For most marine aquaculture species, one of the main bottlenecks is the stable production of high quality juveniles. The high and unpredictable mortality in the first weeks after hatching of marine fish larvae remains a challenging problem that needs to be solved. The severity of the problem differs between species, but cannot be considered adequately solved for any species. Both scientific evidence and experience in hatcheries for a variety of fish, shrimp and shellfish species are accumulating as support for the hypothesis that detrimental fishmicrobe interactions are the cause of these problems. Host-microbe interactions in reared fish are still poorly understood, except for a few pathogens, and empirical data of the quality required to test this hypothesis, are lacking. This article provides an overview on the current knowledge of the microbial environment of fish larvae, including methodological aspects to characterize the microbial community (both using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods). Further, the current knowledge of the immunology of fish larvae is reviewed, including recent advances in the understanding of toll-like receptors, inflammatory cytokines, mast cells and piscidins, and the ontogeny of the adaptive immune system. Finally, we provide an overview of the state of the art with respect to steering of microbial communities associated with fish larvae-both steering of community composition and of its activity (e.g. by quorum sensing interference).

We compared the abilities of Biolog’s GN and ECO plates to distinguish among aerobic and heterotrophic bacterial communities in samples from six aquatic environments. The Biolog system is based on interpreting patterns of sole-carbon substrate utilization indicated by color development in a 96-well microtiter plate. Whether of fresh or saltwater origen, bacterial communities utilized >95% of substrates in both types of plates. Samples from any one environment exhibited similar time courses of average well color development (AWCD) in both GN and ECO plates. Principal component analysis was performed on data sets resulting from combinations of algorithms (AWCD and curve-integration methods) and levels of color development (end-point and set-point approaches). In all cases, the two types of plates demonstrated an equal capacity to discriminate among the heterotrophic expressions of the six microbial communities. Substantial deviation from an anticipated 1:1 correspondence occurred when color development of 25 substrates common to both types of plates was compared. The discrepancies likely are related to the different formulations of low-nutrient media in GN and ECO plates.

Interactions between bacteria and protozoa in soil were studied over 2-week periods in the field and in a pot experiment. Under natural conditions the total biological activity was temporarily synchronized by a large rainfall, and in the laboratory by the addition of water to dried-out soil, with or without plants. In the field, peaks in numbers and biomass of bacteria appeared after the rain, and a peak of naked amoebae quickly followed. Of the three investigated groups--flagellates, ciliates, and amoebae--only populations of the latter were large enough and fluctuated in a way that indicated a role as bacterial regulators. The bacterial increase was transient, and the amoebae alone were calculated to be able to cause 60% of the bacterial decrease. The same development of bacteria and protozoa was observed in the pot experiment: in the presence of roots, amoebic numbers increased 20 times and became 5 times higher than in the unplanted soil. In the planted pots, the amoebic increase was large enough to cause the whole bacterial decrease observed; but in the unplanted soil, consumption by the amoebae caused only one-third of the bacterial decrease.

We compared the microbial community composition in soils from the Brazilian Amazon with two contrasting histories; anthrosols and their adjacent nonanthrosol soils of the same mineralogy. The anthrosols, also known as the Amazonian Dark Earths or terra preta, were managed by the indigenous pre-Colombian Indians between 500 and 8,700 years before present and are characterized by unusually high cation exchange capacity, phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) contents, and soil carbon pools that contain a high proportion of incompletely combusted biomass as biochar or black carbon (BC). We

MELiSSA is a bioregenerative life support system designed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the complete recycling of gas, liquid and solid wastes during long distance space exploration. The system uses the combined activity of different living organisms: microbial cultures in bioreactors, a plant compartment and a human crew. In this minireview, the development of a short-cut ecological system for the biotransformation of organic waste is discussed from a microorganism’s perspective. The artificial ecological model—still in full development—that is inspired by Earth’s own geomicrobiological ecosystem serves as an ideal study object on microbial ecology and will become an indispensable travel
companion in manned space exploration.

