Tracing and utilizing nitrogen loss in wastewater treatment: The trade-off between performance improvement, energy saving, and carbon footprint reduction.

Biological nitrogen removal is widely applied to reduce the discharge of inorganic nitrogen and mitigate the eutrophication of receiving water. However, nitrogen loss is frequently observed in wastewater treatment systems, yet the underlying principle and potential enlightenment is still lacking a comprehensive discussion. With the development and application of novel biological technologies, there are increasing achievement in the deep understanding and mechanisms of nitrogen loss processes. This article reviews the potential and novel pathways of nitrogen loss, occurrence mechanisms, influential factors, and control strategies. A survey of recent literature showed that 3%∼73% of nitrogen loss beyond the nitrogen budget can be ascribed to the unintentional presence of simultaneous nitrification/denitrification, partial nitrification/anammox, and endogenous denitrification processes, under low dissolved oxygen (DO) and limited available organic carbon source at aerobic conditions. Key influential parameters, including DO, aeration strategies, solid retention time (SRT), hydraulic retention time (HRT), temperature and pH, significantly affect both the potential pathways of nitrogen loss and its quantitative contribution. Notably, the widespread and spontaneous growth of anammox bacteria is an important reason for ammonia escape at anaerobic/anoxic conditions, leading to 7%∼78% of nitrogen loss through anammox pathway. Moreover, the unwanted nitrous oxide (N2O) emission should also be considered as a key pathway in nitrogen loss. Future development of new nitrogen removal technologies is proposed to suppress the generation of harmful nitrogen losses and reduce the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment by controlling key influential parameters. Transforming "unintentional observation" to "intentional action" as high-efficiency and energy-efficient nitrogen removal process provides a new approach for the development of wastewater treatment.

Fermentation characteristics and prebiotic potential of enzymatically synthesized butyryl-fructooligosaccharides.

Existing prebiotics, such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOSs), can be modified to enhance their functionality or introduce additional functionalities. This study aimed to investigate the fermentation characteristics and prebiotic potential of enzymatically synthesized butyryl-FOSs. The esters were successfully synthesized through the reaction of butyric acid and FOSs using both chemical and enzymatic methods, denoted as A-FOSs and B-FOSs, respectively, for comparative analysis. The esterification degree of each component in A-FOSs was significantly higher than that of B-FOSs. Subsequently, the obtained esters were characterized for their fermentation properties, degradation mode and potential prebiotic effects using an in vitro simulated colonic fermentation model. Enzymes of human gut microbiota were found to preferentially cleave the glycosidic bond to the unit without butyryl group and release the sugars for utilization. A significant increase in butyric acid levels was observed during fermentation after the supplementation of B-FOSs. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing, absolute quantification of microbiota, and selected probiotic strains culture showed that B-FOSs supplementation promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria while reducing harmful ones. These results suggest that B-FOSs hold promise as novel prebiotics, possessing dual functions of modulating gut microbiota and delivering butyric acid to the colon in a targeted manner, ultimately contributing to improved gut health.

Amino sugars influence Aspergillus fumigatus cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis, and biofilm formation through interfering galactosaminogalactan deacetylation.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous fungal pathogen responsible for a significant number of deaths annually due to invasive aspergillosis infection. While the utilization of diverse carbon sources, including amino sugars, has been explored in other fungi, its impact on A. fumigatus remains uncharted territory. In this study, we investigated A. fumigatus responses to glucose (Glc), glucosamine (GlcN) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) as carbon sources. GlcN inhibited growth, reduced sporulation and delayed germination, while GlcNAc had no such effects. Both amino sugars induced alterations in cell wall composition, leading to a reduction in glucan and galactomannan levels while increasing chitin and mannan content, rendering A. fumigatus susceptible to cell wall stress and osmotic stress. GlcN repressed biofilm formation via downregulation of galactosaminogalactan (GAG) cluster genes, notably agd3, which encodes a GAG-specific deacetylase. Moreover, GlcN increased biofilm susceptibility to echinocandins, suggesting its potential for enhancing the effectiveness of antifungal treatments. This study sheds light on the multifaceted effects of amino sugars on A. fumigatus, encompassing growth, cell wall biosynthesis, and biofilm formation, offering promising avenues for innovative aspergillosis treatment strategies.

