The net primary production of the biosphere is consumed largely by microorganisms; whose metabolism creates the trophic base for detrital foodwebs, drives element cycles, and mediates atmospheric composition. Biogeochemical constraints on microbial catabolism, relative to primary production, create reserves of detrital organic carbon in soils and sediments that exceed the carbon content of the ...

Voltage imaging using genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) has taken the field of neuroscience by storm in past decade. Its ability to create subcellular and network level readouts electrical dynamics depends critically on kinetics response indicator used. Engineered microbial rhodopsins form a GEVI subclass known for their high sensitivity fast kinetics. Here we review essential aspe...

Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide (DPCD) is a non-thermal process that pasteurizes mostly liquid foods. It inactivates vegetative bacterial cells, some spores, yeasts and molds, some viruses, and some enzymes. The traditional approach to develop a DPCD process for a new product involves a complex experimental plan to investigate microbial and safety effects. Recent studies show the importance of the s...

  Context:In this review, we discuss empirical and stoichiometric models, which have been developed recently in SSF processes and the influence of environmental conditions on the variables of these models. Additionally, new studies on modeling of product formation are also mentioned. <span style="color: windowtext...

We constructed an experimental apparatus that used lasers to provide the probe beams for measuring the transient absorption kinetics of bacterioplankton that contain proteorhodopsin, a microbial protein that binds retinal and is analogous to animal rhodopsin. With this approach we were able to observe photocycles characteristic of functioning retinylidene ion pumps. Using light from lasers inst...

D. Burdige questions the validity of our kinetic model for microbial organic matter degradation and methane formation (WALLMANN et al., 2006) and urges us to look at the new paper on organic matter degradation kinetics recently published by the reviewer (BURDIGE, 2011). We would like to emphasize that our model has been calibrated more comprehensively by field observations at various ODP sites ...

For the most-extreme fungal xerophiles, metabolic activity and cell division typically halts between 0.700 and 0.640 water activity (approximately 70.0-64.0% relative humidity). Here, we investigate whether glycerol can enhance xerophile germination under acute water-activity regimes, using an experimental system which represents the biophysical limit of Earth's biosphere. Spores from a variety...