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Salam LB. Metagenomic investigations into the microbial consortia, degradation pathways, and enzyme systems involved in the biodegradation of plastics in a tropical lentic pond sediment. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:172. [PMID: 38630153 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-03972-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The exploitation of exciting features of plastics for diverse applications has resulted in significant plastic waste generation, which negatively impacts environmental compartments, metabolic processes, and the well-being of aquatic ecosystems biota. A shotgun metagenomic approach was deployed to investigate the microbial consortia, degradation pathways, and enzyme systems involved in the degradation of plastics in a tropical lentic pond sediment (APS). Functional annotation of the APS proteome (ORFs) using the PlasticDB database revealed annotation of 1015 proteins of enzymes such as depolymerase, esterase, lipase, hydrolase, nitrobenzylesterase, chitinase, carboxylesterase, polyesterase, oxidoreductase, polyamidase, PETase, MHETase, laccase, alkane monooxygenase, among others involved in the depolymerization of the plastic polymers. It also revealed that polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and nylon have the highest number of annotated enzymes. Further annotation using the KEGG GhostKOALA revealed that except for terephthalate, all the other degradation products of the plastic polymers depolymerization such as glyoxylate, adipate, succinate, 1,4-butanediol, ethylene glycol, lactate, and acetaldehyde were further metabolized to intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Taxonomic characterization of the annotated proteins using the AAI Profiler and BLASTP revealed that Pseudomonadota members dominate most plastic types, followed by Actinomycetota and Acidobacteriota. The study reveals novel plastic degraders from diverse phyla hitherto not reported to be involved in plastic degradation. This suggests that plastic pollution in aquatic environments is prevalent with well-adapted degrading communities and could be the silver lining in mitigating the impacts of plastic pollution in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lateef B Salam
- Microbiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria.
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Shen Y, Howard L, Yu XY. Secondary Ion Mass Spectral Imaging of Metals and Alloys. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:528. [PMID: 38276468 PMCID: PMC10820874 DOI: 10.3390/ma17020528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) is an outstanding technique for Mass Spectral Imaging (MSI) due to its notable advantages, including high sensitivity, selectivity, and high dynamic range. As a result, SIMS has been employed across many domains of science. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of the fundamental principles underlying SIMS, followed by an account of the recent development of SIMS instruments. The review encompasses various applications of specific SIMS instruments, notably static SIMS with time-of-flight SIMS (ToF-SIMS) as a widely used platform and dynamic SIMS with Nano SIMS and large geometry SIMS as successful instruments. We particularly focus on SIMS utility in microanalysis and imaging of metals and alloys as materials of interest. Additionally, we discuss the challenges in big SIMS data analysis and give examples of machine leaning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for effective MSI data analysis. Finally, we recommend the outlook of SIMS development. It is anticipated that in situ and operando SIMS has the potential to significantly enhance the investigation of metals and alloys by enabling real-time examinations of material surfaces and interfaces during dynamic transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Shen
- College of Biology and Oceanography, Weifang University, 5147 Dongfeng East Street, Weifang 261061, China
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Logan Howard
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
- The Bredesen Center, 310 Ferris Hall, 1508 Middle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Xiao-Ying Yu
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
- The Bredesen Center, 310 Ferris Hall, 1508 Middle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Wintjens AGWE, Fransen PPKH, Lenaerts K, Liu H, van Almen GC, van Steensel S, Gijbels MJ, de Hingh IHJT, Dankers PYW, Bouvy ND. Development of a Supramolecular Hydrogel for Intraperitoneal Injections. Macromol Biosci 2024; 24:e2300005. [PMID: 36934315 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
Local intraperitoneal drug administration is considered a challenging drug delivery route. The therapeutic efficiency is low, mainly due to rapid clearance of drugs. To increase the intraperitoneal retention time of specific drugs, a pH-sensitive supramolecular hydrogel that can act as a drug delivery vehicle is developed. To establish the optimal formulation of the hydrogel and to study its feasibility, safety, and tissue compatibility, in vitro, postmortem, and in vivo experiments are performed. In vitro tests reveal that a hydrogelator formulation with pH ≥ 9 results in a constant viscosity of 0.1 Pa·s. After administration postmortem, the hydrogel covers the parietal and visceral peritoneum with a thin, soft layer. In the subsequent in vivo experiments, 14 healthy rats are subjected to intraperitoneal injection with the hydrogel. Fourteen and 28 days after implantation, the animals are euthanized. Intraperitoneal exposure to the hydrogel is not resulted in significant weight loss or discomfort. Moreover, no macroscopic adverse effects or signs of organ damage are detected. In several intra-abdominal tissues, vacuolated macrophages are found indicating a physiological degradation of the synthetic hydrogel. This study demonstrates that the supramolecular hydrogel is safe for intraperitoneal application and that the hydrogel shows good tissue compatibility in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne G W E Wintjens
