Temporal distribution of microbial community in an industrial wastewater treatment system following crash and during recovery periods.

Water and soil contamination by industrial wastes is a global concern. Biological treatment of industrial wastewater using bioreactors allows the removal of organic matter and nutrients and enables either reuse or safe discharge. Wastewater bioremediation depends in part on the microbial communities present in the bioreactor.

Effect of proteases on biofilm formation of the plastic-degrading actinomycete Rhodococcus ruber C208.

In most habitats, the vast majority of microbial populations form biofilms on solid surfaces, whether natural or artificial. These biofilms provide either increased physical support and/or a source of nutrients. Further modifications and development of biofilms are regulated by signal molecules secreted by the cells.

Antibacterial activity of Pseudoalteromonas in the coral holobiont.

Corals harbor diverse and abundant prokaryotic populations. Bacterial communities residing in the coral mucus layer may be either pathogenic or symbiotic. Some species may produce antibiotics as a method of controlling populations of competing microbial species.

Geographic specific coral-associated ammonia-oxidizing archaea in the northern Gulf of Eilat (Red Sea).

Coral holobionts are densely populated with microorganisms that are essential for their well-being. Here we compared the diversity of the archaeal ammonia monooxygenase alpha subunit (amoA) gene from three coral genera, Acanthastrea sp., Favia sp.

New perspectives in plastic biodegradation.

During the past 50 years new plastic materials, in various applications, have gradually replaced the traditional metal, wood, leather materials. Ironically, the most preferred property of plastics--durability--exerts also the major environmental threat. Recycling has practically failed to provide a safe solution for disposal of plastic waste (only 5% out of 1 trillion plastic bags, annually produced in the US alone, are being recycled).

Stramenopile microorganisms associated with the massive coral Favia sp.

The surfaces of massive corals of the genus Favia from Eilat, Red Sea, and from Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, are covered by a layer of eukaryotic microorganisms. These microorganisms are embedded in the coral mucus and tissue. In the Gulf of Eilat, the prevalence of corals covered by patches of eukaryotic microorganisms was positively correlated with a decrease in water temperatures (from 25-28 degrees C in the summer to 20-23 degrees C in winter).

Conditioning film and initial biofilm formation on electrochemical CaCO3 deposition on a metallic net in the marine environment.

Electrochemical deposition of minerals is a unique technology for artificial reef constructions, relying on calcium carbonate (CaCO3) build-up over metallic structures through electrolysis of seawater. The present study traces the first 72 h following electric current termination on bacterial biofilm build-up on a metallic net covered with CaCO3. 16S rRNA clone libraries indicated a dynamic succession.

Shewanella corallii sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from a Red Sea coral.

A marine bacterial strain, designated fav-2-10-05(T), was isolated from the mucus layer of a coral of the genus Favia, collected from the coral reef in the Gulf of Eilat, Israel (29.5 ° N 34.9 ° E).

Global distribution and diversity of coral-associated Archaea and their possible role in the coral holobiont nitrogen cycle.

Diversity, distribution and genetic comparison of Archaea associated with the surface mucus of corals from three genera, namely Acanthastrea sp., Favia sp. and Fungia sp.

Biofilm formation and partial biodegradation of polystyrene by the actinomycete Rhodococcus ruber: biodegradation of polystyrene.

Polystyrene, which is one of the most utilized thermoplastics, is highly durable and is considered to be non-biodegradable. Hence, polystyrene waste accumulates in the environment posing an increasing ecological threat. In a previous study we have isolated a biofilm-producing strain (C208) of the actinomycete Rhodococcus ruber that degraded polyethylene films.

Biofilm production by clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from patients hospitalized in two tertiary care hospitals.

Microbial biofilms are considered as virulence factors. During the present study, 34 clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, isolated from patients hospitalized in two tertiary care hospitals, were examined for biofilm formation. These strains showed high variability in biofilm formation.

The effect of silica fume on biodegradation of cement paste and its capacity to immobilize strontium during exposure to microbial sulfur oxidation.

The disposal of low-level radioactive waste containing isotopes such as strontium by immobilization in cement paste has become common practice. However, the stability of cement paste in the environment may be impaired by sulfuric acid produced by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Since biodegradation rates in the environment of most radioactive waste burial sites are too low to be measured, determination of the degradation kinetics of cement paste is a difficult task.

The role of indigenous bacterial and fungal soil populations in the biodegradation of crude oil in a desert soil.

The biodegradation capacity of indigenous microbial populations was examined in a desert soil contaminated with crude oil. To evaluate biodegradation, soil samples supplemented with 5, 10 or 20% (w/w) of crude oil were incubated for 90 days at 30 degrees C. The effect of augmentation of the soil with vermiculite (50% v/v) as a bulking agent providing increased surface/volume ratio and improved soil aeration was also tested.

Accelerated biodegradation of cement by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria as a bioassay for evaluating immobilization of low-level radioactive waste.

Disposal of low-level radioactive waste by immobilization in cement is being evaluated worldwide. The stability of cement in the environment may be impaired by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that corrode the cement by producing sulfuric acid. Since this process is so slow that it is not possible to perform studies of the degradation kinetics and to test cement mixtures with increased durability, procedures that accelerate the biodegradation are required.

Stable chloroplast transformation of the unicellular red alga Porphyridium species.

Red algae are extremely attractive for biotechnology because they synthesize accessory photosynthetic pigments (phycobilins and carotenoids), unsaturated fatty acids, and unique cell wall sulfated polysaccharides. We report a high-efficiency chloroplast transformation system for the unicellular red microalga Porphyridium sp. This is the first genetic transformation system for Rhodophytes and is based on use of a mutant form of the gene encoding acetohydroxyacid synthase [AHAS(W492S)] as a dominant selectable marker.