We studied changes in the epilimnetic bacterial community composition (BCC), bacterial biomass and production, and protistan succession and bacterivory along the longitudinal axis of the canyonshaped, highly eutrophic Sau Reservoir (NE Spain) during two sampling campaigns, in April and July 1997. Longitudinal changes in BCC from the river inflow to the dam area of the reservoir were detected by using oligonucleotide probes targeted to the kingdom Bacteria, to the alpha, beta, and gamma subclasses (ALFA, BETA, and GAMA) of the class Proteobacteria, and to the Cytophaga/ Flavobacterium (CF) cluster. In general, the inflow of the organically loaded Ter river, with highly abundant allochthonous bacterial populations, induced a clearly distinguishable longitudinal succession of the structure of the microbial food web. The most dynamic changes in microbial parameters occurred at the plunge point, the mixing area of river water and the reservoir epilimnion. Changes within members of BETA and CF were the most important in determining changes in BCC, bacterial abundance and biomass. Much less relevant changes occurred within the less abundant ALFA and GAMA bacteria. From the plunge point downstream, we described a significant shift in BCC in the form of decreased proportions of BETA and CF. This shift spatially coincided with the highest values of heterotrophic nanoflagellate bacterivory (roughly doubled the bacterial production). CF numerically dominated throughout the reservoir without any marked longitudinal changes in their mean cell volume. In contrast, very large cells affiliated to BETA clearly dominated in the allochthonous bacterial biomass brought by the river. BETA showed a marked downstream trend of decreasing mean cell volume. We conclude that the observed BCC shift and the longitudinal shift in food web structure (bacteria-heterotrophic nanoflagellates-ciliates) resulted from Correspondence highly complex interactions brought about by several major factors: varying hydrology, the high localized allochthonous input of organic matter brought by the river, downstream changing substrate availability, and selective protistan bacterivory.

Characterization of psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Brochothrix thermosphacta communities is needed to understand the microbial ecology of spoilage of modified atmosphere-packed (MAP) meats. To overcome the limitations of the currently used methods for the characterization of psychrotrophic bacterial communities in meat, we developed a culture-independent, 16S rRNA gene-targeted terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) method. An identification library

Over the last decade, important advances in molecular biology led to the development of culture-independent approaches to describing bacterial communities. These new strategies, based on the analysis of DNA directly extracted from environmental samples, circumvent the steps of isolation and culturing of bacteria, which are known for their selectivity leading to a non-representative view of the extent of bacterial diversity. This review provides an overview of the potentials and limitations of some molecular approaches currently used in microbial ecology. Examples of applications to the study of indigenous soil microbial community illustrate the feasibility and the power of such approaches. © 2000 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS bacterial community / soil / molecular biology / DNA / genetic diversity / genetic structure

Several characteristics of the 16S rRNA gene, such as its essential function, ubiquity, and evolutionary properties, have allowed it to become the most commonly used molecular marker in microbial ecology. However, one fact that has been overlooked is that multiple copies of this gene are often present in a given bacterium. These intragenomic copies can differ in sequence, leading to identification of multiple ribotypes for a single organism. To evaluate the impact of such intragenomic heterogeneity on the performance of the 16S rRNA gene as a molecular marker, we compared its phylogenetic and evolutionary characteristics to those of the single-copy gene rpoB. Full-length gene sequences and gene fragments commonly used for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were compared at various taxonomic levels. Heterogeneity found between intragenomic 16S rRNA gene copies was concentrated in specific regions of rRNA secondary structure. Such "heterogeneity hot spots" occurred within all gene fragments commonly used in molecular microbial ecology. This intragenomic heterogeneity influenced 16S rRNA gene tree topology, phylogenetic resolution, and operational taxonomic unit estimates at the species level or below. rpoB provided comparable phylogenetic resolution to that of the 16S rRNA gene at all taxonomic levels, except between closely related organisms (species and subspecies levels), for which it provided better resolution. This is particularly relevant in the context of a growing number of studies focusing on subspecies diversity, in which single-copy protein-encoding genes such as rpoB could complement the information provided by the 16S rRNA gene.

