Phylogenetic identification of marine bacteria isolated from deep-sea sediments of the eastern South Atlantic Ocean

The deep-sea environments of the South Atlantic Ocean are less studied in comparison to the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. With the aim of identifying the deep-sea bacteria in this less known ocean, 70 strains were isolated from eight sediment samples (depth range between 1905 to 5560 m) collected in the eastern part of the South Atlantic, from the equatorial region to the Cape Abyssal Plain, using three different culture media. The strains were classified into three phylogenetic groups, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, by the analysis of 16s rRNA gene sequences. Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most frequently identified groups, with Halomonas the most frequent genus among the strains. Microorganisms belonging to Firmicutes were the only ones observed in all samples. Sixteen of the 41 identified operational taxonomic units probably represent new species. The presence of potentially new species reinforces the need for new studies in the deep-sea environments of the South Atlantic. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-2-127) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Characterization of contaminating bacterial community from ethanol fermentation process and the impact on the metabolome

O processo fermentativo da Saccharomyces cerevisiae para a produção de etanol tem grande relevância para o Brasil por ser responsável por uma fonte de energia renovável que é amplamente usada na indústria automotiva. No entanto, em escalas industriais, a fermentação da levedura não ocorre em ambiente asséptico, sendo que diferentes micro-organismos contaminantes são capazes de crescer, competir por nutrientes e até mesmo interferir na fermentação da S. cerevisiae. A fim de melhor compreender quem são os micro-organismos contaminantes e o que fazem na dorna de fermentação, foi utilizado uma abordagem polifásica. O levantamento da microbiota bacteriana presente nas usinas do estado de São Paulo foi realizado através de técnicas independentes de cultivo. Posteriormente, foram realizados ensaios fermentativos com S. cerevisiae CAT-1 na presença do contaminante Lactobacillus fermentum (I-2) para a análise da interação destes na dorna de fermentação. A análise foi realizada por metabolômica acessada através da cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas (GC-MS) e, para isso, inicialmente foi estabelecida uma metodologia eficiente para análise através de GC-MS. Nas usinas, foi reportada uma porcentagem de Lactobacillus maior do que a descrita e a população bacteriana pareceu ser característica de cada usina e persistente ao longo do tempo. Já o estabelecimento da metodologia de análise de metabólitos da fermentação por GC-MS possibilitou a identificação de 261 metabólitos, e as três classes mais abundantes foram Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates (16%), Carboxylic acids and derivatives (12%) e Fatty Acyls (5%). E no ensaio de S. cerevisiae CAT-1 na presença do contaminante L. fermentum (I-2), possibilitou a identificação de 208 metabólitos, onde 50 foram diferencialmente abundantes. Além disso, a via glicolítica foi reforçada na fermentação de S. cerevisiae CAT-1, sendo que nas fermentações de S. cerevisiae (CAT-1) na presença de L. fermentum (I-2), a produção de aminoácidos a partir do glutamate pareceu ser importante. Desta forma, uma análise polifásica pode auxiliar no esclarecimento da relação dos micro-organismos contaminantes com a levedura dentro da dorna de fermentação.The fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for ethanol production has great importance to Brazil since it is responsible for the production of a renewable energy source that is widely used in the automotive industry. However, in industrial scale, the yeast fermentation does not occur in an aseptic environment, where different contaminant microorganisms are capable of growing, competing for nutrients and even interfering with the S. cerevisiae fermentation. In order to better understand who the contaminating microorganisms are and what they do in the fermenter, it was used one polyphasic approach. The survey of the bacterial microflora present in two different São Paulo state distilleries was carried out by cultivation independent techniques. Subsequently, fermentation assays were performed with S. cerevisiae CAT-1 in the presence of the contaminant Lactobacillus fermentum (I-2) to analyze the interaction of these microorganisms in the fermenter. The analysis was performed through metabolomics accessed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and, for that, initially was established an efficient methodology for fermentation metabolite analysis by GC-MS. In the distilleries, it was reported a higher percentage of Lactobacillus than ever described and bacterial population appeared to be characteristic of each distillery and persistent over time. After the establishment of fermentation metabolite analysis methodology by GC-MS, it was possible to identify 261 metabolites, and the three most abundant classes were Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates (16%), Carboxylic acids and derivatives (12%) and Fatty acyls ( 5%). In the fermentation assay of S. cerevisiae CAT-1 in the presence of the contaminant L. fermentum (I-2), it was possible to identify 208 metabolites, where 50 were differentially abundant. In addition, the glycolytic pathway was enhanced in the fermentation of S. cerevisiae CAT-1, and in fermentation of S. cerevisiae (CAT-1) in the presence of L. fermentum (I-2), the production of amino acids from glutamate appeared to be important. Thus, a polyphasic analysis can help in the understanding of the relationship between contaminating microorganisms with the yeast in the fermenter

