Unveiling the Bioleaching Versatility of .

is a Gram-negative bacterium that thrives in extreme acidic conditions. It has emerged as a key player in biomining and bioleaching technologies thanks to its unique ability to mobilize a wide spectrum of elements, such as Li, P, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Mo, W, Pb, U, and its role in ferrous iron oxidation and reduction. catalyzes the extraction of elements by generating iron (III) ions in oxic conditions, which are able to react with metal sulfides.

Subsurface microbial community structure shifts along the geological features of the Central American Volcanic Arc.

Subduction of the Cocos and Nazca oceanic plates beneath the Caribbean plate drives the upward movement of deep fluids enriched in carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron along the Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA). These compounds fuel diverse subsurface microbial communities that in turn alter the distribution, redox state, and isotopic composition of these compounds. Microbial community structure and functions vary according to deep fluid delivery across the arc, but less is known about how microbial communities differ along the axis of a convergent margin as geological features (e.

Standard operating procedure for the analysis of major ions in hydrothermal fluids by ion chromatography.

This standard operating procedure (SOP) describes an ion chromatography (IC) procedure for the major cations and anions in hydrothermal fluids. Hydrothermal fluids are aqueous solutions with a wide range of temperature, salinity, pH and ion species that can be used by microbial metabolism as electron donors and electron acceptors. Due to the high variability of the environmental physical-chemical parameters in these samples, we have developed this protocol taking into account the special features of the matrices analyzed.

Standard Operating Procedure for the determination of trace elements in hydrothermal fluids by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

This standard operating procedure (SOP) validates an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) procedure for the determination of trace elements in hydrothermal fluids. Hydrothermal fluids are aqueous solutions with a wide range of temperature, salinity, pH and trace elements that can be used by a set of microbial proteins containing redox-sensitive transition metals as their catalytic core. Due to the high variability of these samples, we have developed this protocol taking into account the special features of the matrices analyzed.

Shark Microbiome Analysis Demonstrates Unique Microbial Communities in Two Distinct Mediterranean Sea Shark Species.

Our knowledge regarding the role of the microbiome in fish health has been steadily increasing in the last decade, especially for species of commercial interest. Conversely, relatively few studies focus on the microbiomes of wild fish, especially apex predators like sharks, due to lower economic interest and greater difficulty in obtaining samples. Studies investigating microbiome differences between diverse anatomical locations of sharks are limited, and the majority of the available studies are focused on the microbial diversity present on shark teeth, with the aim of preventing infections due to bites of these animals or evaluating the presence of certain pathogens in healthy or diseased specimens.

Reviewing the state of biosensors and lab-on-a- chip technologies: opportunities for extreme environments and space exploration.

The space race is entering a new era of exploration, in which the number of robotic and human missions to various places in our solar system is rapidly increasing. Despite the recent advances in propulsion and life support technologies, there is a growing need to perform analytical measurements and laboratory experiments across diverse domains of science, while keeping low payload requirements. In this context, lab-on-a-chip nanobiosensors appear to be an emerging technology capable of revolutionizing space exploration, given their low footprint, high accuracy, and low payload requirements.

Mapping the microbial diversity associated with different geochemical regimes in the shallow-water hydrothermal vents of the Aeolian archipelago, Italy.

Shallow-water hydrothermal vents are unique marine environments ubiquitous along the coast of volcanically active regions of the planet. In contrast to their deep-sea counterparts, primary production at shallow-water vents relies on both photoautotrophy and chemoautotrophy. Such processes are supported by a range of geochemical regimes driven by different geological settings.

Complex organic matter degradation by secondary consumers in chemolithoautotrophy-based subsurface geothermal ecosystems.

Microbial communities in terrestrial geothermal systems often contain chemolithoautotrophs with well-characterized distributions and metabolic capabilities. However, the extent to which organic matter produced by these chemolithoautotrophs supports heterotrophs remains largely unknown. Here we compared the abundance and activity of peptidases and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) that are predicted to be extracellular identified in metagenomic assemblies from 63 springs in the Central American and the Andean convergent margin (Argentinian backarc of the Central Volcanic Zone), as well as the plume-influenced spreading center in Iceland.

