The evolution of function: a new method to assess the phylogenetic value of ribosomal sensitivity to antibiotics

Thirty-five archaeal, bacterial and eukaryotic translational systems have been proved against forty different protein synthesis inhibitors with diverse domain and functional specificities. The inhibition curves generated in every ribosome-antibiotic combination had previously shown interesting similarities among organisms belonging to the same phylogenetic group. This opened the possibility of using such functional information for developing evolutionary studies. A new mathematical method based on the main data components analysis has been developed to extract most of the information contained in the inhibition curves. The phenograms obtained closely resemble those generated by the small ribosomal subunit rRNA sequence comparison and such functional clustering is also congruent when a particular subset of organisms and/or antibiotics is used. These results prove the phylogenetic value of our functional analysis and suggest that the ribosome represents an interesting intersection between genotypic and phenotypic (functional) information stored in organisms

Dark biosphere: just at the very tip of the iceberg

Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Grant/Award Numbers: PID2019-104812GB-I00, TED2021-129563B-I0

Purification and biological characterization of halocin H1 from Haloferax mediterranei M2a

The production of halocins, bacteriocin-like proteins of ecological significance, is a frequent characteristic of species from the family Halobacteriaceae. Halocin H1, produced by Haloferax mediterranei strain M2a, is a single 31-kDa polypeptide. Its purification was achieved by combining two chromatographic systems: Sepharose 4B linked to bacitracin followed by hydroxylapatite Bio-gel HTP. Halocin H1 required concentrations of NaCl higher than 1.5 M to maintain its activity. Haoarchaeal strains showed a differential degree of sensitivity to the action of this halocin

Taxonomic and functional analyses of intact microbial communities thriving in extreme, astrobiology-relevant, anoxic sites

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAMBackground: Extreme terrestrial, analogue environments are widely used models to study the limits of life and to infer habitability of extraterrestrial settings. In contrast to Earth’s ecosystems, potential extraterrestrial biotopes are usually characterized by a lack of oxygen. Methods: In the MASE project (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration), we selected representative anoxic analogue environments (permafrost, salt-mine, acidic lake and river, sulfur springs) for the comprehensive analysis of their microbial communities. We assessed the microbiome profile of intact cells by propidium monoazide-based amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing, supplemented with an extensive cultivation effort. Results: The information retrieved from microbiome analyses on the intact microbial community thriving in the MASE sites, together with the isolation of 31 model microorganisms and successful binning of 15 high-quality genomes allowed us to observe principle pathways, which pinpoint specific microbial functions in the MASE sites compared to moderate environments. The microorganisms were characterized by an impressive machinery to withstand physical and chemical pressures. All levels of our analyses revealed the strong and omnipresent dependency of the microbial communities on complex organic matter. Moreover, we identified an extremotolerant cosmopolitan group of 34 poly-extremophiles thriving in all sites. Conclusions: Our results reveal the presence of a core microbiome and microbial taxonomic similarities between saline and acidic anoxic environments. Our work further emphasizes the importance of the environmental, terrestrial parameters for the functionality of a microbial community, but also reveals a high proportion of living microorganisms in extreme environments with a high adaptation potential within habitability borders. Keywords: Extreme environments, Microbiomes, Archaea, Bacteria, Propidium monoazide, Astrobiology, Spaceanalogue, Extremophiles, Extraterrestrial life, Metagenomic

Amplificadores criogénicos de bajo ruido para aplicaciones radioastronómicas y espaciales