Carboxylated nanofibrillated cellulose empowers moxifloxacin to overcome Staphylococcus aureus biofilm in bacterial keratitis.

Bacterial keratitis is one of the vision-threatening ocular diseases that is increasing at an alarming rate due to antimicrobial resistance. One of the primary causes of antimicrobial resistance could be biofilm formation, which alters the mechanism and physiology of the microorganisms. Even a potent drug fails to inhibit biofilm due to the extracellular polysaccharide matrix surrounding the bacteria, inhibiting the permeation of drugs. Therefore, we aimed to develop carboxylated nanocellulose fibers loaded with moxifloxacin (Mox-cNFC) as a novel drug delivery system to treat bacterial corneal infection. Nanocellulose fibers were fabricated using a two-step method involving citric acid hydrolysis followed by TEMPO oxidation to introduce carboxylated groups (1.12 mmol/g). The Mox-cNFC particles showed controlled drug release till 40 h through diffusion. In vitro biofilm inhibition studies showed the particle's ability to disrupt the biofilm matrix and enhance the drug penetration to achieve optimal concentrations that inhibit the persister cells (without increasing minimum inhibitory concentration), thereby reducing the bacterial drug-resistant property. In vivo studies revealed the therapeutic potential of Mox-cNFC to treat Staphylococcus aureus-induced bacterial keratitis with once-a-day treatment, unlike neat moxifloxacin. Mox-cNFC could improve patient compliance by reducing the frequency of instillation and a controlled drug release to prevent toxicity.

Towards circular economy: Potential of microalgae - bacterial-based biofertilizer on plants.

Biofertilizers encompass microorganisms that can be applied to plants, subsequently establishing themselves within the plant's rhizosphere or internal structures. This colonization stimulates plant development by enhancing nutrient absorption from the host. While there is growing literature documenting the applications of microalgae-based and bacterial-based biofertilizers, the research focusing on the effectiveness of consortia formed by these microorganisms as short-term plant biofertilizers is notably insufficient. This study seeks to assess the effectiveness of microalgae-bacterial biofertilizers in promoting plant growth and their potential contribution to the circular economy. The review sheds light on the impact of microalgae-bacterial biofertilizers on plant growth parameters, delving into factors influencing their efficiency, microalgae-bacteria interactions, and effects on soil health. The insights from this review are poised to offer valuable guidance to stakeholders in agriculture, including farmers, environmental technologists, and businesses. These insights will aid in the development and investment in more efficient and sustainable methods for enhancing crop yields, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals and principles of the circular economy.

Indoor air VOCs biofiltration by bioactive coating packed bed bioreactors.

Bioactive coatings are envisaged as a promising biotechnology to tackle the emerging problem of indoor air pollution. This solution could cope with the low concentrations, the wide range of compounds and the hydrophobicity of some indoor air VOCs, which are the most important bottlenecks regarding the implementation of conventional biotechnologies for indoor air treatment. A bioactive coating-based bioreactor was tested in this study for the abatement of different VOCs (n-hexane, toluene and α-pinene) at different empty bed residence times (EBRT) and inlet VOC concentrations. The performance of this reactor was compared with a conventional biofilm-based bioreactor operated with the same microbial inoculum. After an acclimation period, the bioactive coating-based bioreactor achieved abatements of over 50% for hexane, 80% for toluene and 70% for pinene at EBRTs of 112-56 s and inlet concentrations of 9-15 mg m-3. These results were about 25, 10 and 20% lower than the highest removals recorded in the biofilm-based bioreactor. Both bioreactors experienced a decrease in VOC abatement by ∼25% for hexane, 45% for toluene and 40% for pinene, after reducing the EBRT to 28 s. When inlet VOC concentrations were progressively reduced, VOC abatement efficiencies did not improve. This fact suggested that low EBRTs and low inlet VOCs concentration hindered indoor air pollutant abatement as a result of a limited mass transfer and bioavailability. Metagenomic analyses showed that process operation with toluene, hexane and pinene as the only carbon and energy sources favored an enriched bacterial community represented by the genera Devosia, Mesorhizobium, Sphingobacterium and Mycobacterium, regardless of the bioreactor configuration. Bioactive coatings were used in this work as packing material of a conventional bioreactor, achieving satisfactory VOC abatement similar to a conventional bioreactor.

Iron-based multi-carbon composite and Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1 co-affect nitrogen removal, microbial community dynamics and metabolism pathways in low-temperature aquaculture wastewater.

Aerobic denitrification is the key process in the elimination of nitrogen from aquaculture wastewater, especially for wastewater with high dissolved oxygen and low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio. However, a low C/N ratio, especially in low-temperature environments, restricts the activity of aerobic denitrifiers and decreases the nitrogen elimination efficiency. In this study, an iron-based multi-solid carbon source composite that immobilized aerobic denitrifying bacteria ZS1 (IMCSCP) was synthesized to treat aerobic (DO > 5 mg/L), low temperature (<15 °C) and low C/N ratio (C/N = 4) aquaculture wastewater. The results showed that the sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) packed with IMCSCP exhibited the highest nitrogen removal performance, with removal rates of 95.63% and 85.44% for nitrate nitrogen and total nitrogen, respectively, which were 33.03% and 30.75% higher than those in the reactor filled with multi-solid carbon source composite (MCSC). Microbial community and network analysis showed that Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1 successfully colonized the SBBR filled with IMCSCP, and Exiguobacterium, Cellulomonas and Pseudomonas were essential for the nitrogen elimination. Metagenomic analysis showed that an increase in gene abundance related to carbon metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, extracellular polymer substance synthesis and electron transfer in the IMCSCP, enabling denitrification in the SBBR to be achieved via multiple pathways. The results of this study provided new insights into the microbial removal mechanism of nitrogen in SBBR packed with IMCSCP at low temperatures.

Quantitative effect of adding percentages of anammox granules on the start-up process and microbial community analysis.

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process is challenging due to its long start-up duration and high demand for mature anammox seed sludge. However, adding a small amount of anammox sludge to the inoculum can be a reasonable solution. This study investigated the effect of adding percentage of anammox granules (0, 1, 2, 4, and 8%) in the seed sludge on the anammox start-up process. The anammox process was achieved in all five reactors after 55, 6, 5, 3 and 0 days. Increasing the adding percentage effectively shortened the duration of lag phase and cell lysis, but had little effect on the final nitrogen removal performance, except for 4% adding percentage. Families of Brocadiaceae, Burkholderiaceae, Ignavibacteriaceae, SJA-28, and Rhodocyclaceae were dominant, with a core microbiota of eight operational taxonomic unites (OTUs), and Candidatus Brocadia fulgida became the dominant anammox species. Seven synergistic members with anammox bacteria were identified by correlation network analysis. Major potential functional groups involved in C and N cycle were also observed by FAPROTAX. Together with the qPCR and sequencing results, it was suggested that more than 2% of adding percentages would result in a short lag phase, rapid growth rate in elevation stage, high final performances, and anammox bacteria abundance comparable to that in the anammox seed sludge. This crucial finding indicated the feasibility of economical and rapid start-up of the anammox process with a minimum amount of anammox seed sludge.

Forecasting freshwater cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms for Sentinel-3 satellite resolved U.S. lakes and reservoirs.

