Article
Microbiology
Christopher Sinigalliano, Kiho Kim, Maribeth Gidley, Kathy Yuknavage, Karen Knee, Dean Palacios, Charito Bautista, Anthony Bonacolta, Hyo Won Lee, Larry Maurin
Summary: The study identified hotspots of human FIB contamination along the western Saipan Lagoon shoreline and at a popular tourist bathing area known as the Grotto, coinciding with areas of high submarine groundwater discharge and nitrogen inputs. Widespread moderate levels of dog fecal contamination were observed across the island, while high levels of seabird fecal contamination were more sporadic and concentrated in the less developed northeast region of Saipan. No significant levels of cow or pig fecal markers were detected in coastal water samples. The study demonstrates the analytical capacity of MST technology in assisting resource management in CNMI to address water quality issues related to land-based sources of microbial contaminants in coastal waters.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Shaun Leivers, Leidy Lagos, Philipp Garbers, Sabina Leanti La Rosa, Bjorge Westereng
Summary: The study of specific glycan uptake and metabolism is important for understanding the complexities of the human gut microbiome. Fluorescent labelling of glycans has been successfully used to monitor microbial degradation of labelled glycans. The combination of various techniques can provide a better understanding of glycan metabolism in microbial communities.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Johanna M. Holman, Louisa Colucci, Dorien Baudewyns, Joe Balkan, Timothy Hunt, Benjamin Hunt, Marissa Kinney, Lola Holcomb, Allesandra Stratigakis, Grace Chen, Peter L. Moses, Gary M. Mawe, Tao Zhang, Yanyan Li, Suzanne L. Ishaq
Summary: Dietary intervention with steamed broccoli sprouts can protect against dysbiosis and colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), providing a potential therapeutic option for inflammatory bowel diseases.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Montakarn Sresung, Phongsawat Paisantham, Pacharaporn Ruksakul, Akechai Kongprajug, Natcha Chyerochana, Tharindu Pollwatta Gallage, Thitima Srathongneam, Surapong Rattanakul, Siriwara Maneein, Chatsinee Surasen, Somsak Passananon, Skorn Mongkolsuk, Kwanrawee Sirikanchana
Summary: Microbial contamination is a serious problem for drinking water suppliers worldwide, and microbial source tracking (MST) is a useful method to identify different microbial pollution sources. However, MST has limited application in tropical surface water catchments. This study analyzed MST markers and various parameters to identify fecal pollution sources in river water samples.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Anna Gitter, Maribeth Gidley, Kristina D. Mena, Alesia Ferguson, Christopher Sinigalliano, Anthony Bonacolta, Helena Solo-Gabriele
Summary: This study developed a site-specific risk assessment for recreational beaches using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) combined with quantitative PCR-based measurement of microbial source tracking (MST) genetic markers. The study found that the risk of gastrointestinal illness from swimming or playing in water containing a mixture of human and non-human fecal sources appears to be primarily driven by the human fecal source. However, the estimated median GI health risk for both beaches did not exceed the U.S. EPA risk threshold.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ulzee An, Liat Shenhav, Christine A. Olson, Elaine Y. Hsiao, Eran Halperin, Sriram Sankararaman
Summary: Microbial source tracking analysis is a widely used technique for characterizing complex microbial communities, but it is currently limited to specific study environments. In order to explore multiple source environments using large databases, a source selection procedure is needed. STENSL is a machine learning method that extends microbial source tracking analysis by performing unsupervised source selection and enabling sparse identification of latent source environments.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Aravind Natarajan, Brayon J. Fremin, Danica T. Schmidtke, Marlene K. Wolfe, Soumaya Zlitni, Katherine E. Graham, Erin F. Brooks, Christopher J. Severyn, Kathleen M. Sakamoto, Norman J. Lacayo, Scott Kuersten, Jeff Koble, Glorianna Caves, Inna Kaplan, Upinder Singh, Prasanna Jagannathan, Andrew R. Rezvani, Ami S. Bhatt, Alexandria B. Boehm
Summary: Microbial source tracking (MST) uses host-associated fecal markers to identify sources of fecal contamination in the environment. We developed and tested novel viral MST markers based on the genomes of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). These markers are sensitive and specific to human stool and wastewater, and are more prevalent and abundant compared to the commonly used viral marker PMMoV coat protein (CP) gene. This study suggests that ToBRFV is a promising viral human-associated MST marker.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Su Jin Nam, Wen Si Hu, Ok Kyung Koo
Summary: This study evaluated the specificity and abundance of the human-specific microbial source tracking marker crAssphage in human and animal feces in Korea. The results showed that crAssphage has a specificity of 1.00 and is sufficiently abundant in human feces.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Naveen Joseph, Jane Lucas, Nikhil Viswanath, Reed Findlay, Jim Sprinkle, Michael S. Strickland, Eric Winford, Alan S. Kolok
Summary: The United States National Forests are multi-use lands that support human recreation and cattle grazing. Fecal contamination in the Mink Creek watershed is found to be caused by human activities and unknown sources.
Article
Microbiology
Kevin Tsai, Vivian Hoffmann, Sheillah Simiyu, Oliver Cumming, Glorie Borsay, Kelly K. Baker
Summary: This study evaluated the detection of enteric pathogens and Bacteroides microbial source tracking (MST) markers in milk products and infant foods. The results showed that the detection profiles of pathogens and MST markers differed between milk products and infant foods. The MST markers were more commonly detected in infant food prepared at home, indicating recent contamination events during food preparation. However, the Bacteroides MST markers had lower sensitivity for detecting enteric pathogens in food compared to traditional indicators. The study suggests that while the Bacteroides MST markers can provide information about food contamination, they may not be suitable for determining the source of enteric pathogen contamination.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
S. Zeki, A. Aslan, S. Burak, J. B. Rose
Summary: The study compared different bacterial indicators in the urban estuary of Istanbul and found that enterococci concentrations can be monitored using real-time polymerase chain reaction methods. The BT-alpha marker was positively correlated with enterococci, and rainfall had a high correlation with water quality indicators.
LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Simon Toze, Cameron Veal, Paul Fisher, Qian Zhang, Zhigang Zhu, Christopher Staley, Michael J. Sadowsky
Summary: This study investigated the decay of enteric pathogens and contaminants in freshwater using laboratory microcosms. It was found that culturable Escherichia coli and the HF183 marker gene decayed faster than qPCR-measured pathogens, indicating potential limitations in using E. coli or HF183 as indicators for pathogen presence. Additionally, temperature was shown to have a significant impact on the decay rates of microorganisms, with slower decay observed in winter compared to summer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Su Jin Nam, Dong Woo Kim, Seung Hun Lee, Ok Kyung Koo
Summary: Food poisoning outbreaks in schools can cause physical and psychological harm to students, as well as time and economic loss. This study evaluated the use of microbial source tracking (MST) and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to trace contamination in school cafeterias. The most contaminated areas were the stove valve, faucet, and hand-washer. Continuous monitoring of frequent hand-contact areas is recommended to maintain hygiene in school cafeterias.
JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Serhat A. Yasar, Toby J. T. Mills, Zehra Uluturk, Jason M. S. Ruszczyk, Rebecca J. LeBard, Brett A. Neilan
Summary: The contamination of an urban coastal lagoon in Sydney, Australia, with human and canine faecal markers was found to be high year-round, suggesting significant human and animal faecal pollution. Two high-performing Microbial Source Tracking assays, HF183/Bac242 and BacCan-UCDmodif, showed high sensitivity and specificity, manageable PCR inhibition levels, and high DNA extraction efficiency, making them potential candidates for investigating host origins of faecal pollution in urban surface waters.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexis L. Pasulka, Jonathan F. Hood, Dana E. Michels, Mason D. Wright
Summary: This paper emphasizes the importance of using epifluorescence microscopy to estimate the abundance of marine microorganisms, and the need for computational analysis to obtain reliable and quantitative data. The authors describe two open-source image analysis programs based on MATLAB, which can be used across computer platforms and can analyze cells of different sizes and fluorescence intensities. The MiA program provides flexibility in selecting, identifying, and quantifying cells within natural microbial communities, while the ViA program helps quantify viral abundances from epifluorescence images and measure the intensity of primary and secondary stains. The paper provides an overview of the functionality of these programs and showcases their features through microbial image case studies.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
