Bacterial diversity of cantaloupes and soil from Arizona and California commercial fields at the point of harvest.

Across the United States, melons are a high demand crop reaching a net production of 2.7 million tons in 2020 with an economic value of $915 million dollars. The goal of this study was to characterize the bacterial diversity of cantaloupe rinds and soil from commercial melon fields at the point of harvest from two major production regions, Arizona, and California.

Bacterial community shifts of commercial apples, oranges, and peaches at different harvest points across multiple growing seasons.

Assessing the microbes present on tree fruit carpospheres as the fruit enters postharvest processing could have useful applications, as these microbes could have a major influence on spoilage, food safety, verification of packing process controls, or other aspects of processing. The goal of this study was to establish a baseline profile of bacterial communities associated with apple (pome fruit), peach (stone fruit), and Navel orange (citrus fruit) at harvest. We found that commercial peaches had the greatest bacterial richness followed by oranges then apples.

Bacterial diversity and composition on the rinds of specific melon cultivars and hybrids from across different growing regions in the United States.

The goal of this study was to characterize the bacterial diversity on different melon varieties grown in different regions of the US, and determine the influence that region, rind netting, and variety of melon has on the composition of the melon microbiome. Assessing the bacterial diversity of the microbiome on the melon rind can identify antagonistic and protagonistic bacteria for foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms to improve melon safety, prolong shelf-life, and/or improve overall plant health. Bacterial community composition of melons (n = 603) grown in seven locations over a four-year period were used for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis to identify bacterial diversity and constituents.

Impacts of lid closure during toilet flushing and of toilet bowl cleaning on viral contamination of surfaces in United States restrooms.

Background: Viral aerosols generated during toilet flushing represent a potential route of pathogen transmission. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of toilet lid closure prior to flushing on the generation of viral aerosols and cross-contamination of restroom fomites.

Methods: A surrogate for human enteric viruses (bacteriophage MS2) was added to household and public toilet bowls and flushed.

Deletion of Constitutive Androstane Receptor Led to Intestinal Alterations and Increased Imidacloprid in Murine Liver.

Imidacloprid (IMI) is the most frequently detected neonicotinoid pesticide in the environment. Despite typically low toxicity in vertebrates, IMI exposure is associated with liver and gastrointestinal toxicity. The mechanism underlying IMI toxicity in mammals is unclear.