In the present study, EPS secreted by the endophytic bacterium Bacillus licheniformis was isolated and characterized. The molecular masses of the EPS were 1540 and 44,565 kDa and 1 H NMR, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectral analyses revealed prevalence of characteristic primary amine-group, aromatic-compound, halide and aliphatic alkyl-group in addition to Na, P, Ca, C, O, Cl and S as inferred from EDX analysis. XRD and DSC analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of EPS, showing an average particle size of 24.977 m (d 0.5) with 191 nm average roughness. The positive ion reflector mode of MALDI TOF-TOF MS exhibited a series of low and high mass peaks corresponding to various oligosaccharides and polysaccharides respectively. Further, GC-MS analysis revealed its four monosaccharide constituents glucose, galactose, mannose and arabinose. The potential heterogeneous properties of EPS as revealed in the present study may be explored in various biotechnological and industrial applications.

Certain regions of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, notably the rumen and large intestine, harbour extremely dense microbial communities, in which bacterial numbers can exceed 10 11 per gram. These regions are the sites of active microbial breakdown of dietary plant polysaccharides. The herbivorous diet consists largely of plant cell-wall polysaccharides that are not digestible by host enzymes, and 70% of the total gut volume is typically devoted to microbial fermentation 1 . The fore-stomach (in ruminants) or the caecum and colon (in hindgut fermentors, such as horses) allows the slow transit of digesta, which results in anaerobic conditions and the formation of short-chain fatty acids that can, in turn, be assimilated and used by the host. As these gut communities are responsible for some of the most rapid rates of microbial bioconversion of lignocellulose in nature, there is considerable interest in the biotechnological potential of rumen bacteria, and their enzymes and enzyme systems, for use in the production of energy from renewable plant sources 2 .

We have investigated the bacteria and yeast ecology of the typical Italian Ciauscolo salami that is produced in Central Italy using a polyphasic approach based on culture-dependent and -independent methods. The physico-chemical analyses showed a progressive drop in pH and water activity (a w ) during ripening. The viable counts revealed a dominance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) over coagulase negative cocci (CNC) and yeasts. From the molecular identification of the isolates, the prevalence of Lactobacillus curvatus, Lb. plantarum and Staphylococcus xylosus was shown among the bacteria, while Debaryomyces hansenii was the prevalent species among the yeasts, and it was isolated throughout the whole ripening process. Minority species, namely Rhodotorula mucillaginosa and Trichosporon brassicae, were also recovered from the meat batter.

The incidence and diversity of enterococci in retail food samples of meat, dairy and vegetable origen was investigated. Enterococci were present, at concentrations of 10 1 to 10 4 CFU/g. Fifty selected isolates from food samples grouped in two separate clusters by RAPD analysis. Cluster G1 (72% of the isolates) contained the E. faecium CECT 410 T type strain, and also showed a high degree of genetic diversity. Cluster G2 (28% of the isolates) contained the E. faecalis CECT 481 T type strain and was genetically more homogeneous. Virulence traits (haemolysin, gelatinase or DNAse activities, or the presence of structural genes cylL, ace, asa1 and esp) were not detected. All isolates were sensitive to the antibiotics ampicillin, penicillin, gentamicin, streptomycin and chloramphenicol. A high pecentage of isolates were resistant to erythromycin and rifampicin. Many isolates showed intermediate sensitivity to several antibiotics (tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, or quinupristin/dalfopristin). Vancomycin and teicoplanin resistance was detected in one strain, but vanA, vanB, vanC1, vanC2 or vanC3 genes were not detected. Many of the isolates showed functional properties of food or health relevance. Production of antimicrobial substances was detected in 17 of the isolates, and 14 of them carried structural genes for enterocins A, B and/or P.

Soybeans soaked in tap water for 24 to 36 h at 20, 30 or 37 °C underwent a natural fermentation that was characterized by the growth of microorganisms to 10 s 10 l° cfu/ml (depending on temperature) and a reduction of pH from 6.5 to 4.5. Lactobacillus casei. Streptococcus faecium, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus dysgalactiae dominated the fermentation but, significant contributions were also made by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella ozaenae, Enterobacter cloacae. Enterobacter agglomerans, Citrobacter diversus and Bacillus breuis, and the yeasts Pichia burtonii, Candida diddensiae and Rhodotorula rubra. Fermentation of surface-decontaminated beans in sterile water with pure cultures of these isolates showed L. casei, Strep. faecium and Staph. epidermidis to be the main species responsible for the pH reduction. Soybeans were the main source of microorganisms for the fermentation. Boiled beans did not undergo an acid fermentation.

The paper explores fungal infection and aflatoxin B1 contamination of six medicinal plant samples viz. Adhatoda vasica Nees, Asparagus racemosus Linn., Evolvulus alsinoides Linn., Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn., Plumbago zeylanica Linn. and Terminalia chebula Retz. A total of 858 fungal isolates were detected from the raw materials. Maximum number of fungal isolates was detected from A. racemosus (228). The genus Aspergillus was found to be the most dominant genus causing infection to most of the raw materials. Among the 32 isolates of A. flavus tested, 13 isolates were found to be toxigenic elaborating aflatoxin B1. The highest elaboration of aflatoxin B1 was 394.95 ppb by the isolates of A. flavus from G. glabra. The essential oil of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl showed efficacy in arresting aflatoxin B1 by the toxigenic strain. The growth of a toxigenic strain of A. flavus decreased progressively with increasing concentration of essential oil from leaves of C. camphora. The oil completely inhibited aflatoxin B1 production even at 750 ppm. Hence, the oil of C. camphora is recommended as herbal fungitoxicant against the fungal contamination of the raw materials.

A variety of chemicals including foaming agents are used to aid in the protection of forest resources from the wild land fires. The fire-fighting foams (FFFs) are formulations composed principally of surfactants. As a part of Japanese national project, environmentally inert FFFs have been developed. There is an emerging need for testing the impacts of these FFFs on the living organisms composing the typical landscapes or ecosystems in Japan. In the present report, we aimed to describe our latest attempt for assessing both the short-tem and long-term impacts of FFFs in aquatic (fresh water) and semi-aquatic (wetland) ecosystems , by employing the laboratory-sized model assays (preliminary studies) and the biotope-based observation, respectively. In the biotope assays which was based on the observation in compact biotopes mimicking the fresh water environments and wetland, both the acute and long-term eco-toxic impacts of two FFFs (soap-based and synthetic detergent-based) were assessed. Spraying of synthetic detergent-based foam formula was shown to be more toxic compared to soap-based formula and mock water treatment.

This study used a multiphasic approach, characterized by the simultaneous use of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, to investigate endophytic bacterial communities in strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) fruit. A total of 92 bacterial endophytes were isolated and initially grouped by their repetitive extragenic palindromic (rep)-PCR banding pattern and biochemical features. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of 45 representatives showed that the isolates belonged to the species Bacillus subtilis (eight isolates), Bacillus sp. (seven isolates), Enterobacter sp. (seven isolates), Enterobacter ludwigii (six isolates), Lactobacillus plantarum (six isolates), Pseudomonas sp. (five isolates), Pantoea punctata (three isolates), and Curtobacterium citreum (three isolates). Nucleic acids were extracted from the strawberry fruit and subjected to 16S rRNA gene directed polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (16S rRNA PCR-DGGE). The species B. subtilis, Enterobacter sp., and Pseudomonas sp. were detected both by isolation and DGGE. The DGGE fingerprints of total bacterial DNA did not exhibit bands corresponding to several of the representative species isolated in the extinction dilution (L. plantarum, C. citreum, and P. punctata). In contrast, bands in the DGGE profile that were identified as relatives of Arthrobacter sp. and one uncultivable Erythrobacter sp. were not recovered by cultivation techniques. After isolation, the nitrogen fixation ability and the in vitro production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) equivalents and siderophores were evaluated. A high percentage of isolates were found to possess the ability to produce siderophores and IAA equivalents; however, only a few isolates belonging to the genera Pseudomonas and Enterobacter showed the ability to fix nitrogen. Plant growth promotion was evaluated under greenhouse conditions and revealed the ability of the Bacillus strains to enhance the number of leaves, shoot length, root dry weight, and shoot dry weight. The activity of the bacterial isolate identified as B. subtilis NA-108 exerted the greatest influence on strawberry growth and showed a 42.8% increase in number of leaves, 15.26% for high shoot, 43.5% increase in root dry weight, and a 77% increase in shoot dry weight when compared with untreated controls.

This study is one of the first to show that invasive plant-induced changes in the soil microbial community can negatively impact native plant performance. This greenhouse experiment tested whether soil microbial communities specific to the rhizospheres of an invasive grass (Aegilops triuncialis) and two native plants (Lasthenia californica and Plantago erecta) affected invasive and/or native plant performance. Each of these species were grown in separate pots for 2 months to prime the soils with plantspecific rhizosphere microbial communities. Each plant species was then planted in native-and invasive-primed soil, and effects on plant performance were monitored. At 5 months, differences in microbial biomarker fatty acids between invaded and native soils mirrored previous differences found in field-collected soil. L. californica performance was significantly reduced when grown in invaded soil compared to native soil (flowering date was delayed, aboveground biomass decreased, specific root length increased, and root mass ratio increased). In contrast, P. erecta and A. triuncialis performance were unaffected when grown in invaded vs native soil. These results suggest that in some cases, invasion-induced changes in the soil microbial community may contribute to a positive feedback loop, leading to the increased dominance of invasive species in an ecosystem.

The microbial populations associated with the different sections of broccoli harvested from three locations in Australia were studied during storage at 5, 15 and 208C. Bacterial and yeast populations associated with the outer florets and cut surfaces of the stem were generally 10-fold or more higher than those associated with inner florets or non-cut stems, respectively. The predominating bacterial species varied with the origen of the broccoli. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Ps. 5 7 corrugata and Ps. viridiflava predominated at populations of 10 -10 cfu / g on broccoli harvested from Victoria, Ps. 3 6 fluorescens, Ps. mendocina and Ps. fragii and Arthrobacter spp. (10 -10 cfu / g) were prevalent on broccoli harvested from Queensland. Broccoli harvested from New South Wales exhibited a predominance of Ps. fluorescens, Arthrobacter spp. and 3 5

The immune system is built from our cells, organs, proteins and tissue, and it is the sum of the whole that defends the body against illness. In this paper, we introduce the immune system as a site to explore morethan-human design. Specifically, we address the effects of chronic stress on the immune system to explore a set of speculative wearable designs that combine the microbial basis of the human body with that of morethan-human. We reflect on the relationships within living materials and discuss symbiosis and mutualistic care when designing alternative wearable artifacts and trackers. CCS Concepts: • Human-centered computing → Interaction design.

γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) causes retrograde amnesia in juveniles and young adults. Earlier, we have reported that in adolescent rat, GHB impairs the hidden platform task performance in the Morris water maze. In the present study, a classical fear conditioning paradigm was used to examine the effects of GHB on the acquisition of contextual conditioning, a hippocampus-dependent associative task, and cued tone conditioning, a hippocampus-independent task, in adolescent rats. Administration of GHB before the presentation of tone-shock pairings dose-dependently disrupted the acquisition of contextual conditioning with no effect on tone conditioning, when conditioned fear was measured 24 h later. Administering GHB prior to testing did not disrupt either contextual or tone conditioning. These results demonstrate that in the adolescent rat exposure to GHB preferentially disrupt hippocampal-dependent learning.

Baudoinia was described to accommodate a single species, B. compniacensis. Known as the ‘whiskey fungus’, this species is the predominant member of a ubiquitous microbial community known colloquially as ‘warehouse staining’ that develops on outdoor surfaces subject to periodic exposure to ethanolic vapours near distilleries and bakeries. Here we examine 19 strains recovered from environmental samples near industrial settings in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Far East. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of a portion of the nucLSU rRNA gene confirms that Baudoinia is a monophyletic lineage within the Teratosphaeriaceae (Capnodiales). Multilocus phylogenetic analysis of nucITS rRNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and partial nucLSU rRNA, beta-tubulin (TUB) and elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) gene sequences further indicates that Baudoinia consists of five strongly supported, geographically patterned lineages representing four new species (viz. Baudoinia antilliensis, B. caledoniensis, B. orientalis and B. panamericana).

In vitro production of cellulase and xylanase was common among diverse freshwater ascomycetes and their hyphomycetous anamorphs. Production of enzymes involved in lignin degradation was rare. Most isolates were capable of causing mass loss in angiosperm wood, although values were low, at 10% during a 24-week period. A few isolates caused higher mass loss of up to 26.5%, and five of these were shown to solubilize significant amounts of lignin. This is the first report of lignin solubilization by freshwater fungi. Torula herbarum (hyphomycete) and Ophioceras dolichostomum (ascomycete) produced indices of lignin solubilization equivalent to those of terrestrial white-rot basidiomycetes. In all cases wood decay was 2.2-to 3-fold higher in exposed rather than submerged conditions.

The structure of the below-ground detrital food web was similar in three different semiarid vegetation types: lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta subsp. latifolia), mountain meadow (Agropyron smithii), and shortgrass prairie (Bouteloua gracilis). The densities of component food-web functional groups and the response to removal of component groups, differed however. As measured by biomass, bacteria were dominant in the meadow and prairie, while fungi were dominant in the forest. Resourde-base dominance was reflected in consumer dominance, and both directly correlated with the form of inorganic N present. Bacterial-feeding nematodes were numerically dominant in the meadow and prairie, while microarthropods were dominant in the forest. Ammonium-N was the dominant form in the forest, while nitratenitrite-N was the more important form in both bacterial-dominated grasslands.

Panspermia theory holds that microbial life is present in space or on bodies like comets or asteroids, and it can be safely delivered to Earth and start life there. For the theory of panspermia to have credence, it is necessary to demonstrate that life could exist in the harsh condition of space. The discovery of microorganisms able to survive permanently in frozen environments, such as ancient permafrost and ice, makes in principle realistic for bacteria to be carried through space in ice-cold comets. Due to the increasing interest in astrobiology, research in the microbial ecology and diversity of psychrophiles has increased considerably over the past years. In this review, a brief summary of the latest results on biology, ecology and physiology of microorganisms colonizing cold and icy habitats is reported.

Methanogenic degradation of crude oil hydrocarbons is an important process in subsurface petroleum reservoirs and anoxic environments contaminated with petroleum. There are several possible routes whereby hydrocarbons may be converted to methane: (i) complete oxidation of alkanes to H 2 and CO 2 , linked to methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction; (ii) oxidation of alkanes to acetate and H 2 , linked to acetoclastic methanogenesis and CO 2 reduction; (iii) oxidation of alkanes to acetate and H 2 , linked to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction; (iv) oxidation of alkanes to acetate alone, linked to acetoclastic methanogenesis and (v) oxidation of alkanes to acetate alone, linked to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction. We have developed the concept of a 'window of opportunity' to evaluate the range of conditions under which each route is thermodynamically feasible. On this basis the largest window of opportunity is presented by the oxidation of alkanes to acetate alone, linked to acetoclastic methanogenesis. This contradicts field-based evidence that indicates that in petroleum rich environments acetoclastic methanogenesis is inhibited and that methanogenic CO 2 reduction is the predominant methanogenic process. Our analysis demonstrates that under those biological constraints oxidation of alkanes to acetate and H 2 , linked to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction offers a greater window of opportunity than complete oxidation of alkanes to H 2 and CO 2 linked to methanogenic CO 2 reduction, and hence is the process most likely to occur. Thermodynamic constraints J Dolfing et al 443 The ISME Journal Thermodynamic constraints J Dolfing et al

