Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria del Mar Aguilo-Ferretjans, Rafael Bosch, Richard J. Puxty, Mira Latva, Vinko Zadjelovic, Audam Chhun, Despoina Sousoni, Marco Polin, David J. Scanlan, Joseph A. Christie-Oleza
Summary: The study reveals that one in four picocyanobacteria encode a type IV pilus, allowing them to maintain optimal positions in the water column, while also evading predation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. R. Raven, R. G. Keil, S. M. Webb
Summary: The sulfurization of organic matter can enhance the preservation and sequestration of carbon in anoxic sediments. Experiments showed that under sulfidic conditions, organic sulfurization can produce organic monosulfides, thiols, and disulfides within days.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Janina Rahlff, Sarah P. Esser, Julia Plewka, Mara Elena Heinrichs, Andre Soares, Claudio Scarchilli, Paolo Grigioni, Heike Wex, Helge-Ansgar Giebel, Alexander J. Probst
Summary: Marine viruses can be dispersed into the atmosphere through the air-sea interface and detected in rainwater. Virus enrichment in the surface microlayer and sea foams, as well as higher G/C base content in viruses from rain and aerosols, were observed. These findings support the transmission of viruses along the water cycle.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shrikant D. Khandare, Doongar R. Chaudhary, Bhavanath Jha
Summary: The study found that marine bacteria have promising evidence of PVC degradation, with the ability to form biofilms on the PVC surface, leading to weight loss and changes in mechanical properties and hydrophilicity of PVC films after biodegradation.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Subhendu Chakraborty, Ken H. Andersen, Andre W. Visser, Keisuke Inomura, Michael J. Follows, Lasse Riemann
Summary: The research developed a mathematical model for N2 fixation on sinking marine particles, showing that the fixation rate is determined by various factors inside the particles. The study suggests that heterotrophic N2 fixation plays a significant role in oceanic nitrogen cycling.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katerina Karkanorachaki, Evdokia Syranidou, Nicolas Kalogerakis
Summary: Plastic pollution is a global issue, and the vertical transfer process is crucial for modeling the fate of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment. Experimental results show that density, fouling, and sample form significantly affect the sinking characteristics of polymers.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Qi-Yun Liang, Jin-Yu Zhang, Daliang Ning, Wen-Xing Yu, Guan-Jun Chen, Xuanyu Tao, Jizhong Zhou, Zong-Jun Du, Da-Shuai Mu
Summary: Inhibiting sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) has shown various effects on microbial community properties and coexistence patterns, indicating the importance of SRB in organic matter (OM) degradation. Suppression of SRB resulted in decreased relative abundances of several bacterial families and altered network and community assembly processes. These findings highlight the essential role of SRB in OM degradation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
B. B. Cael, Emma L. Cavan, Gregory L. Britten
Summary: Research shows that sinking particles play a critical role in the ocean's biological pump by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. However, the sinking speeds of particles are not solely determined by size, but also by other factors, leading to significant variability in parameterizations of particle sinking and fluxes.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Liya Liu, Yu Wang, Zhiqiao Wang, Lingrong Kong, Shuxia Li, Yuxin Dai
Summary: This study establishes a longitudinal vibration model of a pipe pile and investigates various energy dissipation mechanisms in marine pile sinking. The results show that the energy dissipated by external damping increases with input frequency, and radial radiation loss exceeds damping energy on the pile side. Wall thickness affects energy dissipation. By adjusting input frequency and optimizing the pipe pile structure, energy dissipated by external damping can be reduced and pile sinking efficiency can be improved.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Colleen A. Durkin, Ken O. Buesseler, Ivona Cetinic, Margaret L. Estapa, Roger P. Kelly, Melissa Omand
