Article
Microbiology
Daniel Loos, Lu Zhang, Christine Beemelmanns, Oliver Kurzai, Gianni Panagiotou
Summary: A web server dedicated to the comprehensive analysis of the human mycobiome has been developed, demonstrating its utility on large scale datasets and showing differences in fungal communities between human skin and soil sites using publicly available ITS samples.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Eva Lena F. Estensmo, Synnove Smebye Botnen, Sundy Maurice, Pedro M. Martin-Sanchez, Luis Morgado, Ingeborg Bjorvand Engh, Klaus Hoiland, Inger Skrede, Havard Kauserud
Summary: The study analyzed the indoor mycobiomes of 125 daycare centers in Norway, revealing that indoor fungal composition is influenced by various factors including indoor and outdoor conditions, geographic location, and building features. Yeasts and molds were found to dominate the indoor mycobiomes, indicating a potential impact on children's health and emphasizing the importance of further research in this area.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Eva Lena F. Estensmo, Luis Morgado, Sundy Maurice, Pedro M. Martin-Sanchez, Ingeborg B. Engh, Johan Mattsson, Havard Kauserud, Inger Skrede
Summary: The indoor mycobiomes of daycare centers are influenced by occupancy and outdoor seasonality. The fungal community composition in main rooms differs from that in auxiliary rooms, with a strong seasonal pattern observed in the mycobiome composition.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Crispin Wiesmann, Konrad Lehr, Juozas Kupcinskas, Ramiro Vilchez-Vargas, Alexander Link
Summary: Research on microbiota, particularly fungi, in disease development has gained increasing attention. This study compares the performance of various primers in sequencing the 18S and ITS regions, aiming to identify the most suitable primers for fungal detection in human fecal samples.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yinthe Dockx, Martin Taubel, Esmee M. Bijnens, Katrien Witters, Maria Valkonen, Balamuralikrishna Jayaprakash, Janneke Hogervorst, Tim S. Nawrot, Lidia Casas
Summary: The study revealed significant associations between nearby residential green space and indoor microbial diversity, with different impacts on bacterial and fungal diversity depending on the type of green space. Further research is required to explore the specific microbial taxa compositions underlying these changes and their potential health benefits.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Cary Pirone Davies, Katie Lynn Summers, Ann M. M. Arfken, Nadia Darwish, Atul Chaudhari, Juli Foster Frey, Lori Schreier, Monika Proszkowiec-Weglarz
Summary: The study investigated the fungal communities in the chicken gastrointestinal tract and the effect of delayed feeding on the mycobiome composition. It found that fungi play a critical role in chicken gut health and that delayed feeding does not have long-lasting effects on the fungal populations.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Paulina Belvoncikova, Petra Splichalova, Petra Videnska, Roman Gardlik
Summary: The mycobiome, as a crucial component of the human microbiome, plays a significant role in maintaining homeostasis and influencing an individual's health and disease status. The composition of the mycobiome is influenced by various factors, including diet, body weight, age, sex, and medical treatment. It inhabits multiple sites in the human body and interacts with other microorganisms and the immune system. Understanding the composition and function of the mycobiome is essential for understanding human physiological and pathological processes.
Article
Microbiology
Senying Lai, Yan Yan, Yanni Pu, Shuchun Lin, Jian-Ge Qiu, Bing-Hua Jiang, Marisa Isabell Keller, Mingyu Wang, Peer Bork, Wei-Hua Chen, Yan Zheng, Xing-Ming Zhao
Summary: In this study, researchers analyzed 3363 fungal sequencing samples from 16 cohorts and identified four mycobiome enterotypes. These enterotypes were stable across different populations and geographical locations and showed significant correlation with bacterial enterotypes. Notably, the fungal enterotypes were strongly associated with age, with the Candida-dominated enterotype being enriched in the elderly population and increasing the risk of multiple diseases related to compromised intestinal barrier. The study also found a fungi-contributed aerobic respiration pathway that mediated the association between compromised intestinal barrier and aging. Overall, the human gut mycobiome has stable compositional patterns and is significantly correlated with various host factors such as diseases and age.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Phillipp Hartmann, Bernd Schnabl
Summary: Liver and biliary diseases have a significant impact on global health, with the intestinal bacterial microbiome playing a well-established role. However, the role of the fungal microbiome, or mycobiome, has been overlooked for a long time. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the mycobiome in hepatobiliary diseases, particularly the involvement of the Candida genus. This article compares colonization and infection, describes mycobiome findings in healthy and diseased states, and discusses the potential for modulating the gut mycobiome to improve hepatobiliary conditions.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Robert Lepage, Samuel Glass, Paul de la Bastide, Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya
Summary: This paper presents a research initiative that shifts the focus from predicting mould growth levels to probabilistic predictions, and introduces a serviceability limit state mould growth model for wood. The model's outputs were verified through an experimental roof study.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Umang Jain, Aaron M. Ver Heul, Shanshan Xiong, Martin H. Gregory, Elora G. Demers, Justin T. Kern, Chin-Wen Lai, Brian D. Muegge, Derek A. G. Barisas, J. Steven Leal-Ekman, Parakkal Deepak, Matthew A. Ciorba, Ta-Chiang Liu, Deborah A. Hogan, Philip Debbas, Jonathan Braun, Dermot P. B. McGovern, David M. Underhill, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck
Summary: The study revealed that Debaryomyces hansenii fungus inhabits incompletely healed intestinal wounds of mice and inflamed mucosal tissues of CD patients, impairing colonic healing. Mechanistically, D. hansenii affects mucosal healing through the myeloid cell-specific type 1 interferon-CCL5 axis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert Wagner, Liliam Montoya, Cheng Gao, Jennifer R. Head, Justin Remais, John W. Taylor
Summary: Understanding the dynamics of airborne fungi is important for preventing fungal diseases, especially in regions like the San Joaquin Valley in California where airborne fungus Coccidioides is responsible for the most important fungal disease. The study found that the airborne fungal community in the region is distinct from the soil fungal community, and that airborne fungi are subject to dispersal limitation and cyclical intra-annual patterns of community composition.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Chan Yong Sung
Summary: Indoor light pollution is a threat to human health. This study investigates the impact of built environment characteristics on nighttime light levels in urban bedrooms. The findings suggest that residential floor area and tree canopy percentage affect indoor illuminance, while nonresidential floor area and length of road lanes do not have a significant effect. These findings highlight the importance of vertical separation in mitigating light pollution.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Chenqiu Du, Baizhan Li, Wei Yu
Summary: Household mould growth is favored by warm temperature and high humidity, releasing spores and causing allergic responses. Building energy efficient designs may increase mould growth risks and require further research for regulation and control.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Dermatology
Rong Tao, Ruoyu Li, Ruojun Wang
Summary: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease with increasing prevalence worldwide. The etiology and pathogenesis of AD are not fully understood, but previous studies have suggested a potential role of fungi as a triggering factor in its development. Fungal dysbiosis, characterized by decreased Malassezia and increased filamentous fungi, is observed in AD lesions, along with a positive correlation between Candida and Staphylococcus. Further research focusing on the interaction between specific skin fungi and the host can provide better insights into the role of microorganisms in AD pathogenesis.
Article
Biology
Alessandro Napoli, Claudia Coleine, Nikea J. Ulrich, Ralf Moeller, Daniela Billi, Laura Selbmann
Summary: The Concordia Research Station is an important location for preparing for future human missions to Mars and studying microbial diversity in extreme environments. DNA sequencing techniques were used to analyze surface snow samples collected over a two-year period, revealing a low but diverse microbiome. The results have implications for planetary protection and the search for life in astrobiology.
Article
Ecology
Laszlo Irinyi, Michael Roper, Richard Malik, Wieland Meyer
Summary: Yeast species in the Candida haemulonii complex and closely related species are of significant public health concern worldwide. Little is known about their natural habitat. Identifying key environmental habitats is important to understand the emergence of new fungal pathogens.
Article
Ecology
Jianwei Zhang, Youzhi Feng, Fernando T. Maestre, Miguel Berdugo, Juntao Wang, Claudia Coleine, Tadeo Saez-Sandino, Laura Garcia-Velazquez, Brajesh K. Singh, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Summary: Based on a global field survey of 383 sites with different climatic and vegetation conditions, this study reveals that soil biodiversity and functions exhibit pervasive nonlinear behaviors worldwide, predominantly regulated by water availability. Changes in water availability have significant impacts on soil biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, protists, and invertebrates) and soil functions including plant-microbe interactions, plant productivity, soil biogeochemical cycles, and soil carbon sequestration. This study suggests that crossing specific water availability thresholds can have critical consequences for the provision of essential ecosystem services needed to sustain our planet.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Alexandre Antonelli
Summary: The author argues that while the international commitment to protect 30% of the world's surface by 2030 is commendable and necessary, scientists need to collaborate with governments and other groups to ensure successful implementation and evaluation through inclusive and evidence-led approaches.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Letter
Ecology
Alexandre Antonelli, Harith Farooq, Matheus Colli-Silva, Joao P. M. Araujo, Andre V. L. Freitas, Elliot M. Gardner, Olwen Grace, Shiran Gu, Lovanomenjanahary Marline, Mark Nesbitt, Tuula Niskanen, Jean Michel Onana, Oscar A. Perez-Escobar, Charlotte Taylor, Sandra Knapp
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Beatriz Neves, Paola de L. Ferreira, Francisco Prosdocimi, Igor M. Kessous, Dayvid R. Couto, Ricardo L. Moura, Fabiano Salgueiro, Andrea F. Costa, Christine D. Bacon, Alexandre Antonelli