Oxidoreductases and metal cofactors in the functioning of the earth.

Life sustains itself using energy generated by thermodynamic disequilibria, commonly existing as redox disequilibria. Metals are significant players in controlling redox reactions, as they are essential components of the engine that life uses to tap into the thermodynamic disequilibria necessary for metabolism. The number of proteins that evolved to catalyze redox reactions is extraordinary, as is the diversification level of metal cofactors and catalytic domain structures involved.

Surface Bacterioplankton Community Structure Crossing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current Fronts.

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is the major current in the Southern Ocean, isolating the warm stratified subtropical waters from the more homogeneous cold polar waters. The ACC flows from west to east around Antarctica and generates an overturning circulation by fostering deep-cold water upwelling and the formation of new water masses, thus affecting the Earth's heat balance and the global distribution of carbon. The ACC is characterized by several water mass boundaries or fronts, known as the Subtropical Front (STF), Subantarctic Front (SAF), Polar Front (PF), and South Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front (SACCF), identified by typical physical and chemical properties.

From Sequences to Enzymes: Heterologous Expression of Genes from Marine Microbes.

Heterologous expression is an easy and broadly applicable experimental approach widely used to investigate protein functions without the need to genetically manipulate the original host. The approach is used to obtain large quantities of the desired protein, which can be further analyzed from a biochemical, structural, and functional perspective. The expression system consists of three main components: (1) a foreign DNA sequence coding for the protein of interest; (2) a suitable expression vector; (3) a suitable host (bacterial, yeast, or mammalian cells) which does not encode or express the protein of interest.

From Sequences to Enzymes: Comparative Genomics to Study Evolutionarily Conserved Protein Functions in Marine Microbes.

Comparative genomics is a research field that allows comparison between genomes of different life forms providing information on the organization of the compared genomes, both in terms of structure and encoded functions. Moreover, this approach provides a powerful tool to study and understand the evolutionary changes and adaptation among organisms. Comparative genomics can be used to compare phylogenetically close marine organisms showing different vital strategies and lifestyles and obtain information regarding specific adaptations and/or their evolutionary history.

Bacterioplankton Diversity and Distribution in Relation to Phytoplankton Community Structure in the Ross Sea Surface Waters.

Primary productivity in the Ross Sea region is characterized by intense phytoplankton blooms whose temporal and spatial distribution are driven by changes in environmental conditions as well as interactions with the bacterioplankton community. However, the number of studies reporting the simultaneous diversity of the phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in Antarctic waters are limited. Here, we report data on the bacterial diversity in relation to phytoplankton community structure in the surface waters of the Ross Sea during the Austral summer 2017.

Genomic and Physiological Characterization of Bacilli Isolated From Salt-Pans With Plant Growth Promoting Features.

Massive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been the main strategy used to cope with the rising crop demands in the last decades. The indiscriminate use of chemicals while providing a temporary solution to food demand has led to a decrease in crop productivity and an increase in the environmental impact of modern agriculture. A sustainable alternative to the use of agrochemicals is the use of microorganisms naturally capable of enhancing plant growth and protecting crops from pests known as Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB).

Direct and indirect control of Lrp on LEE pathogenicity genes of Citrobacter rodentium.

Citrobacter rodentium is a mouse pathogen that, because of its similarities with human enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) strains of Escherichia coli is widely used as a model system for in vivo and in vitro studies. Similarly to EPEC and EHEC, C. rodentium carries the LEE (locus of enterocyte effacement) pathogenicity island, encoding virulence factors essential for causing transmissible colonic hyperplasia in mice by attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions.

Transcriptional analysis of the recA gene of Streptococcus thermophilus.

Background: RecA is a highly conserved prokaryotic protein that not only plays several important roles connected to DNA metabolism but also affects the cell response to various stress conditions. While RecA is highly conserved, the mechanism of transcriptional regulation of its structural gene is less conserved. In Escherichia coli the LexA protein acts as a recA repressor and is able, in response to DNA damage, of RecA-promoted self-cleavage, thus allowing recA transcription.