Summary: By studying the diversity of sinking particles in the ocean, their contribution to carbon export, and their attenuation with depth, the biological carbon pump in the ocean can be better quantified. Different types of particles have varying contributions to particulate organic carbon flux and their attenuation varies with depth.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Marine
Farah Eryssa Khalid, Zheng Syuen Lim, Suriana Sabri, Claudio Gomez-Fuentes, Azham Zulkharnain, Siti Aqlima Ahmad
Summary: This paper provides an updated overview of diesel hydrocarbon degradation, the effects of oil spills on the environment and living organisms, and the potential role of high salinity bacteria to decontaminate the organic pollutants in the water environment.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jinlong Song, Guijie Hao, Lu Liu, Hongyu Zhang, Dongxue Zhao, Xingyang Li, Zhen Yang, Jinhua Xu, Zhiyong Ruan, Yingchun Mu
Summary: The study identified a bacterial strain capable of efficiently degrading sulfamethoxazole and other sulfonamides, proposing a degradation pathway and optimizing conditions for biodegradation. This strain may be useful for bioremediation of environments contaminated with sulfonamide drugs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kai Zhang, Jiege Hu, Shuai Yang, Wei Xu, Zhichao Wang, Peiwen Zhuang, Hans-Peter Grossart, Zhuhua Luo
Summary: This study isolated a fungal strain Cladosporium halotolerans from the deep sea that can degrade polyurethane (PU). The research also revealed the crucial role of esterases and hydrophobic surface binding proteins in PU absorption and degradation by the fungus.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lyda S. T. Harris, Harsimran Gill, Emily Carrington
Summary: This study found that microplastics have effects on the benthic-pelagic coupling processes of mussels, leading to changes in the morphology and velocity of biodeposits. Biodeposits containing microplastics sink at slower rates and resuspend at slower velocities compared to biodeposits containing algae particles.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhe Li, Zhe Liu, Ying Wang, Xiaofang Wang, Ping Liu, Mingyue Han, Weizhi Zhou
Summary: The marine bacterial strain Bacillus paramycoides 3-1a showed strong adaptability in saline soils and enhanced soil phosphorus availability through both inorganic phosphate solubilization and organic phosphate mineralization. When combined with organic amendments, it significantly improved wheat growth and phosphorus accumulation in soil.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yang Yue, Jingru Cheng, Kang Soo Lee, Roman Stocker, Xu He, Maosheng Yao, Jing Wang
Summary: This study investigated the formation mechanism and influencing factors of sulfate in fine particles during haze episodes in different city environments through experiments and collected samples. The results revealed that relative humidity significantly affects the formation of new CaSO4.2H2O crystals.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Noele Norris, Uria Alcolombri, Johannes M. Keegstra, Yutaka Yawata, Filippo Menolascina, Emilio Frazzoli, Naomi M. Levine, Vicente Fernandez, Roman Stocker
Summary: This study investigates how E. coli senses and responds to gradients of maltose. The researchers found that the abundance of a specific porin protein limits the uptake of maltose into the periplasm, allowing E. coli to sense micromolar gradients of maltose despite having a high-affinity ABC transport system that is saturated at these levels. The study suggests a trade-off between uptake and sensing, with high-affinity transport enabling higher uptake rates but severely limiting the range of dynamic sensing.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jean-Baptiste Raina, Bennett S. Lambert, Donovan H. Parks, Christian Rinke, Nachshon Siboni, Anna Bramucci, Martin Ostrowski, Brandon Signal, Adrian Lutz, Himasha Mendis, Francesco Rubino, Vicente I. Fernandez, Roman Stocker, Philip Hugenholtz, Gene W. Tyson, Justin R. Seymour
Summary: This study demonstrates the chemotactic responses of marine bacteria and archaea towards microscale hotspots of phytoplankton-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM). The specific chemical cues attract different prokaryotic populations, which play important roles in biogeochemical processes and ecological interactions in the marine food web.
Review
Microbiology
Johannes M. Keegstra, Francesco Carrara, Roman Stocker
Summary: The mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis is well understood, but the reasons and consequences behind it are still puzzling. Besides foraging, bacterial chemotaxis also plays alternative ecological roles such as navigation, localization, and promoting microbial diversity. Most insights on chemotaxis are obtained from laboratory studies, and observing individual and collective migratory behavior of bacteria in different environments can provide a better understanding of the trade-offs between chemotaxis and growth. Further research using in situ approaches and transgenerational tracking is needed to explore the role of chemotaxis in microbial life.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eleonora Secchi, Giovanni Savorana, Alessandra Vitale, Leo Eberl, Roman Stocker, Roberto Rusconi
Summary: It has been found that the mechanical stability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa streamers mainly relies on the presence of extracellular DNA (eDNA) and the exopolysaccharide Pel. Controlling the composition of streamers can effectively control the formation of biofilm structures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Trang T. H. Nguyen, Emily J. Zakem, Ali Ebrahimi, Julia Schwartzman, Tolga Caglar, Kapil Amarnath, Uria Alcolombri, Francois J. Peaudecerf, Terence Hwa, Roman Stocker, Otto X. Cordero, Naomi M. Levine
Summary: Micro-scale microbial community dynamics significantly impact the fate of sinking particles in the ocean, playing a crucial role in global carbon cycling and future climate. By scaling-up essential features of particle-associated microbial dynamics, this study provides mechanistic insight into the contribution of microbes to the vertical carbon flux in the ocean.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vicente Fernandez, Roman Stocker, Gabriel Juarez
Summary: Immiscible hydrocarbons in the ocean water column occur as droplets of varying diameters. The relationship between droplet size distribution and oil degradation rates by bacteria is unclear. The use of chemical dispersants in oil spill response is based on the assumption that increasing the surface-area-to-volume ratio of droplets will enhance biodegradation rates, but this argument doesn't hold in most natural marine environments. A mechanistic encounter-consumption model predicts the characteristic time for oil degradation by marine bacteria, taking into account the initial oil concentration, droplet size distribution, and the abundance of oil-degrading bacteria. The model shows that reducing droplet size below an optimum can increase the persistence of oil droplets in the environment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Soren Hallstrom, Jean-Baptiste Raina, Martin Ostrowski, Donovan H. Parks, Gene W. Tyson, Philip Hugenholtz, Roman Stocker, Justin R. Seymour, Lasse Riemann
Summary: Heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs (HBDs) in the pelagic ocean can use chemotaxis to locate low-oxygen microenvironments suitable for nitrogen fixation, and their activity can influence marine nitrogen and carbon biogeochemistry.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alon Nissan, Uria Alcolombri, Nadav Peleg, Nir Galili, Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez, Peter Molnar, Markus Holzner
Summary: The role of soil in Earth's carbon budget is uncertain. A new model shows that soil temperature and moisture are linked to global soil respiration. Heterotrophic respiration has been increasing by 2% per decade since the 1980s, and it is projected to increase by 40% by the end of the century. Soil carbon efflux is the largest terrestrial carbon source to the atmosphere, but it remains one of the most uncertain fluxes in the global carbon budget.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biology
Jonasz Slomka, Uria Alcolombri, Francesco Carrara, Riccardo Foffi, Francois J. Peaudecerf, Matti Zbinden, Roman Stocker
Summary: Properties of microbial communities emerge from interactions between microorganisms and between microorganisms and their environment. To quantify and design these interactions, it is necessary to quantify encounter rates, which can often be done through encounter kernels. However, encounter kernels are often overlooked in descriptions of microbial populations, and the formulae for kernels are known in only a few encounter scenarios. Despite this, encounter kernels can guide experimental efforts and provide estimates for parameters in ecological models. This review focuses on encounter kernels describing interactions in aquatic systems.
Review
Microbiology
Sebastian Dan Burz, Senka Causevic, Alma Dal Co, Marija Dmitrijeva, Philipp Engel, Daniel Garrido-Sanz, Gilbert Greub, Siegfried Hapfelmeier, Wolf-Dietrich Hardt, Vassily Hatzimanikatis, Clara Margot Heiman, Mathias Klaus-Maria Herzog, Alyson Hockenberry, Christoph Keel, Andreas Keppler, Soon-Jae Lee, Julien Luneau, Lukas Malfertheiner, Sara Mitri, Bidong Ngyuen, Omid Oftadeh, Alan R. Pacheco, Francois Peaudecerf, Gregory Resch, Hans-Joachim Ruscheweyh, Asli Sahin, Ian R. Sanders, Emma Slack, Shinichi Sunagawa, Janko Tackmann, Robin Tecon, Giovanni Stefano Ugolini, Jordan Vacheron, Jan Roelof van der Meer, Evangelia Vayena, Pascale Vonaesch, Julia A. Vorholt
Summary: Communities of microorganisms are present in all habitats on Earth and play important roles in agriculture, health, and climate. However, the complexity of microbiomes poses challenges in understanding their mechanisms. The N+1/N-1 concept is a systematic approach that aims to dissect microbiome assembly and functioning, and intervene with specific microbial strains, to unravel the structure and function of microbiomes.
MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Giovanni Savorana, Jonasz Slomka, Roman Stocker, Roberto Rusconi, Eleonora Secchi
Summary: This study presents a microfluidic platform for the reproducible growth and characterization of biofilm streamers. The platform allows for the analysis of biochemical composition, morphology, and rheology of the streamers. Additionally, a protocol for in situ hydrodynamic stress tests was developed to investigate the role of fluid shear stress on the structure and rheology of streamers.