Publications by authors named "R L Baldini"

There has been a growing interest in bacteriophages as therapeutic agents to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. The present work aimed at expanding the microbiological and molecular characterization of lytic phages ZC01 and ZC03 and investigating their efficacy in the control of infection in an invertebrate animal model. These two phages were previously isolated from composting using strain PA14 as the enrichment host and had their genomes sequenced.

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Aims: The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a life-saving therapy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at risk of sudden cardiac death. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator complications are of concern. The subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) does not use transvenous leads and is expected to reduce complications.

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Type 6 secretion systems (T6SSs) are specialized multiprotein complexes that inject protein effectors into prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic cells. We previously described the role of the T6SS of the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri pv. citri as an anti-eukaryotic nanoweapon that confers resistance to predation by the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

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Article Synopsis
  • In cystic fibrosis, mucus buildup in the lungs creates a low-oxygen environment that facilitates the growth of microorganisms, including the harmful bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.
  • Despite P. aeruginosa’s ability to produce inhibitory compounds against A. fumigatus, the fungal response and metabolites in this competitive environment are not well understood.
  • The study identified multiple secondary metabolites produced by both organisms during biofilm formation under varying oxygen conditions, revealing complex interactions that influence their growth and persistence in cystic fibrosis patients.
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The genus Xanthomonas includes more than 30 phytopathogenic species that infect a wide range of plants and cause severe diseases that greatly impact crop productivity. These bacteria are highly adapted to the soil and plant environment, being found in decaying material, as epiphytes, and colonizing the plant mesophyll. Signal transduction mechanisms involved in the responses of to environmental changes are still poorly characterized.

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