Maple sap processing and microbial contamination are significant aspects that affect maple syrup quality. In this study, two sample sets from 2005 and 2008 were used to assess the maple syrup quality variation and its relationship to microbial populations, with respect to processing, production site and harvesting period. The abundance of maple sap predominant bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens group and two subgroups, Rahnella spp., Janthinobacterium spp., Leuconostoc mesenteroides) and yeast (Mrakia spp., Mrakiella spp.,Guehomyces pullulans) was assessed by quantitative PCR. Maple syrup properties were analyzed by physicochemical and sensorial methods. Results indicate that P. fluorescens, Mrakia spp., Mrakiella spp. G. pullulans and Rahnella spp. are stable contaminants of maple sap, as they were found for every production site throughout the flow period. Multiple factor analysis reports a link between the relative abundance of P. fluorescens group and Mrakia spp. in maple sap with maple and vanilla odor as well as flavor of maple syrup. This evidence supports the contribution of these microorganisms or a consortium of predominant microbial contaminants to the characteristic properties of maple syrup.

Protozoan communities around roots with different types of ectomycorrhizae were distinct. These protozoan communities differed both qualitatively and quantitatively with the host (Pinus ponderosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Picea sitchensis, Tsuga heterophylla and Abies grandis) and the ectomycorrhizal fungal species.

For over 200 years, slow sand filtration (SSF) has been an effective means of treating water for the control of microbiological contaminants in both small and large community water supplies. However, such systems lost popularity to rapid sand filters mainly due to smaller land requirements and less sensitivity to water quality variations. SSF is still a particularly attractive process because its operation does not require chemicals or electricity. It can achieve a high level of treatment, which is mainly attributed to naturally-occurring, biochemical processes in the filter. Several microbiologicallymediated purification mechanisms (e.g. predation, scavenging, adsorption and bio-oxidation) have been hypothesised or assumed to occur in the biofilm that forms in the filter but these have not yet been comprehensively verified. Thus, SSFs are operated as "black boxes" and knowledge gaps pertaining to the underlying ecology and ecophysiology limit the design and optimisation of the technology. The objective of this review is to outline the biological aspects of SSF in to the context of recent developments in molecular microbial ecology.

El INIBAP (Red Internacional para el Mejoramiento del Banano y el Plátano) y MUSALAC (Red de Investigación y Desarrollo de Plátano y Banano para ALC), con el financiamiento de FONTAGRO (Fondo Regional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) esta promoviendo una iniciativa en América Latina y el Caribe, que ha permitido una serie de acciones orientadas a proveer un mayor entendimiento de la salud y la calidad de los suelos, con el propósito de recuperar o mantener la productividad de las plantaciones bananeras. Uno de los productos más importantes de esta iniciativa regional es el desarrollo de una guía para el diagnóstico de la calidad y la salud del suelo. La guía fue desarrollada con la identificación y estudio de 22 indicadores principales (68 diferentes variables) que cubrían componentes físico-químicos del suelo así como parámetros microbiológicos. La investigación se hizo en 42 fincas de cuatro países de ALC. Para verificar la conveniencia y funcionalidad de los diferentes indicadores, se probó la guía en fincas con diferentes grados de producción y manejo agronómico (fincas de exportación, producción convencional y orgánica, fincas para mercado local, pequeñas, medianas y grandes). A su vez cada finca se caracterizó en sitios de producción buena, regular y mala. Se explica el proceso y la metodología establecida para el desarrollo de la guía (selección final de indicadores y construcción del índice). La guía estará disponible en tres idiomas.