This forecasting approach may be useful for water managers and associated public health managers to predict near-term future high-risk cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHAB) occurrence. Freshwater cyanoHABs may grow to excessive concentrations and cause human, animal, and environmental health concerns in lakes and reservoirs. Knowledge of the timing and location of cyanoHAB events is important for water quality management of recreational and drinking water systems. No quantitative tool exists to forecast cyanoHABs across broad geographic scales and at regular intervals. Publicly available satellite monitoring has proven effective in detecting cyanobacteria biomass near-real time within the United States. Weekly cyanobacteria abundance was quantified from the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) onboard the Sentinel-3 satellite as the response variable. An Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) hierarchical Bayesian spatiotemporal model was applied to forecast World Health Organization (WHO) recreation Alert Level 1 exceedance >12 µg L-1 chlorophyll-a with cyanobacteria dominance for 2192 satellite resolved lakes in the United States across nine climate zones. The INLA model was compared against support vector classifier and random forest machine learning models; and Dense Neural Network, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Gneural Network (GNU) neural network models. Predictors were limited to data sources relevant to cyanobacterial growth, readily available on a weekly basis, and at the national scale for operational forecasting. Relevant predictors included water surface temperature, precipitation, and lake geomorphology. Overall, the INLA model outperformed the machine learning and neural network models with prediction accuracy of 90% with 88% sensitivity, 91% specificity, and 49% precision as demonstrated by training the model with data from 2017 through 2020 and independently assessing predictions with data from the 2021 calendar year. The probability of true positive responses was greater than false positive responses and the probability of true negative responses was less than false negative responses. This indicated the model correctly assigned lower probabilities of events when they didn't exceed the WHO Alert Level 1 threshold and assigned higher probabilities when events did exceed the threshold. The INLA model was robust to missing data and unbalanced sampling between waterbodies.

Interaction of a bacterial non-classically secreted RNase Hâ with a citrus B-Box zinc finger protein delays flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana and suppresses the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T.

Ribonuclease HI (RNase HI) is well conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and has long been known to localize in the nucleic acid-containing cellular compartments for acting as an R-loop eraser but has never been determined to be a secreted protein. "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas) is a fastidious α-proteobacterium that causes Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating citrus disease often associated with flowering out of season. In this study, using the SecretomeP program coupled with an Escherichia coli-based alkaline phosphatase assay, we demonstrated that the CLas RNase HI (LasRNHⅠ) was a non-classically secreted protein. Further experiments identified that LasRNHⅠ could interact with a citrus B-box zinc finger protein CsBBX28 in the plant nucleolus. The in vitro assays indicated that CsBBX28 dramatically enhanced the R-loop-degrading activity of LasRNHⅠ. Remarkably, co-expression of CsBBX28 and LasRNHⅠ in Arabidopsis thaliana led to a much later flowering time than that of wild-type Arabidopsis, as well as that of the transgenic A. thaliana expressing only CsBBX28 or LasRNHⅠ, and lastingly and significantly repressed transcription of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), a floral pathway integrator. Similarly, ectopic expression of LasRNHⅠ in citrus greatly reduced the transcription level of FT. The data together disclosed the extracellular secretion of LasRNHⅠ, and that LasRNHⅠ physically interacted with CsBBX28 and served as a flowering repressor through suppressing the FT expression, suggesting a novel role of RNase HI in the bacteria interacting with the host plants.

High-rate nitrogen removal by partial nitritation/anammox with a single-stage membrane-aerated biofilm reactor.