Desde finales del siglo pasado una de las propuestas para la actualización de las grandes infraestructuras radioastronómicas es la de ampliar el campo de visión de las antenas instalando receptores multipixel. La idea fundamental detrás de este tipo de desarrollos es la de sustituir el receptor único típicamente instalado en el plano focal de estos instrumentos por una matriz bidimensional de receptores, implementando lo que habitualmente se conoce como una matriz en plano focal (Focal Plane Array, FPA). Este tipo de sistemas requiere simplificar la cadena de detección de cada uno de los pixeles para aprovechar al máximo el espacio disponible dentro del criostato que alberga los componentes críticos de los receptores. Esto implica modificar las distintas etapas involucradas incluso a expensas de asumir un determinado sacrificio en sensibilidad. En este contexto, uno de los elementos críticos para los receptores de radioastronomía son los amplificadores de bajo ruido (Low Noise Amplifiers, LNAs) criogénicos cuya contribución en ruido es muy significativa debido a su posición al principio de la cadena de detección. La fabricación de amplificadores criogénicos requiere no solo conocer el comportamiento eléctrico de los componentes, sino también una adecuada comprensión de las características térmicas de los materiales utilizados a la temperatura de trabajo y, por supuesto, la capacidad de llevar a cabo una correcta caracterización de su comportamiento con el fin de evaluar críticamente sus prestaciones. El trabajo presentado gira en torno a distintos aspectos del desarrollo experimental de amplificadores de bajo ruido criogénicos. Concretamente se ha llevado a cabo la caracterización térmica de uno de los adhesivos conductores más utilizados en la fabricación de dispositivos electrónicos diseñados para funcionar a temperatura criogénica. Se ha desarrollado un prototipo de LNA específicamente diseñado para cumplir con las restricciones más importantes de los sistemas multipixel. Y se ha implementado una novedosa fuente de ruido basada en un chip para la medida precisa de ruido a temperaturas criogénicas. A continuación se procede a describir de forma más detallada cada una de estas aportaciones..

Diseño de un amplificador de bajo ruido criogénico para aplicaciones radioastronómicas (Design of a cryogenic low noise amplifier for radio astronomy applications)

En el campo de la radioastronomía los amplificadores de bajo ruido (LNA, Low Noise Amplifier) constituyen la etapa encargada de aportar a las señales detectadas la potencia necesaria para que puedan ser adecuadamente manejadas en etapas posteriores. Se describe el proceso de diseño, fabricación y caracterización de un LNA que ha de funcionar enfriado criogénicamente. El marco de aplicación del sistema es la fabricación de una cadena de detección de prueba compacta, encaminada a experimentar con la tecnología que permita el futuro desarrollo de un detector bidimensional multipixel para aplicaciones radioastronómicas. El trabajo desarrollado se enmarca dentro del proyecto AMSTAR+ (Radionet-FP7) financiado por la Unión Europea, y ha sido realizado íntegramente en el prestigioso Centro Astronómico de Yebes (CAY) situado en la localidad de Yebes (Guadalajara, Castilla la Mancha). [ABSTRACT] In the field of radio astronomy, low noise amplifiers (LNA) are the stages which provide power to the detected signals so these can be adequately managed by subsequent stages. The process of design, construction and measurement of a cryogenic LNA is described. The application framework for this design is the development of a test detection chain that can be used to experiment with the technology that will allow development of a bi-dimensional multipixel detector for radio astronomy purposes. This work has been developed within the framework of the AMSTAR+ project (Radionet-FP7) financed by the European Union and been carried out entirely at the prestigious Yebes Astronomy Center (CAY, Centro Astronómico de Yebes) located in Yebes (Guadalajara, Castilla la Mancha,Spain)

Biodegradation of choline NTF2 by Pantoea agglomerans in different osmolarity. Characterization and environmental implications of the produced exopolysaccharide

A specific microorganism, Pantoea agglomerans uam8, was isolated from the ionic liquid (IL) Choline NTF2 and identified by molecular biology. A biodegradation study was performed at osmolarity conditions (0.2, 0.6, 1.0 M). These had an important influence on the growth of the strain, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and biodegradation (1303 mg/L max production and 80% biodegradation at 0.6 M). These conditions also had an important influence on the morphology of the strain and its EPSs, but not in the chemical composition. The EPS (glucose, mannose and galactose (6:0.5:2)) produced at 0.6 M was further characterized using different techniques. The obtained EPSs presented important differences in the behavior of the emulsifying activity for vegetable oils (olive (86%), sunflower (56%) and coconut (90%)) and hydrocarbons (diesel (62%), hexane (60%)), and were compared with commercial emulsifiers. The EPS produced at 0.6 M had the highest emulsifying activity overall. This EPS did not show cytotoxicity against the tested cell line (<20%) and presented great advantages as an antioxidant (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH) (85%), hydroxyl radical (OH) (99%), superoxide anion (O2−) (94%), chelator (54%), and antimicrobial product (15 mm). The osmolarity conditions directly affected the capacity of the strain to biodegrade IL and the subsequently produced EPS. Furthermore, the EPS produced at 0.6 M has potential for environmental applications, such as the removal of hazardous materials by emulsification, whilst resulting in positive health effects such as antioxidant activity and non-toxicityThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for financial support (project PID2022-136607NB-I00) and FUAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain (project number 820053