hospitals is to simply reduce the indoor concentrations of bioaerosols which was concluded at the end of the research. 

Original article:

Dai, Rongchen, et al. “A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Indoor Bioaerosols in Hospitals: The Influence of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.” PLOS ONE, vol. 16, no. 12, 23 Dec. 2021, p. e0259996, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259996. Accessed 24 Apr. 2022.

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Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Compost?

 Amoxicillin Resistance During Composting 

by: Diana Tarver

Figure 1. Dynamic changes of (A)Amoxicillin-resistant bacteria and (B) Amoxicillin-resistant bacteria during composting (days) and how many bacteria were counted. (CK) is the control group, regular compost bacteria with no amoxicillin. 

Amoxicillin is the most used beta-lactam antibiotic as it is used for both humans and livestock. This changes their microbiome which in turn, affects the manure microbiome with possible antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Studying the environmental and human health risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria being transferred so close to our food sources particularly composting, we love using compost even for our backyard gardens, buying manure can be an important part of the microbiome of compost but as stated antibiotics change manure microbiome. Such is that a study carried out by Ning Liu and colleagues looked into the environmental drivers and interactions of bacteria in compost. Samples of pig manure were taken from a pig farm in Shunyi District with the assurance that no antibiotics were used from sampled pigs. Amoxicillin was mixed in by researchers along with a control group with no antibiotic. Their results found good news in that the exposure to composting reduced the availability of heavy metals and amoxicillin reducing the pressure for bacteria to need resistance to antibiotics. Figure 1. This data shows a drastic drop in amoxicillin in both A and B charts, the control group (CK) even starting off with low numbers stabilized the amoxicillin resistant bacteria. This goes to show microbiomes are incredibly powerful by using organic waste products we could promote resource recovery in agriculture. 

Original article:

Liu, N., Li, G., Su, Y., Zhao, Y., Ma, J., &amp; Huang, G. (2023). Environmental drivers and interaction mechanisms of heavy metal and antibiotic resistome exposed to amoxicillin during aerobic composting. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1079114 

PAE: Plastics Affect on the Enviornment

 

Figure shows conjugation transfer experiments between the donor and the recipient (A), conjunctive transfer with and between genera that is exposed to DMP at different concentrations (B), relative abundance of transconjugant community (C) in conjugative transfer of RP4 plasmid and wastewater microbiota.

In the manufacturing and processing of plastic products phthalate esters (PAEs) are used as plasticizers to enhance the flexibility and durability of the polymers. But PAEs have weak interactions which causes the toxic PAEs to release from the plastic; which can server risks environmental and ecological risk. PAEs can accumulate in the aquatic environments which can then be consumed in the human body by drinking water and foods thus causing diseases like cancer and abnormal reproductive hormones. Wu et al. (2023) have provided a study on how the microbial antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) behave in response to PAEs by using dimethyl phthalate (DMP) as a model toxicant. The donor and recipient strains were cultured in agar plates and incubated. Conjugate experiments was conducted where the donor strain and the recipient were mixed together, then spread on agar plates to grow and the cells were sorted after incubation. The results showed a strong interaction between the DMP molecules and the bilayer of the cell membrane, this causes the membrane lipid fluidity to decrease and the membrane permeability to increase which can favor ARGs.

Original Article:

Wu, J., Zhou, J.-H., Liu. D.-F.,Wu, J., He, R.-L, Cheng, Z.-H., . . . Li, W.-W. (2023, April 21). Phthalates Promote Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance Genes: An Overlooked Environmental Risk. Enviornmental Science & Technology, 6761-6887. Retrieved from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c09491

Contamination of surfaces and air in hospitals by SARS-CoV2 patients

 By: Azeneth Ramos

The figure shows the location and percentage of sampled contaminated places inside hospital rooms due to SARS-CoV-2.

