Fueling the Bio-economy: European Culture Collections and Microbiology Education and Training.

A survey of European Microbial Biological Resource Centers and their users provided an overview on microbiology education and training. The results identified future increases in demand despite several shortcomings and gaps in the current offer. Urgent adjustments are needed to match users' needs, integrate innovative programs, and adopt new technologies.

High quality draft genome sequence of Flavobacterium rivuli type strain WB 3.3-2(T) (DSM 21788(T)), a valuable source of polysaccharide decomposing enzymes.

Flavobacterium rivuli Ali et al. 2009 emend. Dong et al.

The Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure MIRRI: Strength through Coordination.

Microbial resources have been recognized as essential raw materials for the advancement of health and later for biotechnology, agriculture, food technology and for research in the life sciences, as their enormous abundance and diversity offer an unparalleled source of unexplored solutions. Microbial domain biological resource centres (mBRC) provide live cultures and associated data to foster and support the development of basic and applied science in countries worldwide and especially in Europe, where the density of highly advanced mBRCs is high. The not-for-profit and distributed project MIRRI (Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure) aims to coordinate access to hitherto individually managed resources by developing a pan-European platform which takes the interoperability and accessibility of resources and data to a higher level.

Microbial resource research infrastructure (MIRRI): infrastructure to foster academic research and biotechnological innovation.

The coordinated collaboration between public culture collections within the MIRRI infrastructure will support research and development in the field of academic as well as industrial biotechnology. Researchers working with microorganisms using the envisioned MIRRI portal will have facilitated access to microbial resources, associated data and expertise. By addressing the users' specific needs MIRRI will provide the basis for biotechnological innovation in Europe.

Extremely 'vanadiphilic' multiply metal-resistant and halophilic aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs, strains EG13 and EG8, from hypersaline springs in Canada.

Two pinkish peach-colored strains of obligately aerobic phototrophic bacteria, EG13 and EG8, were isolated from a saline spring effluent stream in west central Manitoba, Canada. The strains possessed bacteriochlorophyll a incorporated into a typical purple bacterial light-harvesting complex 1 (870 nm) and reaction center (801 nm). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated 100% identity among the isolates and 99% similarity to Roseovarius tolerans EL-172(T).

Geodermatophilus brasiliensis sp. nov., isolated from Brazilian soil.

A Gram-reaction-positive bacterial isolate, designated Tü 6233(T), with rudimentary, coral-pink vegetative mycelium that formed neither aerial mycelium nor spores, was isolated from a Brazilian soil sample. Chemotaxonomic and molecular characteristics of the isolate matched those described for members of the genus Geodermatophilus. Cell-wall hydrolysates contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and galactose as the diagnostic sugar.

Deposit of microbial strains in public service collections as part of the publication process to underpin good practice in science.

Despite recommendations to release microbial resources to the community post-publication, the reality is far from satisfying. A workshop discussed the need for a coordinated and effective deposition policy for 'key' microbial strains and proposes a set of criteria to facilitate their deposition into public service collections. The majority of authors either contacted directly or during submission of manuscripts to several international, mainly European bacteriology journals agreed to this set of 'key strain' criteria and to the voluntarily deposition of resources into public resource centres.

Investment into the future of microbial resources: culture collection funding models and BRC business plans for biological resource centres.

Through their long history of public service, diverse microbial Biological Resource Centres (mBRCs) have made myriad contributions to society and science. They have enabled the maintenance of specimens isolated before antibiotics, made available strains showing the development and change of pathogenicity toward animals, humans and plants, and have maintained and provided reference strains to ensure quality and reproducibility of science. However, this has not been achieved without considerable financial commitment.

Microbial genomic taxonomy.

A need for a genomic species definition is emerging from several independent studies worldwide. In this commentary paper, we discuss recent studies on the genomic taxonomy of diverse microbial groups and a unified species definition based on genomics. Accordingly, strains from the same microbial species share >95% Average Amino Acid Identity (AAI) and Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI), >95% identity based on multiple alignment genes, <10 in Karlin genomic signature, and > 70% in silico Genome-to-Genome Hybridization similarity (GGDH).