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6202AZ, The Netherlands
- NUTRIM - School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | | | - Kaatje Lenaerts
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6202AZ, The Netherlands
- NUTRIM - School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6202AZ, The Netherlands
- NUTRIM - School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6211LK, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sebastiaan van Steensel
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6202AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Marion J Gijbels
- NUTRIM - School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6211LK, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6202AZ, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Experimental Vascular Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, 1081HV, The Netherlands
| | - Ignace H J T de Hingh
- GROW - School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6211LK, The Netherlands
- Department of Surgery, Catharina Hospital Eindhoven, Eindhoven, 5623EJ, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia Y W Dankers
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5612AE, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5612AE, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole D Bouvy
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6202AZ, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Experimental Vascular Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, 1081HV, The Netherlands
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Tarring EC, Durance I, Harbottle MJ, Lucas R, Read DS, Ward BD. Water-soluble polymers: Emerging contaminants detected, separated and quantified by a novel GPC/MALDI-TOF method. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 340:122888. [PMID: 37940017 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are additives used as thickeners, stabilisers and flocculants in industry and in household products, including personal care products. Given their widespread use, it is likely WSPs enter the environment, particularly through wastewaters. This is of concern as there is little ecotoxicological research on their fate and behaviour once in the environment, which means their risk to aquatic life is not understood. The lack of suitable analytical techniques to detect, characterise and quantify WSPs hinders research on the potential impact of these polymers. A novel method has been developed that identifies polymers within a sample and separates them using gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). This is coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), to quantify the polymer fractions using molecular weight information. This process has been carried out on a range of aqueous media. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) ingredients were successfully separated from non-polymeric material in a commercial shaving gel personal care product (PCP), before being quantified at 1.62 wt%. This method was applied to a spiked wastewater influent sample to demonstrate the extraction and separation of PEG from organic constituents such as dissolved organic matter (DOM). This highlighted the additional challenges of analysing WSPs in the environment, as factors such as sorption and biodegradation affected the total recovery of PEG, with an extraction efficiency of 53%. Overall, this method was applied for the extraction of PEG from a PCP with accurate quantification, before a proof-of-concept extraction from wastewater demonstrated the difficulties associated with WSP analysis in environmental samples. This method provides opportunities to use tandem GPC/MALDI-TOF MS to quantify WSPs in a broad array of environmental samples. Additional studies could include its application to wastewater or freshwater monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve C Tarring
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle Durance
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Daniel S Read
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin D Ward
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
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Franchi E, Cardaci A, Pietrini I, Fusini D, Conte A, De Folly D’Auris A, Grifoni M, Pedron F, Barbafieri M, Petruzzelli G, Vocciante M. Nature-Based Solutions for Restoring an Agricultural Area Contaminated by an Oil Spill. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:2250. [PMID: 36079632 PMCID: PMC9459758 DOI: 10.3390/plants11172250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A feasibility study is presented for a bioremediation intervention to restore agricultural activity in a field hit by a diesel oil spill from an oil pipeline. The analysis of the real contaminated soil was conducted following two approaches. The first concerned the assessment of the biodegradative capacity of the indigenous microbial community through laboratory-scale experimentation with different treatments (natural attenuation, landfarming, landfarming + bioaugmentation). The second consisted of testing the effectiveness of phytoremediation with three plant species: Zea mays (corn), Lupinus albus (lupine) and Medicago sativa (alfalfa). With the first approach, after 180 days, the different treatments led to biodegradation percentages between 83 and 96% for linear hydrocarbons and between 76 and 83% for branched ones. In case of contamination by petroleum products, the main action of plants is to favor the degradation of hydrocarbons in the soil by stimulating microbial activity thanks to root exudates. The results obtained in this experiment confirm that the presence of plants favors a decrease in the hydrocarbon content, resulting in an improved degradation of up to 18% compared with non-vegetated soils. The addition of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) isolated from the contaminated soil also promoted the growth of the tested plants. In particular, an increase in biomass of over 50% was found for lupine. Finally, the metagenomic analysis of the contaminated soil allowed for evaluating the evolution of the composition of the microbial communities during the experimentation, with a focus on hydrocarbon- oxidizing bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Franchi
