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Related Concept Videos

Methods to Assess Microbial Communities01:19

Methods to Assess Microbial Communities

Microbial communities, comprising bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganisms, inhabit diverse ecosystems and play crucial roles in environmental and biological processes. Their diversity is defined by three main parameters: species richness (the number of distinct species), species abundance (the relative quantity of each species), and species evenness (how uniformly individual species are distributed in various locations). These factors together shape the structure and ecological balance...
Microbial Biosensors01:17

Microbial Biosensors

Microbial biosensors are analytical devices that utilize living microbes to detect specific substances through measurable signals. These devices consist of two main components: biosensing organisms and signal-transducing elements. Biosensing organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are typically housed in multiwell plates connected to transducers, enabling rapid, real-time detection of target analytes.Signal Generation MechanismWhen a target analyte—such as...
Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods01:27

Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods

Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...
Introduction to Microbial Ecology01:28

Introduction to Microbial Ecology

Microbial ecology examines the complex web of interactions and diversity among microorganisms within various ecosystems. This field seeks to understand how microbial populations adapt to and influence their environments and how these interactions shape broader ecological processes. Microbes are integral to ecosystem function, participating in nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the maintenance of environmental homeostasis.An ecosystem represents a dynamic interaction between living organisms...
Microbial Wastewater Treatment01:30

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.
Methods to Assess Microbial Populations01:30

Methods to Assess Microbial Populations

Assessing microbial populations is crucial for understanding microbial roles in health, ecology, and industry. Various complementary techniques—both culture-based and molecular—enable detailed analysis of microbial abundance, diversity, and function.Viable Plate CountThe viable plate count is a traditional culture-based method used to estimate the number of living microbes in a sample. After serial dilution, the sample is spread onto nutrient agar plates. Each viable cell forms a visible...

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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans
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Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans

Published on: April 28, 2023

Microbial bioindicators for multidimensional assessment of environmental alterations and ecosystem functioning.

Trisnehi Pradhan1, Krishna Palit1, Sharmily Chakraborty1

  • 1Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, Odisha, India.

World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology
|June 29, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Microbial bioindicators, like bacteria and fungi, are sensitive to environmental changes and pollution. They provide early warnings of ecosystem degradation, aiding in environmental monitoring and stability.

Keywords:
BioindicatorBiomarkerBiomonitoringMicroorganismsPollution

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Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry
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Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry
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Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry

Published on: June 6, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Anthropogenic stressors cause pollution and climate change, degrading air, water, and soil quality.
  • Ecosystem functioning is adversely affected by environmental deterioration.
  • Bioindicators are crucial for assessing environmental alterations and ecosystem integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the role of microbial bioindicators in environmental assessment.
  • To discuss the sensitivity and response mechanisms of microbial indicators to environmental changes.
  • To explore the potential of microbial bioindicators in biomonitoring and bioengineering.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on microbial bioindicators.
  • Analysis of physiological, behavioral, and diversity changes in microbes.
  • Examination of responses like bioluminescence, pathogenicity, and altered diversity.

Main Results:

  • Microbial bioindicators, including bacteria, fungi, protists, plankton, and lichen, show high sensitivity to environmental alterations.
  • Microbes respond to disturbances through changes in bioluminescence, pathogenicity, pigmentation, diversity, photosynthetic activity, and chemical degradation.
  • These indicators are vital for identifying polluted environments and providing early warnings of degradation.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial bioindicators are valuable tools for environmental monitoring due to their ecological significance and indicator mechanisms.
  • Advances in molecular biology and bioengineering offer potential for enhanced environmental biomonitoring using microbial approaches.
  • Further research is needed to consolidate knowledge on microbial indicator mechanisms, ecological interactions, and bioengineering applications.