Genome sequence of the free-living aerobic spirochete Turneriella parva type strain (H(T)), and emendation of the species Turneriella parva.

Turneriella parva Levett et al. 2005 is the only species of the genus Turneriella which was established as a result of the reclassification of Leptospira parva Hovind-Hougen et al. 1982.

Genome sequence of the phylogenetically isolated spirochete Leptonema illini type strain (3055(T)).

Leptonema illini Hovind-Hougen 1979 is the type species of the genus Leptonema, family Leptospiraceae, phylum Spirochaetes. Organisms of this family have a Gram-negative-like cell envelope consisting of a cytoplasmic membrane and an outer membrane. The peptidoglycan layer is associated with the cytoplasmic rather than the outer membrane.

Complete genome sequence of the moderate thermophile Anaerobaculum mobile type strain (NGA(T)).

Anaerobaculum mobile Menes and Muxí 2002 is one of three described species of the genus Anaerobaculum, family Synergistaceae, phylum Synergistetes. This anaerobic and motile bacterium ferments a range of carbohydrates and mono- and dicarboxylic acids with acetate, hydrogen and CO2 as end products. A.

High-quality-draft genome sequence of the yellow-pigmented flavobacterium Joostella marina type strain (En5(T)).

At present, Joostella marina Quan et al. 2008 is the sole species with a validly published name in the genus Joostella, family Flavobacteriacae, phylum Bacteriodetes. It is a yellow-pigmented, aerobic, marine organism about which little has been reported other than the chemotaxonomic features required for initial taxonomic description.

Complete genome sequence of the bile-resistant pigment-producing anaerobe Alistipes finegoldii type strain (AHN2437(T)).

Alistipes finegoldii Rautio et al. 2003 is one of five species of Alistipes with a validly published name: family Rikenellaceae, order Bacteroidetes, class Bacteroidia, phylum Bacteroidetes. This rod-shaped and strictly anaerobic organism has been isolated mostly from human tissues.

Complete genome sequence of Coriobacterium glomerans type strain (PW2(T)) from the midgut of Pyrrhocoris apterus L. (red soldier bug).

Coriobacterium glomerans Haas and König 1988, is the only species of the genus Coriobacterium, family Coriobacteriaceae, order Coriobacteriales, phylum Actinobacteria. The bacterium thrives as an endosymbiont of pyrrhocorid bugs, i.e.

Resistance of bacterial endospores to outer space for planetary protection purposes--experiment PROTECT of the EXPOSE-E mission.

Spore-forming bacteria are of particular concern in the context of planetary protection because their tough endospores may withstand certain sterilization procedures as well as the harsh environments of outer space or planetary surfaces. To test their hardiness on a hypothetical mission to Mars, spores of Bacillus subtilis 168 and Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 were exposed for 1.5 years to selected parameters of space in the experiment PROTECT during the EXPOSE-E mission on board the International Space Station.

Reclassification of Koreibacter algae as a later heterotypic synonym of Paraoerskovia marina and emended descriptions of the genus Paraoerskovia Khan et al. 2009 and of Paraoerskovia marina Khan et al. 2009.

16S rRNA gene sequences deposited for the type strains of Paraoerskovia marina (CTT-37(T); GenBank accession no. AB445007) and Koreibacter algae (DSW-2(T); FM995611) show a similarity of 100 %. Consequently, the type strains were subjected to a polyphasic recharacterization under direct comparison in order to clarify their taxonomic position.

Chromocurvus halotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., a gammaproteobacterial obligately aerobic anoxygenic phototroph, isolated from a Canadian hypersaline spring.

A strain EG19(T) of aerobic bacteria able to form pleomorphic cells was isolated from a brine spring runoff stream in the west central region of the province of Manitoba, Canada. The pale pinkish purple strain contained bacteriochlorophyll a incorporated into light-harvesting I and reaction center complexes. Its inability to grow under anaerobic illuminated conditions prompted designation as a member of the functional group known as aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria.