Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Surface Chemotaxonomy: Combining Bacteria Extracellular Matrices and Machine Learning for Rapid and Universal Species Identification.

Rapid, universal, and accurate identification of bacteria in their natural states is necessary for on-site environmental monitoring and fundamental microbial research. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy emerges as an attractive tool due to its molecule-specific spectral fingerprinting and multiplexing capabilities, as well as portability and speed of readout. Here, we develop a SERS-based surface chemotaxonomy that uses bacterial extracellular matrices (ECMs) as proxy biosignatures to hierarchically classify bacteria based on their shared surface biochemical characteristics to eventually identify six distinct bacterial species at >98% classification accuracy.

Vertical stratification of the air microbiome in the lower troposphere.

The troposphere constitutes the final frontier of global ecosystem research due to technical challenges arising from its size, low biomass, and gaseous state. Using a vertical testing array comprising a meteorological tower and a research aircraft, we conducted synchronized measurements of meteorological parameters and airborne biomass ( = 480) in the vertical air column up to 3,500 m. The taxonomic analysis of metagenomic data revealed differing patterns of airborne microbial community composition with respect to time of day and height above ground.

Complete Genome Sequence of Penicillium oxalicum Strain SGAir0226 Isolated from Outdoor Tropical Air in Singapore.

Penicillium oxalicum strain SGAir0226 was isolated from a tropical air sample collected in Singapore. The complete genome was assembled from long reads obtained from single-molecule real-time sequencing and was further polished and error corrected using short read sequencing data. The assembly comprises 20 contigs with a total length of 30.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Aspergillus terreus Species Complex.

Aspergillus terreus species complex is an opportunistic fungal pathogen increasingly implicated in invasive infection, as well as chronic respiratory disease. Currently, an understanding of A. terreus pathogenicity is impeded by a limited number of whole-genome sequences of this fungal pathogen.

Complete Genome Sequence of sp. Strain SGAir0479, Isolated from Indoor Air Collected in Singapore.

The complete genome sequence of sp. strain SGAir0479 is presented here. This organism was isolated from an air sample collected in an indoor location in Singapore.

Complete Genome Sequence of Enterococcus faecalis Strain SGAir0397, Isolated from a Tropical Air Sample Collected in Singapore.

strain SGAir0397 was isolated from a tropical air sample collected in Singapore. Its genome was assembled using single-molecule real-time sequencing data and comprises one circular chromosome with a length of 2.69 Mbp.

Complete Genome Sequence of Brevundimonas sp. Strain SGAir0440, Isolated from Indoor Air in Singapore.

sp. strain SGAir0440 was isolated from indoor air samples collected in Singapore. Its genome was assembled using single-molecule real-time sequencing data, resulting in one circular chromosome with a length of 3.