DivulgaMicro: a Brazilian Initiative to Empower Early-Career Scientists with Science Communication Skills

Communication is fundamental in science. Among scientists, communication skills are required to write a comprehensible scientific manuscript or to prepare an attractive oral presentation. In addition, the ability to communicate successfully with the non-scientific community has been increasingly appreciated, as it represents the most effective way to promote popular scientific literacy. Nevertheless, students majoring in science-related courses are not trained specifically for these purposes, and improvement of communication skills usually rely on tips and advices given by their peers. In this context, we have launched DivulgaMicro, an initiative that aims to enhance science communication among early-career scientists in Brazil. DivulgaMicro relies on two major cornerstones: to provide online resources via a dedicated website (www.divulgamicro.com.br) and to promote onsite workshops in universities located in different macro regions of the country. In the website, people can access a collection of ludic activities designed to teach scientific concepts to general audiences, besides tips and news regarding public outreach events in Brazil. In one month after its launching, our website had 1,026 visitors from 10 different countries, besides Brazil. Regarding the workshops, six are planned to happen in 2018, with nearly 800 attendants expected. In the course, scientists are presented to best practices for scientific writing and oral presentation, as well as techniques to improve communication with the lay audience, such as the use of storytelling structure and analogies. There is a high demand for science communication resources in Brazil, which corroborates the importance of initiatives such as DivulgaMicro in our country

Opposite Sides of <i>Pantoea agglomerans</i> and Its Associated Commercial Outlook

Multifaceted microorganisms such as the bacterium Pantoea colonize a wide range of habitats and can exhibit both beneficial and harmful behaviors, which provide new insights into microbial ecology. In the agricultural context, several strains of Pantoea spp. can promote plant growth through direct or indirect mechanisms. Members of this genus contribute to plant growth mainly by increasing the supply of nitrogen, solubilizing ammonia and inorganic phosphate, and producing phytohormones (e.g., auxins). Several other studies have shown the potential of strains of Pantoea spp. to induce systemic resistance and protection against pests and pathogenic microorganisms in cultivated plants. Strains of the species Pantoea agglomerans deserve attention as a pest and phytopathogen control agent. Several of them also possess a biotechnological potential for therapeutic purposes (e.g., immunomodulators) and are implicated in human infections. Thus, the differentiation between the harmful and beneficial strains of P. agglomerans is mandatory to apply this bacterium safely as a biofertilizer or biocontroller. This review specifically evaluates the potential of the strain-associated features of P. agglomerans for bioprospecting and agricultural applications through its biological versatility as well as clarifying its potential animal and human health risks from a genomic point of view

Optimization of the Ex Situ Biomethanation of Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide in a Novel Meandering Plug Flow Reactor: Start-Up Phase and Flexible Operation

With the increasing use of renewable energy resources for the power grid, the need for long-term storage technologies, such as power-to-gas systems, is growing. Biomethanation provides the opportunity to store energy in the form of the natural gas-equivalent biomethane. This study investigates a novel plug flow reactor that employs a helical static mixer for the biological methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In tests, the reactor achieved an average methane production rate of 2.5 LCH4LR∗d (methane production [LCH4] per liter of reactor volume [LR] per day [d]) with a maximum methane content of 94%. It demonstrated good flexibilization properties, as repeated 12 h downtimes did not negatively impact the process. The genera Methanothermobacter and Methanobacterium were predominant during the initial phase, along with volatile organic acid-producing, hydrogenotrophic, and proteolytic bacteria. The average ratio of volatile organic acid to total inorganic carbon increased to 0.52 ± 0.04, while the pH remained stable at an average of pH 8.1 ± 0.25 from day 32 to 98, spanning stable and flexible operation modes. This study contributes to the development of efficient flexible biological methanation systems for sustainable energy storage and management