Latest Articles
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceDeciphering a Marine Bone-Degrading Microbiome Reveals a Complex Community EffortBones are an underexploited, yet potentially profitable feedstock for biotechnological advances and value chains, due to the sheer amounts of residues produced by the modern meat and poultry processing industry. In this metagenomic study, we decipher the microbial pathways and enzymes that we postulate to be involved in bone degradation in the marine environment.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAssessing Biodegradability of Chemical Compounds from Microbial Community Growth Using Flow CytometryThe manifold effects of potentially toxic compounds on microbial communities are often difficult to discern. Some compounds may be transformed or completely degraded by few or multiple strains in the community, whereas others may present inhibitory effects.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEndophytic Lifestyle of Global Clones of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Priority Pathogens in Fresh Vegetables: a Trojan Horse Strategy Favoring Human Colonization?Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales are a leading cause of human and animal infections, being classified as critical priority pathogens by the World Health Organization. Epidemiological studies have shown that spread of ESBL-producing bacteria is not a problem restricted to hospitals, but also represents a growing problem involving environmental and food safety.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMicrobiota Assessments for the Identification and Confirmation of Slit Defect-Causing Bacteria in Milk and Cheddar CheeseFood production involves numerous control points for microorganisms to ensure quality and safety. These control points (e.g., pasteurization) are difficult to develop for fermented foods wherein some microbial contaminants are also expected to provide positive contributions to the final product and spoilage microbes may constitute only a small proportion of all microorganisms present.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologySulfur Metabolites Play Key System-Level Roles in Modulating DenitrificationNitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) colonize diverse anoxic environments, including soil subsurface, groundwater, and wastewater. NRB and SRB compete for resources, and their interplay has major implications on the global cycling of nitrogen and sulfur species, with undesirable outcomes in some contexts.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenomic Insights into Adaptations of Trimethylamine-Utilizing Methanogens to Diverse Habitats, Including the Human GutMethanomassiliicoccales are less-known members of the human gut archaeome. Members of this order use methylated amines, including trimethylamine, in methane production.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceEndogenous Metabolites Released by Sanitized Sprouting Alfalfa Seed Inhibit the Growth of Salmonella entericaWarm, humid, and nutrient-rich conditions that are used to produce sprouts encourage Salmonella enterica to proliferate. However, many disparate sanitation methods exist, and there is currently no single treatment that can guarantee pathogen-free seeds.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyManipulation of IRE1-Dependent MAPK Signaling by a Vibrio Agonist-Antagonist Effector PairVibrio parahaemolyticus is a seafood-borne pathogen that encodes two type 3 secretion systems (T3SS). The first system, T3SS1, is thought to be maintained in all strains of V. parahaemolyticus to maintain survival in the environment, whereas the second system, T3SS2, is linked to clinical isolates...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyComplex Response of the Chlorarachniophyte Bigelowiella natans to Iron AvailabilityDespite low iron availability in the ocean, marine phytoplankton require considerable amounts of iron for their growth and proliferation. While there is a constantly growing knowledge of iron uptake and its role in the cellular processes of the most abundant marine photosynthetic groups, there are still largely overlooked branches of the eukaryotic tree of life, such as the chlorarachniophytes.
Methods and Protocols | Novel Systems Biology TechniquesQuantifying Variation in Bacterial Reproductive Fitness: a High-Throughput Method...Reproductive fitness of bacteria is a major factor in the evolution and persistence of antimicrobial resistance and may play an important role as a pathogen factor in severe infections. With a computational approach to quantify fitness in bacteria growing competitively on agar plates, our high-throughput method has been designed to obtain additional phenotypic data for antimicrobial resistance analysis at a low cost.