El INIBAP (Red Internacional para el Mejoramiento del Banano y el Plátano) y MUSALAC (Red de Investigación y Desarrollo de Plátano y Banano para ALC), con el financiamiento de FONTAGRO (Fondo Regional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) esta promoviendo una iniciativa en América Latina y el Caribe, que ha permitido una serie de acciones orientadas a proveer un mayor entendimiento de la salud y la calidad de los suelos, con el propósito de recuperar o mantener la productividad de las plantaciones bananeras. Uno de los productos más importantes de esta iniciativa regional es el desarrollo de una guía para el diagnóstico de la calidad y la salud del suelo. La guía fue desarrollada con la identificación y estudio de 22 indicadores principales (68 diferentes variables) que cubrían componentes físico-químicos del suelo así como parámetros microbiológicos. La investigación se hizo en 42 fincas de cuatro países de ALC. Para verificar la conveniencia y funcionalidad de los diferentes indicadores, se probó la guía en fincas con diferentes grados de producción y manejo agronómico (fincas de exportación, producción convencional y orgánica, fincas para mercado local, pequeñas, medianas y grandes). A su vez cada finca se caracterizó en sitios de producción buena, regular y mala. Se explica el proceso y la metodología establecida para el desarrollo de la guía (selección final de indicadores y construcción del índice). La guía estará disponible en tres idiomas.

Pharmaceutical Microbiology: Essentials for Quality Assurance and Quality Control presents that latest information on protecting pharmaceutical and healthcare products from spoilage by microorganisms, and protecting patients and consumers. With both sterile and non-sterile products, the effects can range from discoloration to the potential for fatality.

The book provides an overview of the function of the pharmaceutical microbiologist and what they need to know, from regulatory filing and GMP, to laboratory design and management, and compendia tests and risk assessment tools and techniques. These key aspects are discussed through a series of dedicated chapters, with topics covering auditing, validation, data analysis, bioburden, toxins, microbial identification, culture media, and contamination control.

Original at: https://zqjournal.org/editions/zq31.html

Proposing that nature is pervasive and that metabolic architectures are embedded in nature, I situate texts and theory as responses to techniques/methods for operational and research procedures. This text is thus a companion to my ongoing Metabolic Architectures campaign for thinking about, theorizing, and designing digital-biomimetic structures dialectically related to biology, technology, intelligence, and environmental bioremediation. In that categorization, theory is integral to the tasks of defining and evolving generative metabolic architectures and urbanisms as equal to the projectʼs drawings and models.
I started by building analog branching systems with plant and tree limbs — sometimes skinning their sculptural forms with environmentally strong, handmade yucca paper (Fig 1).This was in the early 2000s. My intention was not to create structural efficiency, but to evolve expressive branching that fused, bonded, and distributed force to create tension/compression, treelike scaffoldings hosting performative surfaces. I drew those structures in Rhinoceros 3D (Rhino) thinking that once structural systems were rooted in digital space, plant algorithms, and living infrastructures, facade panels could be designed and prototyped as bioarchitectural case studies.
In return, early works started reconfiguring my thinking about triangulated (truss) systems as irregular, curving and branching units — what I called eTrees (Fig 2). This motivated the transformation of post-and-lintel, load-bearing construction into biomimetically inspired components, based on interwoven vines or intermingled tree branches. And, although far from living, the models took on properties of skeletal organisms with environmental resilience — modules intended to partner with and sequester intelligent organisms capable of autonomous, bioremedial functions. Those trusslike models can be seen as steps toward computational and STL-fabricated eTrees plotted as material and structural concepts.
Drawing, modeling, and scanning there after opened as pathways for generative architectures envisioned for machine fabrication and AI-regulated . . . (continued at https://zqjournal.org/editions/zq31.html)