- Eni S.p.A, Research & Development, Environmental & Biological Laboratories, Via Maritano 26, 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Anna Cardaci
- Eni S.p.A, Research & Development, Environmental & Biological Laboratories, Via Maritano 26, 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pietrini
- Eni S.p.A, Research & Development, Environmental & Biological Laboratories, Via Maritano 26, 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Danilo Fusini
- Eni S.p.A, Research & Development, Environmental & Biological Laboratories, Via Maritano 26, 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Alessandro Conte
- Eni S.p.A, Research & Development, Environmental & Biological Laboratories, Via Maritano 26, 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Alessandra De Folly D’Auris
- Eni S.p.A, Research & Development, Environmental & Biological Laboratories, Via Maritano 26, 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Martina Grifoni
- Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystem, National Council of Research, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Pedron
- Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystem, National Council of Research, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Meri Barbafieri
- Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystem, National Council of Research, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Gianniantonio Petruzzelli
- Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystem, National Council of Research, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Vocciante
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Università Degli Studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genova, Italy
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Screening of Plants and Indigenous Bacteria to Improve Arsenic Phytoextraction. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12147267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is one of the most common inorganic pollutants; unfortunately, it is also one of the most toxic and is therefore a cause of great concern for the health risks that could result from it. Removing arsenic from the soil using phytoremediation approaches is an effective strategy, and several studies demonstrate the ability of Cannabis sativa (TSN 19109, hemp) to tolerate this harmful contaminant. The aim of this work was to identify the best experimental conditions for a phytoremediation plan to be applied in a disused area located in Sicily (Italy) and contaminated by As, comparing Cannabis sativa with Brassica juncea (TSN 23059) and Zea mays (TSN 42269, corn). To assist the process, several chelating agents were tested to improve arsenic mobility, and two different sets of arsenic-tolerant bacteria were isolated from the rhizospheric soil of indigenous herbaceous species and used to promote plant growth, leading to a significant improvement in terms of biomass produced and phytoextraction. After the combined treatment, the arsenic content in the aerial part of the plants increased by more than two orders of magnitude (e.g., from 0.05 to 6.57 mg kg−1, from 0.04 to 6.69 mg kg−1, and from 0.03 to 5.57 mg kg−1 for brassica, corn, and hemp, respectively), confirming the marked increase in the total absorption of As by plants.
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Pereira Neves H, Max Dias Ferreira G, Max Dias Ferreira G, Rodrigues de Lemos L, Dias Rodrigues G, Albis Leão V, Barbosa Mageste A. Liquid-liquid extraction of rare earth elements using systems that are more environmentally friendly: Advances, challenges and perspectives. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2021.120064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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The Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Mitigating Plant’s Environmental Stresses. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12031231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and sustainable technology used to clean up pollutants from soils and waters through the use of plant species. Indeed, plants are naturally capable of absorbing metals and degrading organic molecules. However, in several cases, the presence of contaminants causes plant suffering and limited growth. In such situations, thanks to the production of specific root exudates, plants can engage the most suitable bacteria able to support their growth according to the particular environmental stress. These plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may facilitate plant growth and development with several beneficial effects, even more evident when plants are grown in critical environmental conditions, such as the presence of toxic contaminants. For instance, PGPR may alleviate metal phytotoxicity by altering metal bioavailability in soil and increasing metal translocation within the plant. Since many of the PGPR are also hydrocarbon oxidizers, they are also able to support and enhance plant biodegradation activity. Besides, PGPR in agriculture can be an excellent support to counter the devastating effects of abiotic stress, such as excessive salinity and drought, replacing expensive inorganic fertilizers that hurt the environment. A better and in-depth understanding of the function and interactions of plants and associated microorganisms directly in the matrix of interest, especially in the presence of persistent contamination, could provide new opportunities for phytoremediation.
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