From advisors to mentors: fostering supportive mentorship in academia.

A supportive mentorship has long-lasting effects on shaping students' personal and professional development. Here, we outline important aspects of mentoring and indicators of good mentors, focusing on effective mutualistic interaction. We believe that traditional academic advice should be expanded to include supportive group mentoring to foster future top scientific talent.

Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases in Animals.

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are a class of cytosolic enzymes that synthesize a range of bio-active secondary metabolites including antibiotics and siderophores. They are widespread among both prokaryotes and eukaryotes but are considered rare among animals. Recently, several novel NRPS genes have been described in nematodes, schistosomes, and arthropods, which led us to investigate how prevalent NRPS genes are in the animal kingdom.

Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles retarded fetal growth and triggered metabolic disorders of placenta and fetus in mice.

Microplastics can enter the human body via direct body contact or the food chain, increasing the likelihood of adverse impacts on pregnancy and fetal development. We investigated the potential effects and modes of action of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) in placenta and fetus using mice as a model species. Maternal PS-NP exposure (100 nm; 1 and 10 mg/L) via drinking water induced a significant decline in fetal weights at the higher exposure concentration.

A Functional Carbohydrate Degrading Enzyme Potentially Acquired by Horizontal Gene Transfer in the Genome of the Soil Invertebrate .

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is defined as the acquisition by an organism of hereditary material from a phylogenetically unrelated organism. This process is mostly observed among bacteria and archaea, and considered less likely between microbes and multicellular eukaryotes. However, recent studies provide compelling evidence of the evolutionary importance of HGT in eukaryotes, driving functional innovation.

Molecular mechanisms of zinc toxicity in the potworm Enchytraeus crypticus, analysed by high-throughput gene expression profiling.

Zinc (Zn) is known to be relatively toxic to some soil-living invertebrates including the ecologically important enchytraeid worms. To reveal the molecular mechanisms of zinc toxicity we assessed the gene expression profile of Enchytraeus crypticus (Enchytraeidae), exposed to the reproduction effect concentrations EC and EC, over 4 consecutive days, using a high-throughput microarray (species customized). Three main mechanisms of toxicity to Zn were observed: 1) Zn trafficking (upregulation of zinc transporters, a defence response to regulate the cellular zinc level), 2) oxidative stress (variety of defence mechanisms, triggered by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)), and 3) effects on the nervous system (possibly the primary lesion explaining the avoidance behaviour and also why enchytraeids are relatively susceptible to Zn).

Bringing ecology into toxicology: Life-cycle toxicity of two neonicotinoids to four different species of springtails in LUFA 2.2 natural soil.

Collembolans comprise one of the most abundant groups of soil invertebrates within the arthropods. The parthenogenetic species Folsomia candida (Willem, 1902) is the most well-studied representative, being used since the beginning of the 1960s as a model organism for assessing toxicity of chemicals in soil. In this paper we aimed at answering three questions by exposing four different species of springtails (F.

Avoidance tests with the oribatid mite Oppia nitens (Acari: Oribatida) in cadmium-spiked natural soils.

Avoidance behavior can be a useful parameter for assessing the ability of organisms to escape from pollutants in their environment. For soil evaluation, a variety of invertebrates is used including the oribatid mite Oppia nitens. Here, we tested the avoidance behavior of O.

Species-specific transcriptomic responses in Daphnia magna exposed to a bio-plastic production intermediate.

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a plant-based chemical building block that could potentially substitute petroleum-based equivalents, yet ecotoxicological data of this compound is currently limited. In this study, the effects of HMF on the reproduction and survival of Daphnia magna were assessed through validated ecotoxicological tests. The mechanism of toxicity was determined by analysis of transcriptomic responses induced by exposure to different concentrations of HMF using RNA sequencing.

Antimicrobial activity and carbohydrate metabolism in the bacterial metagenome of the soil-living invertebrate Folsomia candida.

The microbiome associated with an animal's gut and other organs is considered an integral part of its ecological functions and adaptive capacity. To better understand how microbial communities influence activities and capacities of the host, we need more information on the functions that are encoded in a microbiome. Until now, the information about soil invertebrate microbiomes is mostly based on taxonomic characterization, achieved through culturing and amplicon sequencing.

Fate and effects of two pesticide formulations in the invertebrate Folsomia candida using a natural agricultural soil.

Degradation rates of two widely used pesticides were assessed, and acute and chronic effects on a standard invertebrate species investigated. An herbicide (Montana®) and fungicide (Bravo500®) formulations were investigated and results were compared to the isolated active substances of each formulation (glyphosate and chlorothalonil, respectively). Tests were performed using the invertebrate Folsomia candida as test species and an agricultural natural soil.

From laboratory to the field: Validating molecular markers of effect in Folsomia candida exposed to a fungicide-based formulation.

Under controlled laboratory conditions, toxicity data tend to be less variable than in more realistic in-field studies and responses may thus differ from those in the natural environment, creating uncertainty. The validation of data under environmental conditions is therefore a major asset in environmental risk assessment of chemicals. The present study aimed to validate the mode of action of a commercial fungicide formulation in the soil invertebrate F.

Using time-lapse omics correlations to integrate toxicological pathways of a formulated fungicide in a soil invertebrate.

The use of an integrative molecular approach can actively improve the evaluation of environmental health status and impact of chemicals, providing the knowledge to develop sentinel tools that can be integrated in risk assessment studies, since gene and protein expressions represent the first response barriers to anthropogenic stress. This work aimed to determine the mechanisms of toxic action of a widely applied fungicide formulation (chlorothalonil), following a time series approach and using a soil model arthropod, Folsomia candida. To link effects at different levels of biological organization, data were collected on reproduction, gene expression and protein levels, in a time series during exposure to a natural soil.

