Process Recovery after CaO Addition Due to Granule Formation in a CSTR Co-Digester-A Tool to Influence the Composition of the Microbial Community and Stabilize the Process?

The composition, structure and function of granules formed during process recovery with calcium oxide in a laboratory-scale fermenter fed with sewage sludge and rapeseed oil were studied. In the course of over-acidification and successful process recovery, only minor changes were observed in the bacterial community of the digestate, while granules appeared during recovery. Fluorescence microscopic analysis of the granules showed a close spatial relationship between calcium and oil and/or long chain fatty acids.

Effects of plant downtime on the microbial community composition in the highly saline brine of a geothermal plant in the North German Basin.

The microbial biocenosis in highly saline fluids produced from the cold well of a deep geothermal heat store located in the North German Basin was characterized during regular plant operation and immediately after plant downtime phases. Genetic fingerprinting revealed the dominance of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and fermentative Halanaerobiaceae during regular plant operation, whereas after shutdown phases, sequences of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were also detected. The detection of SOB indicated oxygen ingress into the well during the downtime phase.

Fate of the insecticidal Cry1Ab protein of GM crops in two agricultural soils as revealed by ¹⁴C-tracer studies.

Insecticidal delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis are among the most abundant recombinant proteins released by genetically modified (GM) crops into agricultural soils worldwide. However, there is still controversy about their degradation and accumulation in soils. In this study, (14)C-labelled Cry1Ab protein was applied to soil microcosms at two concentrations (14 and 50 μg g(-1) soil) to quantify the mineralization of Cry1Ab, its incorporation into the soil microbial biomass, and its persistence in two soils which strongly differed in their texture but not in silt or pH.

Exposure to silver nanoparticles induces size- and dose-dependent oxidative stress and cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma cells.

The antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have made these particles one of the most frequently utilized nanomaterials in consumer products; therefore, a comprehensive understanding of their toxicity is necessary. In particular, information about the cellular uptake and size dependence of AgNPs is insufficient. In this study, we evaluated the size-dependent effects of AgNPs by treating the human LoVo cell line, an intestinal epithelium model, with spherical AgNPs of well-defined sizes (10, 20, 40, 60 and 100nm).

Insights into the cellular response triggered by silver nanoparticles using quantitative proteomics.

The use of nanoparticles in foods, materials, and clinical treatments has increased dramatically in the past decade. Because of the possibility of human exposure to nanoparticles, there is an urgent need to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular responses that might be triggered. Such information is necessary to assess potential health risks arising from the use of nanoparticles, and for developing new formulations of next generation nanoparticles for clinical treatments.

Thermal effects on microbial composition and microbiologically induced corrosion and mineral precipitation affecting operation of a geothermal plant in a deep saline aquifer.

The microbial diversity of a deep saline aquifer used for geothermal heat storage in the North German Basin was investigated. Genetic fingerprinting analyses revealed distinct microbial communities in fluids produced from the cold and warm side of the aquifer. Direct cell counting and quantification of 16S rRNA genes and dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrA) genes by real-time PCR proved different population sizes in fluids, showing higher abundance of bacteria and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in cold fluids compared with warm fluids.

Production of the 14C-labeled insecticidal protein Cry1Ab for soil metabolic studies using a recombinant Escherichia coli in small-scale batch fermentations.

Insecticidal Cry proteins naturally produced by Bacillus thuringiensis are a major recombinant trait expressed by genetically modified crops. They are released into the soil during and after cropping. The objective of this study was to produce (14)C-labeled Cry1Ab proteins for soil metabolic studies in scope of their environmental risk assessment.

Archaeal community composition affects the function of anaerobic co-digesters in response to organic overload.

Microbial community diversity in two thermophilic laboratory-scale and three full-scale anaerobic co-digesters was analysed by genetic profiling based on PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA genes. In parallel operated laboratory reactors a stepwise increase of the organic loading rate (OLR) resulted in a decrease of methane production and an accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). However, almost threefold different OLRs were necessary to inhibit the gas production in the reactors.

Spatial heterogeneity of dechlorinating bacteria and limiting factors for in situ trichloroethene dechlorination revealed by analyses of sediment cores from a polluted field site.

Microbiological analyses of sediment samples were conducted to explore potentials and limitations for bioremediation of field sites polluted with chlorinated ethenes. Intact sediment cores, collected by direct push probing from a 35-ha contaminated area, were analyzed in horizontal layers. Cultivation-independent PCR revealed Dehalococcoides to be the most abundant 16S rRNA gene phylotype with a suspected potential for reductive dechlorination of the major contaminant trichloroethene (TCE).

Long-term field release of bioluminescent Sinorhizobium meliloti strains to assess the influence of a recA mutation on the strains' survival.

A field release experiment was carried out to study the fate of the isogenic, firefly luciferase (luc) gene-tagged Sinorhizobium meliloti strains L1 (RecA-) and L33 (RecA+) in the environment. Both strains were released at concentrations of approximately 10(6) cfu g(-1) soil in replicate and randomized field plots, which had been sown with alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The survival of both strains during the following 7 years could be subdivided into three phases: a sharp decline for more than two orders of magnitude within the first 4 months (phase I), followed by fluctuations around an average number of 10(4) cfu g(-1) soil for nearly 4 years (phase II), and a further decline to approximately 60 cfu g(-1) (phase III).