Identification of Meiothermus as the dominant genus in a storage system for spent nuclear fuel

Aims: To characterize the biofilms in an interim wet storage system (CLAB) for spent nuclear fuel. Methods and Results: Planktonic cells and biofilms were analysed with fluorescence microscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The organisms in the biofilms were filamentous, consisting of sheaths with series of rod-shaped cells in them. Planktonic cell populations ranged between 1Æ4 · 103 and 5Æ2 · 103 ml)1, correlated with the system configuration, and was inversely correlated with total organic carbon (TOC) levels. Analysis of 16S rDNA indicated that a potentially novel Meiothermus sp. was dominant in the CLAB biofilms. A Meiothermus-specific probe was designed, and statistical analysis of fluorescence in situ hybridization results confirmed that Meiothermus sp. composed up to 98% of the biofilm. The low TOC levels (2–55 lg l)1) in the system combined with elevated water temperatures (ca 36C) mimic the natural environments of Meiothermus sp. as well as the recommended conditions for isolating Meiothermus sp., thus supporting the results of the 16S rDNA analysis. Conclusions: A possibly novel Meiothermus sp. is the predominant genus found in the CLAB biofilms. Significance and Impact of the Study: TOC levels are often kept low to protect industrial systems from biofouling. However, the present study shows that, rather than protecting industrial systems against biofouling per se, maintaining low TOC levels might still result in biofilms, dominated by new, unknown bacterial species

Therapeutic applications of natural products in herbal medicines, biodiscovery programs, and biomedicine

Natural products had been one of the important sources of remedial agents for thousands of years. From the data presented in this review, the utilization of biologically active natural products in traditional medicines and drug discoveries is still alive and well. This review presents the medicinal applications of natural products in both the traditional and modern medicines and shed lights on historical connections of this two medical system as well as identifies the potential sources of natural products that have been scantily explored till date. More than 85-90 % of the world populations rely on traditional medicines that use natural products, for their primary health services. Almost 73 % of the current pharmaceutical products/drugs are derived from natural products including medicinal agents from traditional medicines. These drugs are discovered from different sources including plants, animals and microbes. While plants had been the reliable sources of anticancer and antiparasitic drugs, microbial sources especially the Streptpmyces (actinomycetes) had been known for their antibiotic and anti-infective properties. More than 80-90 % of the world’s biodiversity including plants, marine world, animals, microbes and extremophiles remain under-explored for medicinal applications and merits our attention in near future