Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christos Kanellopoulos, Vasiliki Lamprinou, Artemis Politi, Panagiotis Voudouris, Ioannis Iliopoulos, Maria Kokkaliari, Leonidas Moforis, Athena Economou-Amilli
Summary: The study investigated microbial mats in a hot spring environment from Euboea Island, Greece, resulting in the formation of thermogenic travertine. Through interdisciplinary methods, the mineralogical composition of the studied samples was determined, showing that the main mineral phase is calcite and aragonite, with various trace elements present.
Article
Ecology
Ivan J. Moreno, Bianca Brahamsha, Mohamed S. Donia, Brian Palenik
Summary: The microbial mat communities in the hot springs of the Black Canyon of the Colorado River were studied using both culture-independent and -dependent methods. The results showed that these communities are mainly composed of cyanobacterial taxa, along with a diverse community of protists and other eukaryotes. The use of full-length rRNA gene sequencing allowed for a higher resolution of the community, and correlation analysis supported the co-occurrence of cyanobacteria, chloroflexi, and bacteroidetes.
Article
Microbiology
Christaline George, Chloe Xue Qi Lim, Yan Tong, Stephen Brian Pointing
Summary: The Sembawang Hot Spring in Singapore is located at the foot of a geological feature called the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone. The hot spring exhibits a poly-extreme environment and supports distinct microbial communities along an environmental gradient. The high abundance of phototrophic bacteria and the presence of chemoautotrophs and heterotrophs reflect the known thermal ranges and allochthonous leaf input in the hot spring. The findings contribute to the understanding of hot spring microbiomes and address a biogeographic knowledge gap for the region.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sergio Guajardo-Leiva, Fernando Santos, Oscar Salgado, Christophe Regeard, Laurent Quillet, Beatriz Diez
Summary: The study reveals that viruses in hot springs exert diverse impacts on their host community through lytic and lysogenic replicative cycles, with different virus types associated with specific host taxa with varying metabolic capacities. Lytic viruses primarily infect cyanobacteria, while lysogenic viruses are linked to chemoheterotrophic bacteria, possessing accessory genes to regulate stress-related processes in their hosts. The observations suggest a connection between the ecological role of the host and the type of viral lifestyle in thermophilic microbial mats.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Chao-Jian Hu, Wen-Dong Xian, Yi-Qing Lv, Cheng-Xiang Peng, Rong-Xu Shan, Ze-Chang Cheng, Qian Lv, Ye Tian, Jian-Yu Jiao, Sha Tan, Wen-Jun Li
Summary: Two closely related moderately thermophilic bacteria, strains SYSU G05006T and SYSU G05005, were isolated from a sample collected from Rehai National Park, Tengchong, Yunnan Province, PR China. They were closely related to Caldovatus sediminis based on the phylogenetic analysis and were described as a new species, Caldovatus aquaticus sp. nov. Strain SYSU G05006T had a genome size of 3.87 Mbp and showed optimal growth at 55 degrees C and pH 6.0.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Chao-Jian Hu, Wen-Dong Xian, Xiao-Qing Luo, Lan Liu, Meng-Meng Li, Jian-Yu Jiao, Sha Tan, En-Min Zhou, Wen-Jun Li
Summary: In this study, three new strains closely related to the genus Thermus were isolated from a hot spring in southwestern China. The genomic profile and taxonomic status of one of the strains (SYSU G05001(T)) were determined using whole-genome sequencing and a polyphasic taxonomic approach. This strain, designated as Thermus brevis sp. nov., exhibited optimal growth at a temperature of 55 degrees Celsius, pH 7.0, and NaCl concentration of 1%.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan-Jose Escuder-Rodriguez, Maria-Eugenia Decastro, Almudena Saavedra-Bouza, Manuel Becerra, Maria-Isabel Gonzalez-Siso
Summary: The northwest of Spain has abundant non-volcanic hot springs, which have been used for thermalism activities. A diverse microbial community dominated by bacteria has been discovered in one of these hot springs using metagenomics. The study also found enzymes and microorganisms with potential biotechnological applications in this hot spring.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dror Shitrit, Thomas Hackl, Raphael Laurenceau, Nicolas Raho, Michael C. G. Carlson, Gazalah Sabehi, Daniel A. Schwartz, Sallie W. Chisholm, Debbie Lindell
Summary: This study presents a simple and generalizable method, named REEP, for genetic engineering of cyanophages, enabling direct investigation of key cyanophage genes. The findings suggest that the integration of T7-like cyanophages is transient and does not lead to the formation of stable lysogens.
