Effects of microplastics on daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro.

Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments is a growing global concern. Microplastics, defined as plastic fragments smaller than five millimetres, accumulate in freshwater reservoirs, especially in urban areas, impacting resident biota. This study examined the effects of microplastics on the performance and microbiome of Daphnia, a keystone organism in freshwater ecosystems, through both in situ sampling of freshwater ponds and a controlled 23-day in vitro exposure experiment.

Innovative vs classical methods for drying heterotrophic Chlorella vulgaris: Impact on protein quality and sensory properties.

Drying is a necessary step in the microalgae production chain to reduce microbial load and oxidative degradation of the end product. Depending on the differences in applied temperature and treatment time, the process of drying can have a substantial impact on protein quality and aroma, important characteristics determining the incorporation potential in food products. In this study, we compared the drying of heterotrophic Chorella vulgaris with both innovative (agitated thin film drying (ATFD), pulse combustion drying (PCD) and solar drying (SolD)) and commonly used drying techniques (spray drying (SprD) and freeze drying (FD)).

Microalgae harvesting using flocculation and dissolved air flotation: Selecting the right vessel for lab-scale experiments.

Flocculation combined with dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a promising technology for harvesting microalgae; therefore, optimisation of flocculant-DAF operating conditions are frequently explored in laboratory experiments. DAF systems have jars of differing volumes, height to diameter ratios, shapes and materials used to manufacture the jars; thus, the harvesting efficiency (η) may differ between these jars. The aim was to systematically compare η between different types of benchtop DAF jars.

Microalgae.

Microalgae, in the strictest definition, are eukaryotic, unicellular microorganisms that are photosynthetic and typically have an aquatic lifestyle. Despite the fact that cyanobacteria (or 'blue-green algae') are prokaryotic, and are therefore not true algae, we have included them in this overview because they have a similar physiology and ecology to eukaryotic microalgae, and share many biotechnological applications. In this Primer, we discuss the diversity of microalgae, their evolutionary origin and ecological importance, the role they have played in human affairs so far, and how they can help to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable society.

Remote System for Daily Symptom Monitoring During Systemic Anticancer Treatment: Patient Acceptance, Usability, and Compliance.

Background: Electronic systems for remotely monitoring symptoms during cancer treatment are increasingly being used. Most of them are intended for weekly or periodic symptom monitoring.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and usability of a remote system for daily symptom monitoring during systemic anticancer treatment.