The effects of silver nanoparticles on the microbial nitrogen cycle: a review of the known risks.

The nitrogen cycle is an integral biogeochemical function for maintaining healthy environments. Nitrogen is a key nutrient that must be continuously replenished through recycling mechanisms to sustain ecosystems, disruption to which can result in compromised ecosystem functioning. Certain stages in the microbial conversion of nitrogen compounds are performed by a limited range of micro-organisms making these key functional species in ecosystems.

Concentration-dependent responses of soil bacterial, fungal and nitrifying communities to silver nano and micron particles.

The growing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is likely to result in increased environmental contamination. Although AgNPs have been reported to affect microbial communities in a range of ecosystems, there is still a lack of information concerning the effect of low concentrations of AgNPs on soil microbial community structures and functional groups involved in biogeochemical cycling. In this study, the concentration-dependent effects of AgNPs and silver micron particles (AgMPs) on bacterial and fungal community structures in an agricultural pastureland soil were examined in a microcosm-based experiment using enzyme analysis, molecular fingerprinting, qPCR and amplicon sequencing.

Microbial ecology of the Agaricus bisporus mushroom cropping process.

Agaricus bisporus is the most widely cultivated mushroom species in the world. Cultivation is commenced by inoculating beds of semi-pasteurised composted organic substrate with a pure spawn of A. bisporus.

Evolution of mating within the Candida parapsilosis species group.

Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis are closely related to Candida parapsilosis, a major cause of infection in premature neonates. Mating has not been observed in these species. We show that ∼190 isolates of C.