Article
Microbiology
Manik Prabhu Narsing Rao, Zhou-Yan Dong, Zhen-Hao Luo, Meng-Meng Li, Bing-Bing Liu, Shu-Xian Guo, Wael N. Hozzein, Min Xiao, Wen-Jun Li
Summary: The present study conducted physicochemical and microbial diversity analyses of seven Indian hot springs, and found that temperature and pH influenced microbial diversity, with bacteria being the dominant group. Both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods revealed the potential of these springs to harbor novel microbial candidates and produce thermostable enzymes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hai-Yan Yu, Shu-Guang Wang, Peng-Fei Xia
Summary: Global warming is becoming a serious problem due to human activities, particularly the emission of carbon dioxide. To address this challenge, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and capturing CO2 from the atmosphere are crucial. Carbon-neutral and carbon-negative biotechnologies, specifically those based on CO2-metabolizing microorganisms, have shown promise in producing fuels and chemicals. CRISPR-Cas systems have been developed to engineer these microorganisms and advance carbon-negative biotechnology. This review focuses on recent advances in applying CRISPR-Cas systems for genome editing and interference/activation in specific microorganisms and discusses potential future innovations.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yong-Jik Lee, Dariimaa Ganbat, DoKyung Oh, HyeWon Kim, Ga Eul Jeong, In-Tae Cha, Seong-Bo Kim, Gaewon Nam, You-Jung Jung, Sang-Jae Lee
Summary: This study identified 29 thermophilic bacterial isolates from hot springs in Korea and investigated their extracellular hydrolase activity. Geobacillus species were found to be the most abundant and showed promising potential for industrial applications.
Article
Microbiology
Mohit Kumar Saini, Shohei Yoshida, Aswathy Sebastian, Eri Hara, Hideyuki Tamaki, Nathan T. Soulier, Istvan Albert, Satoshi Hanada, Marcus Tank, Donald A. Bryant
Summary: A new microbial strain, named Elioraea tepida, was isolated from an alkaline siliceous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, USA. The strain grows chemoheterotrophically by oxygen-dependent respiration and can also undergo photoheterotrophic growth under strictly oxic conditions. It does not exhibit photoautotrophic growth under oxic or anoxic conditions, indicating that it belongs to an aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium.
Article
Microbiology
Carla Barbosa, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Jaime Alcorta, Oscar Salgado, Linda Daniele, Diego Morata, Beatriz Diez
Summary: This study investigates the influence of geothermal processes on thermal microbial communities on a global scale. In addition to temperature and pH, sulfate concentrations play a role in shaping the microbial communities, which depend on tectono-magmatic settings and local settings. Comparison of microbial communities from different geothermal areas shows no significant geographic distance decay, but suggests a potential ancient divergence in the same taxonomic groups.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ralf Steuer
Summary: It is argued in this communication that a high maximal growth rate is not necessarily sufficient or necessary for high phototrophic productivity. Rather, the specific growth rate of a phototrophic microorganism is determined by factors such as light absorption rate, photosynthetic efficiency, and biomass yield per mol photons. Therefore, besides maximal growth rate, photosynthetic efficiency and maximal biomass yield should also be considered as predictors of culture productivity when evaluating fast-growing strains.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Carla Barbosa, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Jaime Alcorta, Oscar Salgado, Linda Daniele, Diego Morata, Beatriz Diez
Summary: Temperature, pH, and hydrochemistry of terrestrial hot springs have a critical role in shaping thermal microbial communities. However, the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors at the terrestrial-aquatic interface on a global scale are not well understood, and the influence of underground events on microbial communities remains unknown. The study found moderate correlations between pH, SO42-, and the abundance of certain microbial phyla. pH and SO42- gradients were explained by phase separation and oxidation of sulfur in the steam phase. However, a large portion of the variance in microbial community structure remains unexplained, suggesting the involvement of other environmental or biotic factors.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Maria Estrella Alcaman-Arias, Sebastian Fuentes-Alburquenque, Pablo Vergara-Barros, Jeronimo Cifuentes-Anticevic, Josefa Verdugo, Martin Polz, Laura Farias, Carlos Pedros-Alio, Beatriz Diez
Summary: This study investigated the effect of decreased surface salinity on the marine microbial community in the Western Antarctic Peninsula, finding that certain common seawater genera responded positively while ice bacteria showed increased tolerance to increased salinity. The results suggest that a significant portion of the microbial community is resilient and can adapt to disturbances, such as freshening due to the warming effect of climate change in Antarctica.
