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Microbial growth control refers to various methods employed to inhibit, reduce, or eliminate microorganisms to ensure safety and hygiene across different settings. These methods are categorized based on the target environment and the level of microbial control required.Biocides are versatile agents designed to control microorganisms by either inhibiting their growth or outright killing them. These agents work through various physical, chemical, mechanical, or biological mechanisms. The...
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Radiation and filtration are essential tools for microbial control, targeting microorganisms through distinct mechanisms. Radiation eliminates microbes by damaging their DNA, either killing them or inhibiting their growth. Based on wavelength, radiation is classified into two types: nonionizing and ionizing radiation.Non-ionizing radiation, such as UV radiation (200–400 nm), is absorbed by DNA, causing defects that effectively disinfect surfaces, air, and water, including safety cabinets.
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Aseptic techniques prevent contamination, ensure experimental accuracy, and protect researchers and microbial cultures. These techniques are essential in clinical, industrial, and research settings where sterility is required.Maintaining Sterility in Laboratory PracticesScientists maintain sterility by sterilizing tools with heat or chemicals, disinfecting work surfaces, and handling cultures in controlled environments. Working near an open flame or within a laminar flow hood reduces the risk...
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Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
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Biological agents offer an effective means of controlling microbial growth by leveraging natural processes like predation, competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial substances.Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio species target and kill pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli. They are widely used in poultry farms to control infections. Myxococcus species help combat plant-pathogenic fungi. These naturally occurring predators serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides and...
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Characterizing Microbiome Dynamics &#8211; Flow Cytometry Based Workflows from Pure Cultures to Natural Communities
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Stabilizing microbial communities by looped mass transfer.

Shuang Li1, Nafi'u Abdulkadir1, Florian Schattenberg1

  • 1Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|April 21, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A novel looped mass transfer design stabilizes complex microbiomes over long periods. This method overcomes stochastic fluctuations, ensuring microbial community stability and survival of diverse cell types.

Keywords:
metacommunity assemblymicrobial community cytometrymicrobial ecologysingle-cell analyticsstability

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Ecology
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Complex microbiomes are difficult to control and maintain over generations.
  • Stochastic fluctuations often disrupt microbiome stability.
  • Current methods for assembling and controlling stable microbiomes are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and test a looped mass transfer design for stabilizing complex microbiomes.
  • To investigate the impact of mass transfer rates on microbiome dynamics and stability.
  • To understand the mechanisms underlying microbiome stabilization over extended periods.

Main Methods:

  • Continuous culture of five parallel local microbiomes for over 114 generations.
  • Connection of local microbiomes to a regional pool via a looped mass transfer system.
  • Monitoring of microbiome dynamics using quantitative high-throughput flow cytometry and taxonomic sequencing.

Main Results:

  • Increased mass transfer rates reduced local and temporal variation, enhancing microbiome stability and resistance.
  • Mass transfer synchronized local microbiome structures and promoted nestedness of specific cell types.
  • The regional pool rescued non-growing or slow-growing cells, preventing extinction and ensuring community survival.

Conclusions:

  • Looped mass transfer is an effective strategy for stabilizing complex microbiomes over long timescales.
  • The 'rescue effect' from metacommunity theory is a key mechanism for microbiome stabilization.
  • This design enables control over microbiome assembly and maintenance, overcoming stochasticity and supporting diverse microbial communities.