Soils harbor large, diverse microbial communities critical for local and global ecosystem functioning that are controlled by multiple and poorly understood processes. In particular, while there is observational evidence of relationships between both biotic and abiotic conditions and microbial composition and diversity, there have been few experimental tests to determine the relative importance ...

Microbial diversity in geothermal waters of the Unkeshwar hot springs in Maharashtra, India, was studied using 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomic sequencing. Taxonomic analysis revealed the presence of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Archeae, and OD1 phyla. Metabolic function prediction analysis indicated a battery of biological information systems indicating rich and n...

The characterization, analysis and validation of evidence that concludes the description of an intentional act of biocrime or bioterrorism represent the main target of microbial forensics. But, even nowadays with the most recent technical advances, it remains extremely difficult, labour-demanding and time consuming to investigate and confirm the origin of microbial strains and to identify the p...

1Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Patras, 2 Seferi Street, 30100 Agrinio, Greece 2LR11-ES31, Biotechnology and Bio-Geo Resources Valorization, ISBST, BiotechPole Sidi Thabet, University of Manouba, 2020 Ariana, Tunisia 3Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Ploutonos 26 and Aiolou Street, 41221 Larisa, Greece 4Department...

Lead (Pb) is a common environmental contaminant found in soils. Unlike other metals, Pb has no biological role, and is potentially toxic to microorganisms. Effects of low (1 ppm) and high (500-2000) levels of lead (Pb) upon the soil microbial community was investigated by the PCR/DGGE analysis of the 16S and nirK gene markers, indicative of general microbial community and denitrifying community...

An assessment of roles of rhizospheric microbial diversity in plant growth is helpful in understanding plant-microbe interactions. Using random combinations of rhizospheric bacterial species at different richness levels, we analysed the contribution of species richness, compositions, interactions and identity on soil microbial respiration and plant biomass. We showed that bacterial inoculation ...

Understanding the ecology of pathogenic organisms is important in order to monitor their transmission in the environment and the related health hazards. We investigated the relationship between soil microbial diversity and the barrier effect against Listeria monocytogenes invasion. By using a dilution-to-extinction approach, we analysed the consequence of eroding microbial diversity on L. monoc...

The most useful definition of biodiversity is that given by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; biodiversity encompasses all life forms, ecosystems and ecological processes and acknowledges the hierarchy at genetic, taxon and ecosystem levels. Microbial diversity on the other hand includes the diversity of bacteria, protozoans, fungi, unicellular algae and ...

Soils sustain an immense diversity of microbes, which, to a large extent, remains unexplored. A range of novel methods, most of which are based on rRNA and rDNA analyses, have uncovered part of the soil microbial diversity. The next step in the era of microbial ecology is to extract genomic, evolutionary and functional information from bacterial artificial chromosome libraries of the soil commu...

Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) are rising at an accelerated rate resulting in changes in the pH and carbonate chemistry of the world’s oceans. However, there is uncertainty regarding the impact these changing environmental conditions have on carbonate-depositing microbial communities. Here, we examine the effects of elevated CO2, three times that of current atmospheric levels, on th...