Toward harmonizing ecotoxicity characterization in life cycle impact assessment.

Ecosystem quality is an important area of protection in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). Chemical pollution has adverse impacts on ecosystems on a global scale. To improve methods for assessing ecosystem impacts, the Life Cycle Initiative hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme established a task force to evaluate the state-of-the-science in modeling chemical exposure of organisms and the resulting ecotoxicological effects for use in LCIA.

An integrative omics approach to unravel toxicity mechanisms of environmental chemicals: effects of a formulated herbicide.

The use of integrative molecular approaches can aid in a comprehensive understanding of the effects of toxicants at different levels of biological organization, also supporting risk assessment. The present study aims to unravel the toxicity mechanisms of a widely used herbicide to the arthropod Folsomia candida exposed in a natural soil, by linking effects on reproduction, proteomics and genome-wide gene expression. The EC50 effects on reproduction over 4 weeks was 4.

Metagenomic insights into lignocellulose-degrading genes through Illumina-based de novo sequencing of the microbiome in Vietnamese native goats' rumen.

The scarcity of enzymes having an optimal activity in lignocellulose deconstruction is an obstacle for industrial-scale conversion of cellulosic biomass into biofuels. With the aim of mining novel lignocellulolytic enzymes, a ~9 Gb metagenome of bacteria in Vietnamese native goats' rumen was sequenced by Illumina platform. From the data, 821 ORFs encoding carbohydrate esterases (CEs) and polysaccharide lyases (PLs) serving for lignocellulose pre-treatment, 816 ORFs encoding 11 glycoside hydrolase families (GHs) of cellulases, and 2252 ORFs encoding 22 GHs of hemicellulases, were mined.

Priorities for research in soil ecology.

The ecological interactions that occur in and with soil are of consequence in many ecosystems on the planet. These interactions provide numerous essential ecosystem services, and the sustainable management of soils has attracted increasing scientific and public attention. Although soil ecology emerged as an independent field of research many decades ago, and we have gained important insights into the functioning of soils, there still are fundamental aspects that need to be better understood to ensure that the ecosystem services that soils provide are not lost and that soils can be used in a sustainable way.

Metagenomic analysis of bacterial community structure and diversity of lignocellulolytic bacteria in Vietnamese native goat rumen.

Objective: In a previous study, analysis of Illumina sequenced metagenomic DNA data of bacteria in Vietnamese goats' rumen showed a high diversity of putative lignocellulolytic genes. In this study, taxonomy speculation of microbial community and lignocellulolytic bacteria population in the rumen was conducted to elucidate a role of bacterial structure for effective degradation of plant materials.

Methods: The metagenomic data had been subjected into Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTX) algorithm and the National Center for Biotechnology Information non-redundant sequence database.

Coping with living in the soil: the genome of the parthenogenetic springtail Folsomia candida.

Background: Folsomia candida is a model in soil biology, belonging to the family of Isotomidae, subclass Collembola. It reproduces parthenogenetically in the presence of Wolbachia, and exhibits remarkable physiological adaptations to stress. To better understand these features and adaptations to life in the soil, we studied its genome in the context of its parthenogenetic lifestyle.

Draft Genome Sequence of VU-DES13, Isolated from (Collembola: Entomobryidae).

We present here the draft genome of VU-DES13, which was isolated from the midgut of the soil-living springtail Previous research revealed the presence of gene clusters for the biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites, including β-lactam antibiotics, in the host's genome. The genome data are discussed in the light of the antimicrobial properties against fungi and oomycetes and a high level of β-lactam resistance of the isolate.

Evolutionary ecology of beta-lactam gene clusters in animals.

Beta-lactam biosynthesis was thought to occur only in fungi and bacteria, but we recently reported the presence of isopenicillin N synthase in a soil-dwelling animal, Folsomia candida. However, it has remained unclear whether this gene is part of a larger beta-lactam biosynthesis pathway and how widespread the occurrence of penicillin biosynthesis is among animals. Here, we analysed the distribution of beta-lactam biosynthesis genes throughout the animal kingdom and identified a beta-lactam gene cluster in the genome of F.

Biochemical pathways supporting beta-lactam biosynthesis in the springtail Folsomia candida.

Recently, an active set of beta-lactam biosynthesis genes was reported in the genome of the arthropod springtail Folsomia candida (Collembola). Evidence was provided that these genes were acquired through horizontal gene transfer. However, successful integration of fungal- or bacterial-derived beta-lactam biosynthesis into the metabolism of an animal requires the beta-lactam precursor L-α-aminoadipic acid and a phosphopantetheinyl transferase for activation of the first enzyme of the pathway, δ-(L-α-aminoadipoyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine synthetase (ACVS).

Mechanisms of phenanthrene toxicity in the soil invertebrate, Enchytraeus crypticus.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) continue to cause environmental challenges as a result of their release into the environment by a great variety of anthropogenic activities and their accumulation in soils. Studies were conducted on the toxicological effect of the model PAH phenanthrene using the soil invertebrate model Enchytraeus crypticus at the individual, tissue, and molecular levels. Animals were exposed for 2 d and 21 d to phenanthrene concentrations corresponding to the (previously estimated) 3-wk effective concentration, 10% (EC10) and EC50 for effects on reproduction.

Toxicokinetics and time-variable toxicity of cadmium in Oppia nitens Koch (Acari: Oribatida).

The soil-living mite Oppia nitens Koch has recently been proposed as a promising test species for the ecotoxicological risk assessment of contaminated boreal soils. Adding oribatid mites to the assemblage of test species for soil is highly desirable given the enormous diversity and ecological significance of these microarthropods. The authors aimed at revealing how toxicity, lethal body concentration, and bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd) changed over a period of 7 wk when mites were exposed to Cd-spiked natural soils.