Applied and Environmental Science
- Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAnode Surface Bioaugmentation Enhances Deterministic Biofilm Assembly in Microbial Fuel Cells
Mixed microbial communities play important roles in treating wastewater, in producing renewable energy, and in the bioremediation of pollutants in contaminated environments. While these processes are well known, especially the community structure and biodiversity, how to efficiently and robustly manage microbial community assembly remains unknown.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMicrobial Functional Responses Explain Alpine Soil Carbon Fluxes under Future Climate ScenariosThe warming pace in the Tibetan Plateau, which is predominantly occupied by grassland ecosystems, has been 0.2°C per decade in recent years, dwarfing the rate of global warming by a factor of 2. Many Earth system models project substantial carbon sequestration in Tibet, which has been observed.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAcetylene-Fueled Trichloroethene Reductive Dechlorination in a Groundwater Enrichment CultureUnderstanding the complex metabolisms of microbial communities in contaminated groundwaters is a challenge. PCE and TCE are among the most common groundwater contaminants in the United States that, when exposed to certain minerals, exhibit a unique abiotic degradation pathway in which C2H2 is a product.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMetagenomic Quantification of Genes with Internal StandardsqPCR and metagenomics are central molecular techniques that have offered insights into biological processes for decades, from monitoring spatial and temporal gene dynamics to tracking ARGs or pathogens. Still needed is a tool that can quantify thousands of relevant genes in a sample as gene copies per sample mass or volume.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceMetabolic Exchange and Energetic Coupling between Nutritionally Stressed Bacterial Species: Role of Quorum-Sensing MoleculesBacteria have usually been studied in single culture in rich media or under specific starvation conditions. However, in nature they coexist with other microorganisms and build an advanced society.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAvailability of the Molecular Switch XylR Controls Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Lag Duration during Escherichia coli Adaptation from Glucose to XyloseFor decades, it was thought that the lags observed when microorganisms switch from one substrate to another are inherent to the time required to adapt the molecular machinery to the new substrate. Here, the lag duration was found to be the time necessary for a subpopulation of adapted cells to emerge and become the main population.
Minireview | Applied and Environmental ScienceIron Flocs and the Three Domains: Microbial Interactions in Freshwater Iron MatsFreshwater iron mats are dynamic geochemical environments with broad ecological diversity, primarily formed by the iron-oxidizing bacteria. The community features functional groups involved in biogeochemical cycles for iron, sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen.
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceEffects of Agricultural Fungicide Use on Aspergillus fumigatus Abundance, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Population StructureAntibiotic resistance is an increasing threat to human health. In the case of Aspergillus fumigatus, which is an environmental fungus that also causes life-threatening infections in humans, antimicrobial resistance is suggested to arise from fungicide use in agriculture, as the chemicals used for plant protection are almost identical to the antifungals used clinically...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceDifferent Routes of Protein Folding Contribute to Improved Protein Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiaeProtein folding plays an important role in protein maturation and secretion. In recombinant protein production, many studies have focused on the folding pathway to improve productivity. Here, we identified two different routes for improving protein production by yeast. We found that improving folding precision is a better strategy. Dysfunction of this process is also associated with several aberrant protein-associated human diseases....
Perspective | Applied and Environmental ScienceCryptic or Silent? The Known Unknowns, Unknown Knowns, and Unknown Unknowns of Secondary MetabolismMicrobial natural products, particularly those produced by filamentous Actinobacteria, underpin the majority of clinically used antibiotics. Unfortunately, only a few new antibiotic classes have been discovered since the 1970s, which has exacerbated fears of a postapocalyptic world in which antibiotics have lost their utility. Excitingly, the genome sequencing revolution painted an entirely new picture, one in which an average...