In this study, a membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) coupled partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) system was established for high-rate nitrogen removal. Results showed that the nitrogen removal efficiency of 90.34% was finally obtained when influent ammonia increased from 150 mg L-1 to 300 mg L-1. Based on the fluorescence spectroscopy technology, the raised hydrophobicity tryptophan in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) promoted biofilm formation and bacteria aggregation. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the relative abundance of AOB and AnAOB was also enhanced by ammonia (Nitrosomonas and Candidatus Brocadia increased by 6.02 % and 10.06 % in biofilm, respectively), which further facilitated nitrogen removal efficiency. Furthermore, the key functional genes involved in partial nitritation and anammox, especially hao and nirK, up-regulated by 1.31 and 1.26 times, respectively, accelerating the electron generation and consumption. Therefore, raising influent ammonia content intensified microbial electron transfer behavior and high-rate nitrogen metabolism.

Exploring nutrient removal mechanisms in column-type SBR with simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.

A comprehensive investigation utilized a column-type sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to efficiently remove nutrients throughout various phases of its operational cycle by forming granules. This study assessed the influence and mechanisms of a simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) system employing a column-type sequential batch reactor (SBR). The primary focus was on elucidating the functional groups involved in nitrogen transformation and removal within the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The research findings demonstrate the superior performance of the SBR process compared to the control group. It achieved an impressive SND efficiency of 69%, resulting in a remarkable 66% total nitrogen removal. Furthermore, a detailed analysis unveiled that the SBR process had a beneficial impact on the composition and properties of EPS. This impact was observed through increased EPS content and enhanced capacity to transport, convert, and retain nitrogen effectively. Additionally, after initial acclimatization, the SBR process showed its effectiveness in removing nutrients (88-98%) and COD (93%) from the generated wastewater within a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 h. A statistically significant difference between the treatments for the investigated mixing ratios was found by univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Machine learning (CatBoost model) was employed to understand each parameter's relationship and predict the outcomes in measurable quantity. The findings of the SBR trials showed that the concentration of generated wastewater and the HRT impacted the treatment efficiency. However, the effluent may still need other physicochemical processes, such as membrane filtering, coagulation, electrocoagulation, etc., as post-treatment options, even though COD, nutrients, and turbidity have been entirely or significantly effectively removed. Overall, this work offers insightful information on the critical function of the SBR bacterial community in promoting SND.

Effect of C/N on the microbial interactions of aerobic granular sludge system.

The main focus of this study was to evaluate the operational stability and changes in microbial interactions of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) systems at reduced C/N (16, 8 and 4). The results showed that the removal efficiency of total nitrogen and total phosphorus decreased from 95.99 ± 0.93% and 84.44 ± 0.67% to 48.46 ± 1.92% and 50.93 ± 2.67%, respectively, when C/N was reduced from 16 to 4. The granule settling performance and stability also deteriorated. Molecular ecological network analysis showed that the reduction of the C/N ratio made the overall network as well as the subnetworks of the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota more complex and tightly connected. Similarly, the subnetworks of two dominant genera (Thiothrix and Defluviicoccus) became more complex as the C/N decreased. Meanwhile, the decreased C/N ratio might promote competition among microbes in these overall networks and subnetworks. In conclusion, reduced C/N added complexity and tightness to microbial linkages within the AGS system, while increased competition between species might have contributed to the deterioration in pollutant removal performance. This study adds a new dimension to our understanding of the effects of C/N on the microbial community of AGS using a molecular ecological network approach.

Bacterial pathogens associated with the plastisphere of surgical face masks and their dispersion potential in the coastal marine environment.

Huge numbers of face masks (FMs) were discharged into the ocean during the coronavirus pandemic. These polymer-based artificial surfaces can support the growth of specific bacterial assemblages, pathogens being of particular concern. However, the potential risks from FM-associated pathogens in the marine environment remain poorly understood. Here, FMs were deployed in coastal seawater for two months. PacBio circular consensus sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA was used for pathogen identification, providing enhanced taxonomic resolution. Selective enrichment of putative pathogens (e.g., Ralstonia pickettii) was found on FMs, which provided a new niche for these pathogens rarely detected in the surrounding seawater or the stone controls. The total relative abundance of the putative pathogens in FMs was higher than in seawater but lower than in the stone controls. FM exposure during the two months resulted in 3% weight loss and the release of considerable amounts of microfibers. The ecological assembly process of the putative FM-associated pathogens was less impacted by the dispersal limitation, indicating that FM-derived microplastics can serve as vectors of most pathogens for their regional transport. Our results indicate a possible ecological risk of FMs for marine organisms or humans in the coastal and potentially in the open ocean.

