Ultraviolet-Resistant Bacterial Spores

A document summarizes a study in which it was found that spores of the SAFR-032 strain of Bacillus pumilus can survive doses of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, radiation, and hydrogen peroxide in proportions much greater than those of other bacteria. The study was part of a continuing effort to understand the survivability of bacteria under harsh conditions and develop means of sterilizing spacecraft to prevent biocontamination of Mars that could interfere with the search for life there

A systematic literature review of augmented reality applications in libraries

The Augmented Reality (AR) has existed for over five decades, but the growth and progress in the past few years has been exponentially increased and are getting more popular in recent years. Despite the importance and rapid growth of AR applications in a variety of fields, AR applications is not well known in a library setting. This paper aims to provide a systematic literature review (SLR) method to collect and review studies following a predefined procedure on AR application in a library setting. The review studies includes filtering relevant information of AR application from five databases to answer research questions. A total of 23 primary studies published between 2009 to 2017 were used in the analysis. Results from SLR shows that the most common categories of AR applications used in the libraries setting is reading materials and navigational

Deep-sea oil plume enriches psychrophilic oil-degrading bacteria

The biological effects and expected fate of the vast amount of oil in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon blowout are unknown owing to the depth and magnitude of this event. Here, we report that the dispersed hydrocarbon plume stimulated deep-sea indigenous {gamma}-Proteobacteria that are closely related to known petroleum degraders. Hydrocarbon-degrading genes coincided with the concentration of various oil contaminants. Changes in hydrocarbon composition with distance from the source and incubation experiments with environmental isolates demonstrated faster-than-expected hydrocarbon biodegradation rates at 5 C. Based on these results, the potential exists for intrinsic bioremediation of the oil plume in the deep-water column without substantial oxygen drawdown

PCR Amplification-Independent Methods for Detection of Microbial Communities by the High-Density Microarray PhyloChip ▿ † ‡

Environmental microbial community analysis typically involves amplification by PCR, despite well-documented biases. We have developed two methods of PCR-independent microbial community analysis using the high-density microarray PhyloChip: direct hybridization of 16S rRNA (dirRNA) or rRNA converted to double-stranded cDNA (dscDNA). We compared dirRNA and dscDNA communities to PCR-amplified DNA communities using a mock community of eight taxa, as well as experiments derived from three environmental sample types: chromium-contaminated aquifer groundwater, tropical forest soil, and secondary sewage in seawater. Community profiles by both direct hybridization methods showed differences that were expected based on accompanying data but that were missing in PCR-amplified communities. Taxon richness decreased in RNA compared to that in DNA communities, suggesting a subset of 20% in soil and 60% in groundwater that is active; secondary sewage showed no difference between active and inactive populations. Direct hybridization of dscDNA and RNA is thus a viable alternative to PCR-amplified microbial community analysis, providing identification of the active populations within microbial communities that attenuate pollutants, drive global biogeochemical cycles, or proliferate disease states