Our continued progress in understanding microbial pathogenesis has been fueled, to a large extent, by the discovery of various translocation systems that inject a large cadre of eukaryotic-like and novel microbial effectors into the host cell. These effectors manipulate a myriad of host cell processes and subvert innate and adaptive immunity through novel and exciting mechanisms. The injected b...

Sinking organic particles transfer ∼10 gigatonnes of carbon into the deep ocean each year, keeping the atmospheric CO2 concentration significantly lower than would otherwise be the case. The exact size of this effect is strongly influenced by biological activity in the ocean's twilight zone (∼50-1,000 m beneath the surface). Recent work suggests that the resident zooplankton fragment, rather th...

The gut microbiome is highly variable among individuals, largely due to differences in host lifestyle and physiology. However, little is known about the underlying processes or rules that shape the complex microbial community. In this paper, we show that the cumulative relative abundance distribution (CRAD) of microbial species can be approximated by a power law function, and found that the pow...

Translocation of microbial products has been described in chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and correlates with activation of the immune system. We investigated the potential translocation of microbial products in idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia (ICL), a rare disorder characterized by low CD4 T cell counts in the absence of HIV infection. Plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels...

Encapsulation of whole microbial cells in microtubes for use in bioremediation of pollutants in water systems was the main focus of this investigation. Coelectrospinning of a core polymeric solution with bacterial cells and a shell polymer solution using a spinneret with two coaxial capillaries resulted in microtubes with porous walls. The ability of the microtube's structure to support cell at...

The e#ect of +/h, -**ppm calcium hypochlorite soaking on microbial quality of mung seeds and sprouts was investigated. The extended chlorine soaking did not completely eliminate the microflora of the seeds but significantly reduced microbial proliferation rates during storage. Generally, microbial counts of the chlorine-soaked seeds were significantly lower than that of the control. Total plate...

Nutrient availability and ratios can play an important role in shaping microbial communities of freshwater ecosystems. The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) in Mexico is a desert oasis where, perhaps paradoxically, high microbial diversity coincides with extreme oligotrophy. To better understand the effects of nutrients on microbial communities in CCB, a mesocosm experiment was implemented in a stoic...

Microbial diversity in a thermopilic UASB reactor producing biogas from palm oil mill effluent (POME) was investigated. The PCR-based DGGE analysis showed that the microbial population profiles changed with the temperature transition from mesophilic to thermophilic conditions. Acetotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens were found in all three phases: the seed sludge, transition from mesophil...

As much as vertical transmission of microbial symbionts requires their deep integration into the host reproductive and developmental biology, symbiotic lifestyle might profoundly affect bacterial growth and proliferation. This review describes the reproductive oddities displayed by bacteria associated - more or less intimately - with multicellular eukaryotes.