Visualization of microcystin-LR and sulfides in plateau lakes.

In eutrophic water bodies, sulfides are closely related to the growth of cyanobacteria and the production of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). To date, the underlying interaction mechanism between a sulfides and MC-LR remains controversial. Thus, visually presenting the distribution characteristics of sulfides and MC-LR in contaminated water is crucial. Here, we propose a novel and expeditious practical approach, utilizing fluorescence probe technology, to assess the distribution characteristics of MC-LR and sulfur in natural lakes. We have developed novel probes, pib2, to detect HSO3- and HS-, and pib18, to simultaneously identify MC-LR and sulfides. Through correlation analysis of fluorescence data and physicochemical indicators at sampling points, it is found that fluorescence data has good correlation with sulfides and MC-LR, and speculated that pib2 and pib18 may be able to detect sulfides and MC-LR in lakes. Using this method, we rapidly obtained the distribution of MC-LR and sulfur in Qilu and Erhai Lakes. Notably, for the first time, we rapidly displayed the distributions of sulfides and MC-LR across lakes by the fluorescent probe technology.

TGR5 deficiency-induced anxiety and depression-like behaviors: The role of gut microbiota dysbiosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Anxiety and depression have been associated with imbalances in the gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism. Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5), a bile acid receptor involved in metabolism, is influenced by the gut microbiota. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety, depression, and microbiota using TGR5 knockout mice. METHODS: We employed the following methods: (1) Assessment of behavioral changes, (2) Measurement of 5-HT levels and protein expression, (3) Analysis of stool samples, (4) Utilization of gene sequencing and statistical analysis to identify microbial signatures, (5) Examination of correlations between microbial signatures and 5-HT levels, and (6) Fecal microbiota transplantation experiments of TGR5-/- mice. RESULTS: The deletion of TGR5 was found to result in increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice. TGR5 knockout mice exhibited significant reductions in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels in both serum and hippocampus, accompanied by a decrease in the expression of 5-HT1A receptor in the hippocampus. Moreover, TGR5 deficiency was associated with a decrease in the species richness of the gut microbiota. Specifically, the gut microbiota compositions of TGR5 knockout mice displayed distinct differences compared to their littermates, characterized by higher abundances of Anaeroplasma, Prevotella, Staphylococcus, Jeotgalicoccus, and Helicobacter, and a lower abundance of Bifidobacterium. Notably, a strong association between Jeotgalicoccus as well as Staphylococcus and serum 5-HT levels was observed in co-occurrence network. Furthermore, mice that received fecal microbiota transplants from TGR5-/- mice displayed anxiety and depression -like behaviors, accompanied by alterations in 5-HT levels in the hippocampus and serum. LIMITATIONS: Study limitations for gut bacteria were analyzed at the genus level only. CONCLUSION: TGR5 deletion in mice induces anxiety and depression-like behaviors, linked to reduced 5-HT levels in serum and the hippocampus. Gut microbiota changes play a direct role in these behaviors and serotonin alterations. This implicates TGR5 and gut bacteria in mood regulation, with potential therapeutic implications.

Microbiome diversity and composition in Bemisia tabaci SSA1-SG1 whitefly are influenced by their host's life stage.

