Dynamics of Methane-Consuming Biomes from Wieliczka Formation: Environmental and Enrichment Studies.

The rocks surrounding Wieliczka salt deposits are an extreme, deep subsurface ecosystem that as we studied previously harbors many microorganisms, including methanotrophs. In the presented research bacterial community structure of the Wieliczka Salt Mine was determined as well as the methanotrophic activity of the natural microbiome. Finally, an enrichment culture of methane-consuming methanotrophs was obtained.

Microbial Involvement in Carbon Transformation via CH and CO in Saline Sedimentary Pool.

Methane and carbon dioxide are one of the most important greenhouse gases and significant components of the carbon cycle. Biogeochemical methane transformation may occur even in the extreme conditions of deep subsurface ecosystems. This study presents methane-related biological processes in saline sediments of the Miocene Wieliczka Formation, Poland.

A survey of greenhouse gases production in central European lignites.

Due to changes in the energy market, it is projected that lignite excavation will be reduced in the near future. Cessation of exploitation is associated with restitution of natural water conditions and flooding of the resources left in the mines. Flooded lignite mines are a potential source of greenhouse gases (GHG) (CH CO and NO), which should be monitored due to growing environmental concerns.

Influence of pipe material on biofilm microbial communities found in drinking water supply system.

The biofilms and water samples from a model installation built of PVC-U, PE-HD and cast iron pipes were investigated using standard heterotrophic plate count and 16S rRNA Next Generation Sequencing. The results of the high throughput identification imply that the construction material strongly influences the microbiome composition. PVC-U and PE-HD pipes were dominated with Proteobacteria (54-60%) while the cast pipe was overgrown by Nitrospirae (64%).

Biochar addition reinforces microbial interspecies cooperation in methanation of sugar beet waste (pulp).

Biogas production and microbial community structure were analyzed as an effect of biochar addition to a fermentation sludge containing sugar beet pulp. Positive effects of the treatment including an increase in process efficiency and better biogas quality were noted. The effect of biochar on AD (anaerobic digestion process) microbial communities was investigated after total DNA extraction from biochar-amended fermentation mixtures by PCR amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments and Illumina amplicon sequencing.

Changes in the Substrate Source Reveal Novel Interactions in the Sediment-Derived Methanogenic Microbial Community.

Methanogenesis occurs in many natural environments and is used in biotechnology for biogas production. The efficiency of methane production depends on the microbiome structure that determines interspecies electron transfer. In this research, the microbial community retrieved from mining subsidence reservoir sediment was used to establish enrichment cultures on media containing different carbon sources (tryptone, yeast extract, acetate, CO/H).

Methanotrophic Bacterial Biomass as Potential Mineral Feed Ingredients for Animals.

Microorganisms play an important role in animal nutrition, as they can be used as a source of food or feed. The aim of the study was to determine the nutritional elements and fatty acids contained in the biomass of methanotrophic bacteria. Four bacterial consortia composed of and originating from (Sp1), (Sp2), (Sp3), (Sp4), and one composed of , , and that originated from coalbed rock (Sk108) were studied.

Activity and Identification of Methanotrophic Bacteria in Arable and No-Tillage Soils from Lublin Region (Poland).

Methanotrophic bacteria are able to use methane (CH) as a sole carbon and energy source. Photochemical oxidation of methane takes place in the stratosphere, whereas in the troposphere, this process is carried out by methanotrophic bacteria. On the one hand, it is known that the efficiency of biological CH oxidation is dependent on the mode of land use but, on the other hand, the knowledge of this impact on methanotrophic activity (MTA) is still limited.

Microbial biodiversity of meadows under different modes of land use: catabolic and genetic fingerprinting.

The main goal of the study was to find differences in the bacterial community structure resulting from different ways of meadow management in order to get the first insight into microbial biodiversity in meadow samples. The next generation sequencing technique (454-pyrosequencing) was accompanied with the community level physiological profiling (CLPP) method in order to acquire combined knowledge of both genetic and catabolic bacterial fingerprinting of two studied meadows (hayland and pasture). Soil samples (FAO: Mollic Gleysol) were taken in April 2015 from the surface layer (0-20 cm).

Enrichment culture and identification of endophytic methanotrophs isolated from peatland plants.

Aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) are an environmentally significant group of microorganisms due to their role in the global carbon cycle. Research conducted over the past few decades has increased the interest in discovering novel genera of methane-degrading bacteria, which efficiently utilize methane and decrease the global warming effect. Moreover, methanotrophs have more promising applications in environmental bioengineering, biotechnology, and pharmacy.

Ectoine as a promising protective agent in humans and animals.

Ectoine is a compatible water molecule-binding solute (osmoprotectant) produced by several bacterial species in response to osmotic stress and unfavourable environmental conditions. This amino acid derivative can accumulate inside cells at high concentrations without interfering with natural processes and can protect the cell against radiation or osmotic stress. This brief review presents the current state of knowledge about the effects of ectoine on animals and focuses on its practical use for enzyme stabilisation, human skin protection, anti-inflammatory treatment, inhibitory effects in neurodegenerative diseases, and other therapeutic potential in human or veterinary medicine.

Metagenomic Analysis of Some Potential Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria in Arable Soils at Different Formation Processes.

The main goal of the study was to determine the diversity of the potential nitrogen-fixing (PNF) bacteria inhabiting agricultural (A) soils versus wastelands serving as controls (C). The soils were classified into three groups based on the formation process: autogenic soils (Albic Luvisols, Brunic Arenosols, Haplic Phaeozem) formed on loess material, hydrogenic soils (Mollic Gleysols, Eutric Fluvisol, Eutric Histosol) formed under the effect of stagnant water and lithogenic soils (Rendzina Leptosols) formed on limestone. In order to determine the preferable conditions for PNF bacteria, the relationships between the soil chemical features and bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were tested.

The impact of agricultural soil usage on activity and abundance of ammonifying bacteria in selected soils from Poland.

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the impact of soil agricultural usage on the abundance of ammonifying bacteria (AB) and their activity, expressed as arginine ammonification (AA). Five agriculturally exploited types of soils (FAO): Haplic Luvisol, Brunic Arenosol, Mollic Gleysol, Eutric Fluvisol, and Rendzina Leptosol were studied. The controls were non-agricultural soils of the same type located in close proximity to agricultural sites.

Biological Activity of Autochthonic Bacterial Community in Oil-Contaminated Soil.

Soil microbial communities play an important role in the biodegradation of different petroleum derivates, including hydrocarbons. Also other biological factors such as enzyme and respiration activities and microbial abundance are sensitive to contamination with petroleum derivates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of autochthonic microbial community and biological parameters (respiration, dehydrogenase and catalase activities, total microorganisms count) on contamination with car fuels and engine oils.

Ectoine alleviates behavioural, physiological and biochemical changes in Daphnia magna subjected to formaldehyde.

Ectoine (ECT) is produced by halophilic microorganisms in response to various stressful factors. Its protective properties in bacteria and some populations of isolated cells are known; however, no data are available on its protective influence on aquatic invertebrates subjected to a common pollutant, formaldehyde (FA). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of FA alone (at 20 and 60 mg/L) and in the combination with various concentrations of ECT (5, 10 and 25 mg/L) at various times of exposure on behavioural, physiological and biochemical parameters of Daphnia magna.

Protective effects of bacterial osmoprotectant ectoine on bovine erythrocytes subjected to staphylococcal alpha-haemolysin.

Ectoine (ECT) is a bacterial compatible solute with documented protective action however no data are available on its effects on various cells against bacterial toxins. Therefore, we determined the in vitro influence of ECT on bovine erythrocytes subjected to staphylococcal α-haemolysin (HlyA). The cells exposed to HlyA alone showed a distinct haemolysis and reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) level, however the toxic effects were attenuated in the combinations of HlyA + ECT suggesting ECT-induced protection of erythrocytes from HlyA.

Protective effects of ectoine on behavioral, physiological and biochemical parameters of Daphnia magna subjected to hydrogen peroxide.

Ectoine (ECT) is an osmoprotectant produced by halophilic microorganisms inducing protective effects against various stressful factors. However, little is known about its influence on aquatic invertebrates subjected to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-a commonly used oxidative disinfectant. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the effects of H2O2 alone (at 5 and 10 mg/L) and in the combination with various concentrations of ECT (5, 10 and 25 mg/L) on behavioral, physiological and biochemical parameters of Daphnia magna.

Effects of ectoine on behavioural, physiological and biochemical parameters of Daphnia magna.

Ectoine (ECT) is a compatible solute produced by soil, marine and freshwater bacteria in response to stressful factors. The purpose of our study was to determine the possible toxic influence of ECT on Daphnia magna. We determined the following endpoints: survival rate during exposure and recovery, swimming performance, heart rate, thoracic limb movement determined by image analysis, haemoglobin level by ELISA assay, catalase and nitric oxide species (NOx) by spectrophotometric methods.

Cultivation and detection of endophytic aerobic methanotrophs isolated from Sphagnum species as a perspective for environmental biotechnology.

Enriched cultures of microorganisms are an essential step in the production of inoculum of these organisms for biotechnology and bioengineering. The potential application of methanotrophic microorganisms for removal of methane produced from landfills and coal mines as well as biodegradation of toxic compounds has been widely studied. Therefore, searching for new sources of methanotrophs can contribute to increasing the possibilities of biotechnology and bioengineering.

Protective effects of ectoine on heat-stressed Daphnia magna.

Ectoine (ECT) is an amino acid produced and accumulated by halophilic bacteria in stressful conditions in order to prevent the loss of water from the cell. There is a lack of knowledge on the effects of ECT in heat-stressed aquatic animals. The purpose of our study was to determine the influence of ECT on Daphnia magna subjected to heat stress with two temperature gradients: 1 and 0.

Bioelectricity production from soil using microbial fuel cells.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a device using microorganisms as biocatalysts for transforming chemical energy into bioelectricity. As soil is an environment with the highest number of microorganisms and diversity, we hypothesized that it should have the potential for energy generation. The soil used for the study was Mollic Gleysol collected from the surface layer (0-20 cm).

Response of soil catalase activity to chromium contamination.

The impact of chromium(III) and (VI) forms on soil catalase activity was presented. The Orthic Podzol, Haplic Phaeozem and Mollic Gleysol from different depths were used in the experiment. The soil samples were amended with solution of Cr(III) using CrCl3, and with Cr(VI) using K2Cr2O7 in the concentration range from 0 to 20 mg/kg, whereas the samples without the addition of chromium served as control.