Being able to identify the level of risks from patients infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that pass onto environmental contamination by testing the air and surfaces surrounding hospitalized COVID-19 patients at different stages of illness. It's vital to understand the particle size distribution in air and environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 for the prevention of infections. Method one, done for air sampling in three out of the 27 airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRS) detected positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive particles, despite the changing of 12 air exhaust vent per hour. With air contaminated rooms also surface contamination was detected. A study done was for the presence of environmental surface contamination, Chia and colleagues concluded that higher contamination within the first week of illness was shown. Inside the room with environmental contamination, the floor resulted in being most contaminated, followed by the air exhaust vent, then bed rail, and lastly bedside locker. Chia and colleagues also concluded that SARS-CoV-2 is only able to remain alive in aerosols for up to 3 hours. Further investigation of findings in bigger numbers and in different settings to better grasp the factors affecting surface and air spread of SARS-CoV-2 and enforce effective prevention policies is important. 

Original Article:

Chia, P.Y., Coleman, K.K., Tan, Y.K. et al. Detection of air and surface contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 in hospital rooms of infected patients. Nat Commun 11, 2800 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16670-2

The Existance of Leptospira spp. in Different Wetland Conditions Through the Year

Image A. The image on the right presents the location of the research study in South America near the Parana River 

Image B. The image presents the location of the sample sites 

    Leptospirosis is an infection of spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira. The infected cattle can spread the infection through urine which can infect other animals and humans in the contaminated environment. Sadly, Leptospirosis is capable of survival in numerous different environments, substrates, soils, sediments, and water. It was hypothesized that the amount of Leptospira in a wetland will be higher during higher water availability. The findings of Leptospira were based on water availability which they have learned to adapt to the aquatic environment conditions. Ecosystems with live-stock farming which are known for precipitation, flooding, and overflow can increase the transmission of Leptospira. It is important to know this information in order to prevent future outbreaks that can affect human health. In a study located in South America near the Parana River, 34 water samples and 12 sediment samples were taken from three different precipitation levels between November 2018 and November 2019 to which pathogenic species would be discovered. November 2018 was very dry with low precipitation levels and L. Kmetyu was identified. April 2019 was recorded to be very humid with higher precipitation levels L. kemetyi, L. mayottensis, and L. fainei were identified. In an even drier period in November 2019, L. Meyeri was identified. The results show that the presence of Leptospira was directly related to the water availability. This concludes that when a live-stock animal is infected it can pass through their urination which will be washed into the soil or water bodies with excessive rainfall or flooding. This occurrence will lead to the growth and spread of Leptospira which will have a negative effect on agriculture, economy, and environmental health. 

Article citation:

Chiani, Y. T., Jacob P., Mayora, G., Auino, D. S., Quintana, R. D., & Mesa, L. (2023). Presence of     Leptospira spp. in a mosaic of wetlands used for livestock raising under different hydroclimate         conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 89(6).https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01971-22

Antibiotics in my water and tomatoes?!

Antibiotic resistance in soil and tomato crops irrigated with freshwater and
two types of treated wastewater

by: Diana Tarver

Freshwater has become a scarce comodity for most farm lands as the demand has increased, a solution was to use municipally treated wastewater; problems arise when certain contaminants cannot be taken out of the water such as antibiotic resistant genes and antibiotics. The usage of treated wastewater on agriculture crops has made some concerned that the antibiotics will be taken up by the plants and local microbiome leading to highly resistant bacteria. Researchers Seyoum M. M. and colleagues (2022) sampled from 2 tomato farms with low growing tomatos, two irrigating with TWW and the other with FW, then tomatos are washed and collected as the results show in Figure 1.  that there was a higher amount of antibiotic resistant genes per 100mL in both secondary and teritary TWWs in the sample tomato farms using DNA extraction and PCR by selecting genes known to be ARGs. This goes to show how important it is to be concious of what we do with our treated wastewater as it can lead to more detrimental effects such as an outbreak of an antibiotic resistant bacteria found on lettuce that is all over the country affecting millions of people, this is a huge risk concidering how many antibiotics we currently have that still work against these antibiotic resistant bacteria. 

Original Article Citation:

Seyoum, M. M., Lichtenberg, R., Orlofsky, E., Bernstein, N., & Gillor, O. (2022). Antibiotic resistance in soil and tomato crop irrigated with freshwater and two types of treated wastewater. Environmental Research, 211, 113021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113021

Environmental Cleanup of Harmful PCBs Using Bacteria

 By: Raul Gonzalez

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are man-made chemicals found in the soil environment of industrial job sites and cause human health risks like cancer and heart disease.  Low chlorinated PCBs easily move freely into the air to be inhaled by humans.  This experiment used a bacteria, LB400, to see if it was capable of cleaning up PCBs in the soil—this is called bioremediation.  The experiment used flasks filled with  wet soil and sponge filters on the neck and bottom to see how many PCBs were found in air and water.  The experiment also investigated using saponin, a chemical defense mechanism found in plants.  Four bottles were studied: soil only, soil plus saponin, soil with LB400, soil with LB400 plus saponin.  Results showed a 77% decrease of low chlorinated PCBs in the group with LB400, confirming biodegradation.  Surprisingly, a 92% decrease in the LB400 plus saponin confirms what is called bioaugmentation—the addition of something to a bacterial culture.  The next step is to couple this technique using biofilms on activated carbon for a one-size-fits-all method of large-scale delivery.  This technique is a proven effective method for reducing the amount of PCBs inhaled in communities affected by these type of pollutants. 

 

 Figure 1 - Graphs A, B and C show the amount of PCBs in the air.  The green circles included the LB400 bacteria plus saponin which shows the lowest emissions detected.  Graphs D, E and F show the PCB found in the water.  Figure taken from Bako et al. 2022. 

Reference

Bako, C. M., Martinez, A., Ewald, J. M., Hua, J. B., Ramotowski, D. J., Dong, Q., Schnoor, J. L., &amp; Mattes, T. E. (2022). Aerobic bioaugmentation to decrease polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) emissions from contaminated sediments to air. Environmental Science & Technology, 56(20), 14338–14349. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c01043

Unearthing the Hidden Underground World

By: Destinee Lopez

Groundwater Microbiology of an Urban Open-Loop Ground Source Heat Pump with High Methane 

by Megan J. Barnett, Gareth J. Farr, Jianxun Shen, and Simon Gregory

Introduction

    The subsurface in the UK has become a crucial resource for producing energy. Low-carbon heating solutions are provided by Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems, which use shallow groundwater sources. Despite the UK's ambitious intentions to phase out gas boilers, GSHP systems are growing in popularity. Their primary goal is to reach NetZero emissions, especially in urban areas where they wish to exploit the "Subsurface Urban Heat Island effect." However, the environmental impacts of open-loop GSHPs on groundwater chemistry and bacteria remain a significant focus.

Method and Results

    At Cardiff's Grangetown Nursery School, the study was conducted. As a part of the "Cardiff Urban GeoObservatory" project, it concentrated on the UK. The GSHP system, with abstraction and recharge borehole in a sand and gravel aquifer, was its main emphasis. These boreholes and some neighboring control boreholes, all with varying levels of the GSHP's operating condition, were used to collect water samples. They were all subjected to thorough chemical examination, which included ion chromatography, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and microbial analyses using techniques based on culture and 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Understanding how the GSHP system influences groundwater chemistry and microbial communities is the primary goal of this research, with consequences for both system performance and environmental effects.

Figure one includes the map of the Cardiff Bay area and a conceptual diagram of the ground source heat pump and monitoring boreholes. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.13291

Conclusion
    The discovery of high methane concentrations and the dominance of particular methane and methyl-oxidizing bacteria in the open-loop GSHP system is an exciting feature of this paper. This article's findings may impact future human activities, including energy transitions since many nations aim to switch to renewable energy sources. Additional research into controlling and mitigating methane may be prompted by environmental effects, such as the discovery of high methane concentrations and the predominance of particular methane-oxidizing bacteria. Subsurface habitats may advance due to microbial energy, particularly in metropolitan settings. This tremendous work may take years and cost billions of dollars, but it could significantly influence the environment.

Resources

J. Barnett, J. Farr, G., Shen, J., & Gregory, S. (2023). Groundwater Microbiology of an Urban Open‐Loop Ground Source Heat Pump with High Methane. Ground Water, 61(2), 274–287. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.13291