Within the Bemisia tabaci group of cryptic whitefly species, many are damaging agricultural pests and plant-virus vectors, conferring upon this group the status of one of the world's top 100 most invasive and destructive species, affecting farmers' income and threatening their livelihoods. Studies on the microbiome of whitefly life stages are scarce, although their composition and diversity greatly influence whitefly fitness and development. We used high-throughput sequencing to understand microbiome diversity in different developmental stages of the B. tabaci sub-Saharan Africa 1 (SSA1-SG1) species of the whitefly from Uganda. Endosymbionts (Portiera, Arsenophonus, Wolbachia, and Hemipteriphilus were detected but excluded from further statistical analysis as they were not influenced by life stage using Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance Using Distance Matrices (ADONIS, p = 0.925 and Bray, p = 0.903). Our results showed significant differences in the meta microbiome composition in different life stages of SSA1-SG1. The diversity was significantly higher in eggs (Shannon, p = 0.024; Simpson, p = 0.047) than that in nymphs and pupae, while the number of microbial species observed by the amplicon sequence variant (ASV) was not significant (n(ASV), p = 0.094). At the phylum and genus levels, the dominant constituents in the microbiome changed significantly during various developmental stages, with Halomonas being present in eggs, whereas Bacillus and Caldalkalibacillus were consistently found across all life stages. These findings provide the first description of differing meta microbiome diversity in the life stage of whiteflies, suggesting their putative role in whitefly development.

Dual role of birnessite on the modulation of acid production and reinforcement of interspecific electron transfer in anaerobic digestion.

Achieving efficient anaerobic digestion of highly loaded substrates is one of the most challenging problems in the field of waste resourcing. Here, the addition of birnessite (2.0 g/L) to kitchen wastewater increased the acetate and final methane yields by 40.53 and 99.18 %, respectively, while reducing the yields of propionate and butyrate by 38.17 and 48.86 %, respectively. There were two main pathways for birnessite to enhance anaerobic digestion, one of which is to act as an electron acceptor, by inducing an alteration in the ratio of reduced-state coenzyme I in the microorganism, allowing the acid production process to proceed towards deeper oxidation. Another pathway enhances the interspecific electron transfer between bacteria and archaea and improves methane yield by optimizing the metabolic relationship. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional predictions suggest that the extracellular electron transport pathway of the microorganism is enhanced with the addition of birnessite and that its intracellular metabolic pathway is biased towards the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) generation pathway. This work demonstrated that anaerobic digestion facilitation by metallic minerals was not monolithic; that is, different properties of the minerals were employed to intensify the different stages of anaerobic digestion and obtain an amplification cascade.

Fungus reduces tetracycline-resistant genes in manure treatment by predation of bacteria.

New strategies to remove antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), one of the most pressing threats to public health, are urgently needed. This study showed that the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium seeded to a composting reactor (CR) could remarkably reduce tetracycline-resistant genes (TRGs). The reduction efficiencies for the five main TRGs (i.e., tetW, tetO, tetM, tetPA, and tet(32)) increased by 8 to 100 folds compared with the control without P. chrysosporium, and this could be attributed to the decrease in the quantity of bacteria. Enumeration based on green fluorescence protein labeling further showed that P. chrysosporium became dominant in the CR. Meanwhile, the bacteria in the CR invaded the fungal cells via the cell wall defect of chlamydospore or active invasion. Most of the invasive bacteria trapped inside the fungus could not survive, resulting in bacterial death and the degradation of their TRGs by the fungal nucleases. As such, the predation of tetracycline-resistant bacteria by P. chrysosporium was mainly responsible for the enhanced removal of TRGs in the swine manure treatment. This study offers new insights into the microbial control of ARGs.

Bacterial Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Older Adults.

This article focuses on bacterial infections that commonly affect geriatric patients. The elderly population is at a higher risk of contracting bacterial infections due to weakened immune systems and comorbidities. The article explores the cause, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment options of these infections. Additionally, antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the treatment of bacterial infections. The article highlights the importance of preventing these infections through proper hygiene and wound care. This article aims to provide an understanding of bacterial infections in geriatric patients and inform health-care providers on the most effective ways to manage and prevent these infections.