Summary: Mutualistic plant-pollinator interactions are important for the diversification of flowering plants. This study investigates the correlated evolution of pollination syndromes and other traits in the Vriesea-Stigmatodon lineage. The results show that pollination syndromes are correlated with changes in life form and habitat type, and the transitions from bat to hummingbird pollination coincide with shifts to the epiphytic life form in shaded habitats. The phylogenetic tree reveals independent origins of hummingbird pollination and suggests that some lineages within the genus Vriesea should be treated as species complexes.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Benedetta Turchetti, Annamaria Bevivino, Patrizia Casella, Claudia Coleine, Giovanna E. Felis, Carolina Elena Girometta, Antonio Molino, Iolanda Perugini, Antonino Pollio, Valeria Prigione, Laura Selbmann, Giovanna Cristina Varese, Pietro Buzzini
Summary: The concept of fastidious microorganisms mainly focuses on the challenges of isolating, culturing, and preserving bacteria. However, the study of fastidious eukaryotes, which are an essential part of the microbial world, is relatively limited. This review examines the state of the art in isolating, identifying, culturing, and preserving fastidious eukaryotes in culture collections, highlighting the need to improve practices in these areas. Several case studies are presented, including the isolation and preservation of slow-growing fungi, culturing of Haematococcus lacustris, isolation of unialgal strains of Cyanidiophytina (Rhodophyta), identification of Metschnikowia pulcherrima clade yeasts, isolation and preservation of Pyricularia species, and preservation of Halophytophtora spp.
Article
Biology
Gerardo A. Stoppiello, Claudia Coleine, Ralf Moeller, Caterina Ripa, Daniela Billi, Laura Selbmann
Summary: This study investigated microbial diversity on the snow surface of the Antarctic Polar Plateau and found that seasonality was the main driver of bacterial and fungal assemblages. The fungal component was dominated by Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, while the bacterial component was mainly represented by Bacteroidota. The study highlighted the impact of human activity on microbial composition in this environment.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hai Ren, Alexandre Antonelli
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Leho Tedersoo, Jaan Sepping, Alexey S. Morgunov, Martin Kiik, Kristiina Esop, Raul Rosenvald, Kate Hardwick, Elinor Breman, Rachel Purdon, Ben Groom, Frank Venmans, E. Toby Kiers, Alexandre Antonelli
Summary: This article proposes a scheme that offers tradable credits for combined aboveground and soil carbon and biodiversity. Multidiversity, estimated based on high-throughput molecular identification of soil meiofauna, fungi, bacteria, protists, plants and other organisms shedding DNA into soil, offers a cost-effective method that captures much of the terrestrial biodiversity.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2023)
Article
Mycology
Felipe Balocchi, Irene Barnes, Michael J. Wingfield, Rodrigo Ahumada, Cobus M. Visagie
Summary: In this study, a previously unknown fungus found on ancient Araucaria trees in Chile and Argentina was identified as two new species, and was classified as Resinogalea genus within the Cryptocaliciomycetidae subclass based on morphological and molecular analyses.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Harith Farooq, Alexandre Antonelli, Soren Faurby
Summary: Eight percent of land surface has been designated as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). Using data from 64,110 species, it is found that between 26% and 68% of terrestrial areas could qualify as KBAs depending on the spatial resolution. The total area from potential KBAs increases drastically as more species are assessed, indicating that all land surface could eventually meet the biological requirements for becoming a KBA if all species were included.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Letter
Plant Sciences
Paul J. Kersey, Alexandre Antonelli
Article
Environmental Sciences
Federico Biagioli, Claudia Coleine, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Youzhi Feng, Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez, Laura Selbmann
Summary: This study reanalyzed bacterial and fungal communities of caves worldwide and found that outdoor temperature and rainfall are critical factors in explaining differences in microbial diversity patterns. The study also highlights the opposite preferences of fungal and bacterial diversity in different climatic regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexandre Antonelli, Kiran L. Dhanjal-Adams, Daniele Silvestro
Summary: Machine learning approaches are actively contributing to biodiversity conservation and research in the face of rapid global change. This paper introduces two emerging topics and their associated data needs. Firstly, reinforcement learning is used to identify priority areas for protection to prevent biodiversity loss, taking into account human disturbance and climate change in recurrent monitoring schemes. Secondly, neural networks are utilized to approximate the classification of species into Red List categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, enabling real-time reclassification after major events like widespread fires and deforestation. The paper discusses the integration of identifying high-risk areas and species into an early warning system based on climate monitoring, remote sensing of land use changes, and real-time biological and threat data from citizen science initiatives. Such a system would guide actions to prevent biodiversity loss in a timely and effective manner.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2023)
