Publications by authors named "R Colwell"
Climate change is having increasingly profound effects on human health, notably those associated with the occurrence, distribution, and transmission of infectious diseases. The number of disparate ecological parameters and pathogens affected by climate change are vast and expansive. Disentangling the complex relationship between these variables is critical for the development of effective countermeasures against its effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Harmful algal blooms caused by cyanobacteria pose risks to ecosystems, the economy, and human health, with a focus on how nutrient introduction affects gene expression.
- Through mesocosm experiments, researchers discovered that adding nitrogen (specifically urea) resulted in longer-lasting blooms by enhancing key biological processes like photosynthesis and toxin production.
- The study highlights potential biomarkers for bloom longevity and sheds light on the mechanisms that allow cyanobacteria to thrive, which could aid in developing strategies to manage and mitigate these harmful blooms.
The incidence of vibriosis is rising globally with evidence of climate variability influencing environmental processes that support growth of pathogenic . The waterborne pathogen, can invade wounds and has one of the highest case fatality rates in humans. The bacterium cannot be eradicated from the aquatic environment, hence climate driven environmental conditions enhancing growth and dissemination of .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) in Lake Okeechobee, analyzing microbial communities through extensive sequencing data from a year of samples collected during bloom seasons.
- Findings suggest distinct ecological zones with varying physical and chemical properties lead to "hotspots" for blooms, with microbial interactions playing a crucial role in bloom resilience and severity, particularly regarding nutrient utilization and defense mechanisms.
- The research highlights the diversity of cyanobacterial communities and introduces novel species, emphasizing the importance of understanding microbial ecosystems in managing and predicting the occurrence of these harmful algal blooms.
Antibiotics are often used to treat severe infections, with third-generation cephalosporins and tetracyclines combined or fluoroquinolones alone being recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increases in antibiotic resistance of both environmental and clinical vibrios are of concern; however, limited longitudinal data have been generated among environmental isolates to inform how resistance patterns may be changing over time. Hence, we evaluated long-term trends in antibiotic resistance of vibrios isolated from Chesapeake Bay waters (Maryland) across two 3-year sampling periods (2009-2012 and 2019-2022).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF