The highly differentiated gut of Pachnoda marginata hosts sequential microbiomes: microbial ecology and potential applications.

Insect gut microbiomes play a crucial role in the insect development and are shaped, among other factors, by the specialized insect diet habits as well as the morphological structure of the gut. Rose chafers (Pachnoda spp.; Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) have a highly differentiated gut characterized by a pronounced hindgut dilation which resembles a miniaturized rumen.

Cell type-specific adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various human tissues and cell types, principally via interaction with its cognate receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). However, how the virus evolves in different cellular environments is poorly understood. Here, we used experimental evolution to study the adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike to four human cell lines expressing different levels of key entry factors.

A mouthwash formulated with o-cymen-5-ol and zinc chloride specifically targets potential pathogens without impairing the native oral microbiome in healthy individuals.

Background: Many antimicrobial compounds in mouthwashes can have a negative impact on the oral microbiome. O-cymen-5-ol, a compound derived from a phytochemical, has a targeted mode of action and is being used as an alternative. However, its effect on the native oral microbiome is unknown.

The car tank lid bacteriome: a reservoir of bacteria with potential in bioremediation of fuel.

Bioprospecting of microorganisms suitable for bioremediation of fuel or oil spills is often carried out in contaminated environments such as gas stations or polluted coastal areas. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) we analyzed the microbiota thriving below the lids of the fuel deposits of diesel and gasoline cars. The microbiome colonizing the tank lids differed from the diversity found in other hydrocarbon-polluted environments, with Proteobacteria being the dominant phylum and without clear differences between gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles.

A Round Trip to the Desert: Nanopore Sequencing Informs Targeted Bioprospecting.

Bioprospecting expeditions are often performed in remote locations, in order to access previously unexplored samples. Nevertheless, the actual potential of those samples is only assessed once scientists are back in the laboratory, where a time-consuming screening must take place. This work evaluates the suitability of using Nanopore sequencing during a journey to the Tabernas Desert (Spain) for forecasting the potential of specific samples in terms of bacterial diversity and prevalence of radiation- and desiccation-resistant taxa, which were the target of the bioprospecting activities.

High Culturable Bacterial Diversity From a European Desert: The Tabernas Desert.

One of the most diverse ecological niches for microbial bioprospecting is soil, including that of drylands. Drylands are one of the most abundant biomes on Earth, but extreme cases, such as deserts, are considered very rare in Europe. The so-called Tabernas Desert is one of the few examples of a desert area in continental Europe, and although some microbial studies have been performed on this region, a comprehensive strategy to maximize the isolation of environmental bacteria has not been conducted to date.

The rose and the name: the unresolved debate on biotechnological terms.

The largest survey on the perception of synthetic biology-related disciplines (Porcar et al., 2019,EMBO Rep 20) recently revealed that the Spanish society does not have a very positive perception of the term synthetic biology. On the other hand, the terms biotechnology and even genetic engineering received relatively higher scores.

Gene connectivity and enzyme evolution in the human metabolic network.

Background: Determining the factors involved in the likelihood of a gene being under adaptive selection is still a challenging goal in Evolutionary Biology. Here, we perform an evolutionary analysis of the human metabolic genes to explore the associations between network structure and the presence and strength of natural selection in the genes whose products are involved in metabolism. Purifying and positive selection are estimated at interspecific (among mammals) and intraspecific (among human populations) levels, and the connections between enzymatic reactions are differentiated between incoming (in-degree) and outgoing (out-degree) links.

Hidden Concepts in the History and Philosophy of Origins-of-Life Studies: a Workshop Report.

In this review, we describe some of the central philosophical issues facing origins-of-life research and provide a targeted history of the developments that have led to the multidisciplinary field of origins-of-life studies. We outline these issues and developments to guide researchers and students from all fields. With respect to philosophy, we provide brief summaries of debates with respect to (1) definitions (or theories) of life, what life is and how research should be conducted in the absence of an accepted theory of life, (2) the distinctions between synthetic, historical, and universal projects in origins-of-life studies, issues with strategies for inferring the origins of life, such as (3) the nature of the first living entities (the "bottom up" approach) and (4) how to infer the nature of the last universal common ancestor (the "top down" approach), and (5) the status of origins of life as a science.

Expanding the toolbox for sp. PCC 6803: validation of replicative vectors and characterization of a novel set of promoters.

Cyanobacteria are promising 'low-cost' cell factories since they have minimal nutritional requirements, high metabolic plasticity and can use sunlight and CO as energy and carbon sources. The unicellular sp. PCC 6803, already considered the 'green' , is the best studied cyanobacterium but to be used as an efficient and robust photoautotrophic chassis it requires a customized and well-characterized toolbox.

Metabolic and process engineering for biodesulfurization in Gram-negative bacteria.

Microbial desulfurization or biodesulfurization (BDS) is an attractive low-cost and environmentally friendly complementary technology to the hydrotreating chemical process based on the potential of certain bacteria to specifically remove sulfur from S-heterocyclic compounds of crude fuels that are recalcitrant to the chemical treatments. The 4S or Dsz sulfur specific pathway for dibenzothiophene (DBT) and alkyl-substituted DBTs, widely used as model S-heterocyclic compounds, has been extensively studied at the physiological, biochemical and genetic levels mainly in Gram-positive bacteria. Nevertheless, several Gram-negative bacteria have been also used in BDS because they are endowed with some properties, e.