The need to study the holobiome for gainful uses of endophytes

It is established that endophytes (bacteria and fungi) affect positively several traits of their host plants including growth, nutrient acquisition, and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors. Owing to this, endophytes are envisaged as a route to improve sustainable agricultural production. However, such effects of endophytes on crops although evident under lab conditions, are devoid of consistency under field conditions. The main reason for this could be the lack of our understanding of the functioning of the endophytes as a consortium within the plant (holobiome). It is essential to study the complex web of interactions which operate in the inner tissues of plants harboring endophytes. I highlight here, alluding to the work on foliar fungal endophytes, the importance of studying endophytes as a consortium rather than merely as one species in isolation to better appreciate their role in the plant holobiome. Such an approach should aid in harnessing the technological potential of endophytes.     

微生物“暗物质”研究曙光

微生物是地球上生命的主体之一,拥有极为丰富多彩的代谢途径,在很大程度上塑造了使人类宜居的地球。由于绝大部分环境中的微生物无法被分离和培养,微生物被喻为生命物质中的"暗物质"。近年来,迅猛发展的基因组学技术有力地推动了微生物"暗物质"的研究,使我国微生物生态学科发展从"诞生期"和"启蒙期"跨越式发展到"暴发期",乐观预测未来可能进入一个具有鲜明特色的"领航期"。     

微生物生态学驱动社会与经济“绿色高效发展”

面对物种数量繁多、生态分布广泛、生态功能强大的微生物资源,微生物生态学的任务一方面在于不断发现和认识这类生命"暗物质"及其存在机制,另一方面要充分挖掘和利用这些微生物资源。微生物生态学的应用从最早的混合发酵发展到极端微生物资源利用、微生物生态制剂开发逐渐拓展到合成微生物生态等多个领域。2019年10月在湖南省长沙市举行的"中国生态学学会微生物生态专业委员会学术年会"设立了3个与微生物生态学应用相关的分会场,本期《微生物学通报》也开辟了"人工生态系统微生物"栏目,凸显了我国微生物生态学在资源、能源和环境等应用领域的成果,让我们看到了其成为社会与经济"绿色高效发展"重要驱动力的希望。     

大庆油田微生物采油现场试验进展

本文介绍近十几年以来大庆油田利用具有产气、降解原油、产生物表面活性剂及堵调性能的菌剂,通过地下发酵,开展微生物采油现场试验取得的进展.分析了该项技术适用的油藏条件和应用特点.截止到2012年底,应用微生物采油技术增产原油达12×104 t.其中微生物单井吞吐518口,累计增油6.3×104t,实施微生物驱和调驱项目10项(45个井组),累计增油5.7×104 t,为大庆油田稳产发挥了重要作用.     

Changes in microbial nutrient status during secondary succession and its modification by earthworms

Summary Microbial biomass, nutrient (N and P) status, and carbon and nutrient limitation of the microflora were investigated in soils from five different sites (field, 5-, 12-, and about 50-year-old fallow, beechwood), which represent different stages of a secondary succession from a wheat field to the climax ecosystem of a beechwood on limestone. In addition, the effect of faeces production by the substrate feeding earthworm species Octolasion lacteum (Örley) on the nutrient status of the soil microflora of these sites was studied. Humus had accumulated in the soil of the third fallow site, with an enhanced biomass of microflora. However, in the beechwood soil, which had the highest humus content, microbial biomass was lower than in the soil of the third fallow site and similar to that of the field and the two younger fallow sites. In general, soil microbial biomass was little affected by the passage of soil through the gut of O. lacteum. The soil microflora of the field, the 5-, 12-, and about 50-year-old fallow was limited by carbon, whereas in the beechwood soil phosphorus limited microbial growth. NItrogen availability to the soil microflora was low in the two younger fallow sites and high in the field and the third fallow. In the beechwood soil nitrogen supply did not affect microbial carbon utilization. Application of phosphorus stimulated glucose mineralization in the soil of the field, the third fallow, and the beechwood, but not in the two younger fallow sites. Therefor, the nutrient status of the soil microflora seems to have changed during secondary succession: presumably, during the first phase the availability of nitrogen decreased, whereas during the second phase microbial phosphorus supply became more important, which resulted in phosphorus limitation of the soil microflora in the climax ecosystem. The passage of soil through the gut of O. lacteum caused an alteration in the microbial nutrient status. Generally, microbial growth in earthworm casts was limited by carbon. The relative effect of the gut passage of the soils on microbial carbon utilization seems to increase during succession. Therefore, the effect of decomposer invertebrates on microbial nutrient supply seems to increase during secondary succession. In general, nitrogen did not limit microbial carbon utilization in earthworm casts. Phosphorus requirements of the soil microflora were lowered by the gut passage of the soil of the third fallow site and the beechwood, which indicates an increased phosphorus supply in earthworm casts. Howerver, this additional supply was not sufficient to enable optimal carbon utilization by the soil microflora. The results indicate that the effect of decomposer invertebrates on the soil microflora depends on the nutrient status of the ecosystem.     

微生物菌剂在难降解有机污染治理的研究进展

大量的难降解有机污染物被排放到环境中,因其蓄积性、持久性和生物毒性,对人类健康和生态环境造成严重危害。近年来,利用微生物菌剂治理难降解有机污染物的研究已取得较好的进展。综述微生物菌剂在国内外的发展历程,介绍微生物菌剂制备中常用的固定化技术及载体材料,并分析总结微生物菌剂在酚类物质、多环芳烃和多氯联苯等有机污染物治理中的研究进展。在此基础上,提出治理难降解有机污染物的微生物菌剂研发所存在的主要问题及其展望。     

A comprehensive review of microbial electrochemical systems as a platform technology

Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) use microorganisms to covert the chemical energy stored in biodegradable materials to direct electric current and chemicals. Compared to traditional treatment-focused, energy-intensive environmental technologies, this emerging technology offers a new and transformative solution for integrated waste treatment and energy and resource recovery, because it offers a flexible platform for both oxidation and reduction reaction oriented processes. All MESs share one common principle in the anode chamber, in which biodegradable substrates, such as waste materials, are oxidized and generate electrical current. In contrast, a great variety of applications have been developed by utilizing this in situ current, such as direct power generation (microbial fuel cells, MFCs), chemical production (microbial electrolysis cells, MECs; microbial electrosynthesis, MES), or water desalination (microbial desalination cells, MDCs). Different from previous reviews that either focus on one function or a specific application aspect, this article provides a comprehensive and quantitative review of all the different functions or system constructions with different acronyms developed so far from the MES platform and summarizes nearly 50 corresponding systems to date. It also provides discussions on the future development of this promising yet early-stage technology.     

Electroactive mixed culture derived biofilms in microbial bioelectrochemical systems: the role of pH on biofilm formation, performance and composition

The pH-value played a crucial role for the development and current production of anodic microbial electroactive biofilms. It was demonstrated that only a narrow pH-window, ranging from pH 6 to 9, was suitable for growth and operation of biofilms derived from pH-neutral wastewater. Any stronger deviation from pH neutral conditions led to a substantial decrease in the biofilm performance. Thus, average current densities of 151, 821 and 730 μA cm(-2) were measured for anode biofilms grown and operated at pH 6, 7 and 9 respectively. The microbial diversity of the anode chamber community during the biofilm selection process was studied using the low cost method flow-cytometry. Thereby, it was demonstrated that the pH value as well as the microbial inocula had an impact on the resulting anode community structure. As shown by cyclic voltammetry the electron transfer thermodynamics of the biofilms was strongly depending on the solution's pH-value.     

Long-term cathode performance and the microbial communities that develop in microbial fuel cells fed different fermentation endproducts

To better understand how cathode performance and substrates affected communities that evolved in these reactors over long periods of time, microbial fuel cells were operated for more than 1 year with individual endproducts of lignocellulose fermentation (acetic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, or ethanol). Large variations in reactor performance were primarily due to the specific substrates, with power densities ranging from 835 ± 21 to 62 ± 1 mW/m³. Cathodes performance degraded over time, as shown by an increase in power of up to 26% when the cathode biofilm was removed, and 118% using new cathodes. Communities that developed on the anodes included exoelectrogenic families, such as Rhodobacteraceae, Geobacteraceae, and Peptococcaceae, with the Deltaproteobacteria dominating most reactors. Pelobacter propionicus was the predominant member in reactors fed acetic acid, and it was abundant in several other MFCs. These results provide valuable insights into the effects of long-term MFC operation on reactor performance.