Biofilm Production in Intensive Care Units: Challenges and Implications.

The prevalence of infections amongst intensive care unit (ICU) patients is inevitably high, and the ICU is considered the epicenter for the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Multiple studies have focused on the microbial diversity largely inhabiting ICUs that continues to flourish despite treatment with various antibiotics, investigating the factors that influence the spread of these pathogens, with the aim of implementing sufficient monitoring and infection control methods. Despite joint efforts from healthcare providers and policymakers, ICUs remain a hub for healthcare-associated infections.

Isolation of a PRD1-like phage uncovers the carriage of three putative conjugative plasmids in clinical Burkholderia contaminans.

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is a group of increasingly multi-drug resistant opportunistic bacteria. This resistance is driven through a combination of intrinsic factors and the carriage of a broad range of conjugative plasmids harbouring virulence determinants. Therefore, novel treatments are required to treat and prevent further spread of these virulence determinants.

Influence of season on the microbial population dynamics of activated sludge.

This review discusses critically how seasonal changes might affect the community composition and dynamics of activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and examines the factors thought more generally to control microbial community assembly, including the role of taxa-time relationships and stochastic and deterministic influences. The review also questions the differences in protocols used in these studies, which make any subsequent attempts at data comparisons problematic. These include bacterial DNA extraction and PCR methodologies, 16S rRNA sequencing and especially its depth, and subsequent statistical analyses of the data, which together often fail to reveal seasonal dynamic community shifts.

Complex interactions between diverse mobile genetic elements drive the evolution of metal-resistant bacterial genomes.

In this study, we compared the genomes of three metal-resistant bacteria isolated from mercury-contaminated soil. We identified diverse and novel MGEs with evidence of multiple LGT events shaping their genomic structure and heavy metal resistance. Among the three metal-resistant strains, Sphingobium sp SA2 and Sphingopyxis sp SE2 were resistant to multiple metals including mercury, cadmium, copper, zinc and lead.

A discovery down under: decoding the draft genome sequence of from Australia's Critically Endangered western ground parrot/kyloring ().

, a plant pathogen, is primarily transmitted through contaminated seeds and insect vectors, with the corn flea beetle () being the primary carrier. is a bacterium belonging to the order and can lead to crop diseases that have a significant economic impact worldwide. Due to its high potential for spread, is classified as a quarantine organism in numerous countries.

Complete genome sequences of Providencia bacteriophages PibeRecoleta, Stilesk and PatoteraRojo.

Objectives: Providencia is a genus of gram-negative bacteria within the order Enterobacterales, closely related to Proteus and Morganella. While ubiquitous in the environment, some species of Providencia, such as P. rettgeri and P.

Exploring the antibiogram of soil isolates from an indian hospital precinct: link to antibiotic usage.

Objective: Hospitals serve as hotspots of antibiotic resistance. Despite several studies exploring antibiotic resistance in hospitals, none have explored the resistance profile of soil bacteria from a hospital precinct. This study examined and compared the antibiogram of the soil isolates from a hospital and its affiliated university precinct, to determine if antibiotic resistant bacteria were present closer to the hospital.

Rose Petal Mimetic Surfaces with Antibacterial Properties Produced Using Nanoimprint Lithography.

In this study, we produced bioinspired micro/nanotopography on the surface of poly(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) films and demonstrated that these films display antibacterial properties. In the first step, structures that are found on the surface of a rose petal were copied on the surface of PVDF-HFP films. Following this, a hydrothermal method was used to grow ZnO nanostructures on top of this rose petal mimetic surface.

Burkholderia contaminans Bacteriophage CSP3 Requires O-Antigen Polysaccharides for Infection.

The Burkholderia cepacia complex is a group of opportunistic pathogens that cause both severe acute and chronic respiratory infections. Due to their large genomes containing multiple intrinsic and acquired antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, treatment is often difficult and prolonged. One alternative to traditional antibiotics for treatment of bacterial infections is bacteriophages.

Planktonic and Biofilm-Derived Pseudomonas aeruginosa Outer Membrane Vesicles Facilitate Horizontal Gene Transfer of Plasmid DNA.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) produced by Gram-negative bacteria package various cargo, including DNA that can be transferred to other bacteria or to host cells. OMV-associated DNA has been implicated in mediating horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between bacteria, which includes the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes within and between bacterial species. Despite the known ability of OMVs to mediate HGT, the mechanisms of DNA packaging into OMVs remain poorly characterized, as does the effect of bacterial growth conditions on the DNA cargo composition of OMVs and their subsequent abilities to mediate HGT.

Tyroviruses are a new group of temperate phages that infect Bacillus species in soil environments worldwide.

Background: Bacteriophages are widely considered to be highly abundant and genetically diverse, with their role in the evolution and virulence of many pathogens becoming increasingly clear. Less attention has been paid on phages preying on Bacillus, despite the potential for some of its members, such as Bacillus anthracis, to cause serious human disease.

