Deinococcus psychrotolerans sp. nov., isolated from soil on the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, strictly aerobic, coccus-shaped bacterium, designated S14-83T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain is a novel member of the genus Deinococcus, with Deinococcus alpinitundrae as its closest relative (96.1 % similarity). The DNA G+C content of the strain was 61.1 mol% and the major respiratory quinone was MK-8. Major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. As well as containing glycophospholipid, aminophospholipids and glycolipid as major polar lipids, there were also some unknown polar lipids. The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was ornithine, corroborating the assignment of the strain to the genus Deinococcus. Strain S14-83T was shown to be extremely resistant to gamma radiation (>10 kGy) and UV light (460 Jm-2). On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data presented here, strain S14-83T represents a novel species of the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcus psychrotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S14-83T (=CCTCC AB 2015449T= DSM 105285 T).

Nakamurella antarctica sp. nov., isolated from Antarctica South Shetland Islands soil.

A pale-yellow bacterial strain, designated S14-144T, was isolated from tundra soil sampled near the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands (62° 22' 34″ S, 59° 42' 34″ W). The cells were strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-positive, non-motile and coccoid-shaped. Growth occurred at 4-28 °C, at pH 5.0-9.0 and in the presence of 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain S14-144T formed a lineage within the genus Nakamurella and shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Nakamurella deserti 12Sc4-1T (96.5 %) and Nakamurella silvestrisS20-107T (96.4 %). The average nucleotide identity value between the genomes of strain 14-144T and the type strain of the species, N. deserti, was 72.0 % . The DNA G+C content of strain S14-144T was 61.6 mol% . The major cellular fatty acids of strain S14-144T were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and C16 : 0. The strain contained MK-8(H4) as the predominant respiratory quinone, phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol as the major polar lipids, rhamnose, ribose and glucose as the major whole-cell sugars, and meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. On the basis of the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analysis, strain S14-144T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Nakamurella, for which the name Nakamurella antarctica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S14-144T (=CCTCC AB 2015345T=KCTC 39796T).

Mucilaginibacter antarcticus sp. nov., isolated from tundra soil.

The novel, pale yellow bacterial strain, designated S14-88T, was isolated from a tundra soil near Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, and its taxonomic position was investigated by a genotypic and phenotypic analysis. Cells were facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod-shaped. Growth occurred at 4-28 °C (optimum at 15 °C), at pH 7.0-8.0 (optimum at 7.0) and with 0-0.6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, no NaCl). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain S14-88T formed a lineage within the genus Mucilaginibacter. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain S14-88T and the type strains of related species ranged from 92.2 to 96.5 %, and the 16S rRNA gene sequence of S14-88T showed highest similarity of 96.5 % to Mucilaginibacter soyangensis HME6664T. The major cellular fatty acids of strain S14-88T were iso-C15 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c). The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone MK-7, and the main polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content of strain S14-88T was 42.3 mol%. On the basis of the evidence presented in this study, strain S14-88T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Mucilaginibacter, for which the name Mucilaginibacter antarcticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S14-88T (=CCTCC AB 2015321T=KCTC 52232T).

Flexible multichannel electrodes for acute recording in nonhuman primates.

Flexible electrodes have demonstrated better biocompatibility than rigid electrodes in relieving tissue encapsulation and long-term recording. Nonhuman primates are closer to humans in their brains' structural and functional properties, thus making them more suitable than rodents as animal models for potential clinical usage. However, the application of flexible electrodes on nonhuman primates has rarely been reported. In the present study, a flexible multichannel electrode array for nonhuman primates was developed and implemented for extracellular recording in behaving monkeys. To minimize the window of durotomy for reducing possible risks, a guide-tube-compatible implantation solution was designed to deliver the flexible electrodes through the dura into the cortex. The proposed structure for inserting flexible electrodes was characterized ex vivo and validated in vivo. Furthermore, acute recording of multichannel flexible electrodes for the primates was performed. The results showed that the flexible electrodes and implantation method used in this study meet the needs of extracellular recording in nonhuman primates. Task-related neuronal activities with a high signal-to-noise ratio of spikes demonstrated that our whole device is currently a minimally invasive and clinically viable approach for extracellular recording.