Scientists' call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protists, are essential to life on Earth and the functioning of the biosphere. Here, we discuss the key roles of microorganisms in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting recent and emerging advances in microbial research and technology that can facilitate our transition toward a sustainable future. Given the central role of microorganisms in the biochemical processing of elements, synthesizing new materials, supporting human health, and facilitating life in managed and natural landscapes, microbial research and technologies are directly or indirectly relevant for achieving each of the SDGs.

Eight genome sequences of bacterial, environmental isolates from Canada Glacier, Antarctica.

Sediments in cryoconite holes and meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, provide both substrates and conditions that support life in an arid polar desert. Here, we report the genomic sequences of eight environmental, bacterial isolates from Canada Glacier cryoconite holes and stream. These isolates span three major phyla.

Seven genome sequences of airborne, bacterial isolates from Antarctica.

Ice-covered and remote landscapes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are likely seeded by aeolian transport of biological material from ice-free local or distant environments. Here, we report the genome sequences of seven bacteria isolated from aerosols collected on top of two dry valley glaciers.

Clothing Textiles as Carriers of Biological Ice Nucleation Active Particles.

Microplastics have littered the globe, with synthetic fibers being the largest source of atmospheric microplastics. Many atmospheric particles can act as ice nucleators, thereby affecting the microphysical and radiative properties of clouds and, hence, the radiative balance of the Earth. The present study focused on the ice-nucleating ability of fibers from clothing textiles (CTs), which are commonly shed from the normal wear of apparel items.

Seven genome sequences of bacterial, environmental isolates from Pony Lake, Antarctica.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Antarctic inland waters is unique in that its precursor molecules are microbially derived and lack the chemical signature of higher plants. Here, we report the genomic sequences of seven environmental, bacterial isolates from Pony Lake, Antarctica, to explore the genetic potential linked to DOM processing.

Monitoring biofilm growth and dispersal in real-time with impedance biosensors.

Unlabelled: Microbial biofilm contamination is a widespread problem that requires precise and prompt detection techniques to effectively control its growth. Microfabricated electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) biosensors offer promise as a tool for early biofilm detection and monitoring of elimination. This study utilized a custom flow cell system with integrated sensors to make real-time impedance measurements of biofilm growth under flow conditions, which were correlated with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) imaging.

Mitigation and use of biofilms in space for the benefit of human space exploration.

Biofilms are self-organized communities of microorganisms that are encased in an extracellular polymeric matrix and often found attached to surfaces. Biofilms are widely present on Earth, often found in diverse and sometimes extreme environments. These microbial communities have been described as recalcitrant or protective when facing adversity and environmental exposures.

Investigation of Raman Spectroscopic Signatures with Multivariate Statistics: An Approach for Cataloguing Microbial Biosignatures.

Spectroscopic instruments are increasingly being implemented in the search for extraterrestrial life. However, microstructural spectral analyses of alien environments could prove difficult without knowledge on the molecular identification of individual spectral signatures. To bridge this gap, we introduce unsupervised -means clustering as a statistical approach to discern spectral patterns of biosignatures without prior knowledge of spectral regions of biomolecules.

Low-Temperature Biosurfactants from Polar Microbes.

Surfactants, both synthetic and natural, are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Organisms from extreme environments are well-adapted to the harsh conditions and represent an exciting avenue of discovery of naturally occurring biosurfactants, yet microorganisms from cold environments have been largely overlooked for their biotechnological potential as biosurfactant producers. In this study, four cold-adapted bacterial isolates from Antarctica are investigated for their ability to produce biosurfactants.

Continuous Electroencephalographic Training for Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit Nurses: A Feasibility Study.

Background: Use of continuous electroencephalographic (cEEG) monitoring has more than doubled at our institution for the last 4 years. Although intensive care unit cEEG is reviewed remotely by board-certified epileptologists every 4 to 6 hours, there are inherent delays between occurrence, recognition, and treatment of epileptiform activity. Neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU) nurses are uniquely positioned to monitor cEEG in real time yet do not receive formal training.

CG23_2: Comparative Genome Analysis Reveals Enhanced Environmental Sensing and Transcriptional Regulation for Adaptation to Life in an Antarctic Supraglacial Stream.

As many bacteria detected in Antarctic environments are neither true psychrophiles nor endemic species, their proliferation in spite of environmental extremes gives rise to genome adaptations. sp. CG23_2 is a bacterial isolate from the Cotton Glacier stream, Antarctica.

Scientists' warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change.

In the Anthropocene, in which we now live, climate change is impacting most life on Earth. Microorganisms support the existence of all higher trophic life forms. To understand how humans and other life forms on Earth (including those we are yet to discover) can withstand anthropogenic climate change, it is vital to incorporate knowledge of the microbial 'unseen majority'.

Quorum sensing inhibition as a promising method to control biofilm growth in metalworking fluids.

Microbial contamination in metalworking systems is a critical problem. This study determined the microbial communities in metalworking fluids (MWFs) from two machining shops and investigated the effect of quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) on biofilm growth. In both operations, biofilm-associated and planktonic microbial communities were dominated by Pseudomonadales (60.

Ultrafast Excited-State Deactivation of the Bacterial Pigment Violacein.

The photophysical properties of the natural pigment violacein extracted from an Antarctic organism adapted to high exposure levels of UV radiation were measured in a combined steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic study for the first time. In the low-viscosity solvents methanol and acetone, violacein exhibits low fluorescence quantum yields on the order of 1 × 10, and femtosecond transient absorption measurements reveal excited-state lifetimes of 3.2 ± 0.

Ultrafast Excited-State Deactivation of the Bacterial Pigment Violacein.

The photophysical properties of the natural pigment violacein extracted from an Antarctic organism adapted to high exposure levels of UV radiation were measured in a combined steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic study for the first time. In the low-viscosity solvents methanol and acetone, violacein exhibits low fluorescence quantum yields on the order of 10, and femtosecond transient absorption measurements reveal excited-state lifetimes of 3.2 ± 0.

Biofilms on glacial surfaces: hotspots for biological activity.

Glaciers are important constituents in the Earth's hydrological and carbon cycles, with predicted warming leading to increases in glacial melt and the transport of nutrients to adjacent and downstream aquatic ecosystems. Microbial activity on glacial surfaces has been linked to the biological darkening of cryoconite particles, affecting albedo and increased melt. This phenomenon, however, has only been demonstrated for alpine glaciers and the Greenland Ice Sheet, excluding Antarctica.

Physical and biochemical changes in sludge upon Tubifex tubifex predation.

Worm predation (WP) on activated sludge leads to increased sludge degradation rates, irrespective of the type of worm used or reactor conditions employed. However, the cause of the increased sludge degradation rates remains unknown. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the physical and biochemical aspects of predated sludge, providing insight into the hydrolytic mechanisms underlying WP.

Planetary Protection and Mars Special Regions--A Suggestion for Updating the Definition.

We highlight the role of COSPAR and the scientific community in defining and updating the framework of planetary protection. Specifically, we focus on Mars "Special Regions," areas where strict planetary protection measures have to be applied before a spacecraft can explore them, given the existence of environmental conditions that may be conducive to terrestrial microbial growth. We outline the history of the concept of Special Regions and inform on recent developments regarding the COSPAR policy, namely, the MEPAG SR-SAG2 review and the Academies and ESF joint committee report on Mars Special Regions.

Genome Sequence of Janthinobacterium sp. CG23_2, a Violacein-Producing Isolate from an Antarctic Supraglacial Stream.

Here, we present the draft genome sequence for the violacein-producing Janthinobacterium sp. CG23_2 isolated from an Antarctic supraglacial stream. The genome is ~7.

An ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry index to estimate natural organic matter lability.

Rationale: Determining the chemical constituents of natural organic matter (NOM) by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FTICRMS) remains the ultimate measure for probing its source material, evolution, and transport; however, lability and the fate of organic matter (OM) in the environment remain controversial. FTICRMS-derived elemental compositions are presented in this study to validate a new interpretative method to determine the extent of NOM lability from various environments.

Methods: FTICRMS data collected over the last decade from the same 9.

Draft Genome Sequence of a Metabolically Diverse Antarctic Supraglacial Stream Organism, Polaromonas sp. Strain CG9_12, Determined Using Pacific Biosciences Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing Technology.

Polaromonas species are found in a diversity of environments and are particularly common in icy ecosystems. Polaromonas sp. strain CG9_12 is an aerobic, Gram-negative, catalase-positive, white-pigmented bacterium of the Proteobacteria phylum.

Draft Genome Sequence and Description of Janthinobacterium sp. Strain CG3, a Psychrotolerant Antarctic Supraglacial Stream Bacterium.

Here we present the draft genome sequence of Janthinobacterium sp. strain CG3, a psychrotolerant non-violacein-producing bacterium that was isolated from the Cotton Glacier supraglacial stream. The genome sequence of this organism will provide insight as to the mechanisms necessary for bacteria to survive in UV-stressed icy environments.

When a habitat freezes solid: microorganisms over-winter within the ice column of a coastal Antarctic lake.

A major impediment to understanding the biology of microorganisms inhabiting Antarctic environments is the logistical constraint of conducting field work primarily during the summer season. However, organisms that persist throughout the year encounter severe environmental changes between seasons. In an attempt to bridge this gap, we collected ice core samples from Pony Lake in early November 2004 when the lake was frozen solid to its base, providing an archive for the biological and chemical processes that occurred during winter freezeup.

Geographic, seasonal, and precipitation chemistry influence on the abundance and activity of biological ice nucleators in rain and snow.

Biological ice nucleators (IN) function as catalysts for freezing at relatively warm temperatures (warmer than -10 degrees C). We examined the concentration (per volume of liquid) and nature of IN in precipitation collected from Montana and Louisiana, the Alps and Pyrenees (France), Ross Island (Antarctica), and Yukon (Canada). The temperature of detectable ice-nucleating activity for more than half of the samples was > or = -5 degrees C based on immersion freezing testing.

Ubiquity of biological ice nucleators in snowfall.

Despite the integral role of ice nucleators (IN) in atmospheric processes leading to precipitation, their sources and distributions have not been well established. We examined IN in snowfall from mid- and high-latitude locations and found that the most active were biological in origin. Of the IN larger than 0.