Results: We have isolated five phages infecting the causative agent of anthrax, Bacillus anthracis.

Unravelling Bile Viromes of Free-Range Laying Chickens Clinically Diagnosed with Spotty Liver Disease: Emergence of Many Novel Chaphamaparvoviruses into Multiple Lineages.

Spotty liver disease (SLD) causes substantial egg production losses and chicken mortality; therefore, it is a disease that concerns Australian egg farmers. Over the last few decades, much research has been conducted to determine the etiologic agents of SLD and to develop potential therapeutics; however, SLD still remains a major issue for the chicken industries globally and remained without the elucidation of potentially multiple pathogens involved. To help fill this gap, this study was aimed at understanding the viral diversity of bile samples from which the SLD-causing bacterium, , has been isolated and characterised.

sp. nov., a home for novel actinobacteria isolated from stable foams on activated sludge wastewater treatment plants.

The taxonomic status of two strains, designated BEN371 and CON9, isolated from stable foams on activated sludge plants was the subject of a polyphasic study which also included the type strains of species and three authenticated strains recovered from such foams. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that these isolates formed a compact cluster suggesting a well-supported lineage together with a second branch containing the strains. A phylogenomic tree based on sequences of 92 core genes extracted from whole genome sequences of the isolates, the strains and type strains confirmed the assignment of the isolates and the strains to separate but closely associated lineages.

Sex hormones, intestinal inflammation, and the gut microbiome: Major influencers of the sexual dimorphisms in obesity.

Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of body fat and is associated with an increased risk of developing major health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke. There are clear sexual dimorphisms in the epidemiology, pathophysiology and sequelae of obesity and its accompanying metabolic disorders, with females often better protected compared to males. This protection has predominantly been attributed to the female sex hormone estrogen and differences in fat distribution.

Variants of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 14 from Papua New Guinea with the Potential to Be Mistyped and Escape Vaccine-Induced Protection.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a human pathogen of global importance, classified into serotypes based on the type of capsular polysaccharide produced. Serotyping of pneumococci is essential for disease surveillance and vaccine impact measurement. However, the accuracy of serotyping methods can be affected by previously undiscovered variants.

The phylogeny, ecology and ecophysiology of the glycogen accumulating organism (GAO) Defluviicoccus in wastewater treatment plants.

This comprehensive review looks critically what is known about members of the genus Defluviicoccus, an example of a glycogen accumulating organism (GAO), in wastewater treatment plants, but found also in other habitats. It considers the operating conditions thought to affect its performance in activated sludge plants designed to remove phosphorus microbiologically, including the still controversial view that it competes with the polyphosphate accumulating bacterium Ca. Accumulibacter for readily biodegradable substrates in the anaerobic zone receiving the influent raw sewage.

Elevated atmospheric CO alters the microbial community composition and metabolic potential to mineralize organic phosphorus in the rhizosphere of wheat.

Background: Understanding how elevated atmospheric CO (eCO) impacts on phosphorus (P) transformation in plant rhizosphere is critical for maintaining ecological sustainability in response to climate change, especially in agricultural systems where soil P availability is low.

Methods: This study used rhizoboxes to physically separate rhizosphere regions (plant root-soil interface) into 1.5-mm segments.

Novel Drexlerviridae bacteriophage KMI8 with specific lytic activity against Klebsiella michiganensis and its biofilms.

The bacterial genus Klebsiella includes the closely related species K. michiganensis, K. oxytoca and K.

Draft Genome Sequence of Enterobacter asburiae NCR1, a Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Isolated from a Cadmium-Contaminated Environment.

Enterobacter asburiae NCR1 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium isolated from the rhizosphere of . We report the draft genome sequence of strain NCR1, which revealed many genes facilitating beneficial interactions with plant hosts.

Isolation and Characterisation of the Genus and Phylogenetic Investigation of the Bacteriophages.

is a highly diverse genus containing over 200 species that can be problematic in both industrial and medical settings. This is mainly attributed to sp. being intrinsically resistant to an array of antimicrobial compounds, hence alternative treatment options are needed.

Draft Genome Sequence of Enterobacter mori Strain NSE2, Isolated from the Rhizosphere of a sp.

Enterobacter mori is an important plant pathogen. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the plant-associated strain Enterobacter mori NSE2, which was found to harbor genes for promotive and pathogenic interactions with plants.

Genetic characterisation of antibiotic resistance transposons Tn6608 and Tn6609 isolated from clinical Pseudomonas strains in Cyprus.

Objectives: Antibiotic therapy for Pseudomonas infections is becoming increasingly difficult. In this study, the transposons from two multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinical Pseudomonas strains containing related transposons responsible for giving rise to resistance determinants were characterised.

Methods: Two MDR clinical Pseudomonas isolates were obtained from a medical facility in Cyprus.