Article
Microbiology
Jeronimo Cifuentes-Anticevic, Maria E. Alcaman-Arias, Tomas Alarcon-Schumacher, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Carlos Pedros-Alio, Laura Farias, Beatriz Diez
Summary: Proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria are prevalent in Antarctic coastal waters during late austral summer and early autumn, with their abundance and transcriptional activity correlated with environmental factors like chlorophyll a and temperature. Green light-absorbing proteorhodopsin genes are more abundant but blue-absorbing ones are transcribed more intensely, with Flavobacteriia being the most abundant in metagenomes and Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria dominating the metatranscriptomes. The ecological relevance of these bacteria needs further exploration to understand their role in utilizing sunlight energy in the marine ecosystem.
Article
Microbiology
Tomas Alarcon-Schumacher, Sergio Guajardo-Leiva, Manuel Martinez-Garcia, Beatriz Diez
Summary: The viral communities in the Southern Ocean show high diversity and adaptability, with unique genomic features that provide insights into how viruses thrive and adapt in extreme polar marine environments. Through the study of novel viral genomes, this research expands our understanding of viral diversification and specific adaptations in the Southern Ocean.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Paula Blazquez-Sanchez, Felipe Engelberger, Jeronimo Cifuentes-Anticevic, Christian Sonnendecker, Aransa Grinen, Javiera Reyes, Beatriz Diez, Victoria Guixe, P. Konstantin Richter, Wolfgang Zimmermann, Cesar A. Ramirez-Sarmiento
Summary: PET is a widely used synthetic plastic in packaging industry and a major component of plastic waste in the environment. Some microorganisms encode enzymes to catalyze the depolymerization of PET. Enzymes from Antarctic bacteria have been found to efficiently hydrolyze PET at 25 degrees C, contributing to the potential biodegradation of PET at moderate temperatures.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sergio Guajardo-Leiva, Fernando Santos, Oscar Salgado, Christophe Regeard, Laurent Quillet, Beatriz Diez
Summary: The study reveals that viruses in hot springs exert diverse impacts on their host community through lytic and lysogenic replicative cycles, with different virus types associated with specific host taxa with varying metabolic capacities. Lytic viruses primarily infect cyanobacteria, while lysogenic viruses are linked to chemoheterotrophic bacteria, possessing accessory genes to regulate stress-related processes in their hosts. The observations suggest a connection between the ecological role of the host and the type of viral lifestyle in thermophilic microbial mats.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Jean-Baptiste Ramond, Karen Jordaan, Beatriz Diez, Sandra M. Heinzelmann, Don A. Cowan
Summary: Arid ecosystems cover a significant portion of the Earth's terrestrial surface and contribute to the global nitrogen pool. These ecosystems are characterized by extreme conditions that limit the presence of macrofauna and flora and hinder plant growth and productivity. Microbes play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycling processes that drive primary production and nutrient biogeochemical cycling in these ecosystems. This survey provides insights into the current understanding of microbial-mediated nitrogen processes in different edaphic and refuge niches in arid environments.
MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Maria E. Alcaman-Arias, Jeronimo Cifuentes-Anticevic, Wilson Castillo-Inaipil, Laura Farias, Cynthia Sanhueza, Beatriz Fernandez-Gomez, Josefa Verdugo, Leslie Abarzua, Christina Ridley, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Beatriz Diez
Summary: Nitrogen fixation is an important process for marine ecosystems, and this study found that it occurs at higher rates under dark conditions in Chile Bay. Chemosynthetic and heterotrophic bacteria play a significant role in nitrogen fixation in this area. The N:P ratio is an important factor affecting the nitrogen fixation process.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose Ignacio Arroyoa, Beatriz Diez, Christopher P. Kempes, Geoffrey B. West, Pablo A. Marquet
Summary: This study proposes a general theory for temperature dependence in biology based on chemical reaction rates, which can describe the temperature response of various biological quantities from quantum to classical scales and fits well with empirical data.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sergio Guajardo-Leiva, Jaime Alarcon, Florence Gutzwiller, Jorge Gallardo-Cerda, Ian S. Acuna-Rodriguez, Marco Molina-Montenegro, Keith A. Crandall, Marcos Perez-Losada, Eduardo Castro-Nallar
Summary: Rhizosphere microbial communities play critical roles in plant health, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility. This study investigates the diversity and potential sources of microbial communities using two native Antarctic plants as models. The results show that host plant species influence the richness and diversity of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere. Additionally, environmental geographic pressures and plant species determine the species turnover between microbial communities. Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere primarily come from local soils, while fungal communities have both local and distant sources.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pablo Vergara-Barros, Jaime Alcorta, Angelica Casanova-Katny, Dennis J. Nuernberg, Beatriz Diez
Summary: This study investigates the thermotolerance of the cyanobacterium Fischerella thermalis in hot springs, revealing its ability to maintain photosynthetic activity at high temperatures and providing insights into the genetic and metabolic mechanisms involved in thermal adaptation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
John E. E. Hallsworth, Zulema Udaondo, Carlos Pedros-Alio, Juan Hofer, Kathleen C. C. Benison, Karen G. G. Lloyd, Radames J. B. Cordero, Claudia B. L. de Campos, Michail M. M. Yakimov, Ricardo Amils
Summary: Practical experiments drive important scientific discoveries in biology, but theory-based research also contributes important and innovative findings. This article discusses the roles of theory-based approaches in various wet-biology research areas, including microbial growth and survival, cell physiology, host-pathogen interactions, and competitive or symbiotic interactions. It also highlights the importance of thought and theory in the research process, the limitations and potential of artificial intelligence technologies, and the value of theory-based science in education and epistemology. The article emphasizes the need for human engagement in scientific innovation and addresses issues such as biases in language and the importance of theory-based science in addressing global challenges.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ricardo Konrad, Pablo Vergara-Barros, Jaime Alcorta, Maria E. Alcaman-Arias, Gloria Levican, Christina Ridley, Beatriz Diez
Summary: In this study, the diversity and activity of sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in the non-acidic phototrophic mats of the Porcelana hot spring in Northern Patagonia, Chile were evaluated. The results show that the key players in sulfur metabolism vary in abundance along the temperature gradient, which is relevant for understanding their role in the current global climate change scenario.
Article
Microbiology
Carla Barbosa, Javier Tamayo-Leiva, Jaime Alcorta, Oscar Salgado, Linda Daniele, Diego Morata, Beatriz Diez
Summary: Temperature, pH, and hydrochemistry of terrestrial hot springs have a critical role in shaping thermal microbial communities. However, the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors at the terrestrial-aquatic interface on a global scale are not well understood, and the influence of underground events on microbial communities remains unknown. The study found moderate correlations between pH, SO42-, and the abundance of certain microbial phyla. pH and SO42- gradients were explained by phase separation and oxidation of sulfur in the steam phase. However, a large portion of the variance in microbial community structure remains unexplained, suggesting the involvement of other environmental or biotic factors.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)