Microbes make the meal: oligolectic bees require microbes within their host pollen to thrive
- Award ID(s):
- 1929499
- PAR ID:
- 10253224
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Ecological Entomology
- Volume:
- 45
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0307-6946
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1418 to 1427
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
Microbes on a chip: How microfluidics can help us better understand and engineer electroactive microbes EEU is a relatively newly discovered process in microbiology. The Bose research group is bringing an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the molecular mechanisms behind EEU and how it can be engineered to provide potential solutions to the climate crisis. These solutions come from the capacity of some EEU-capable microbes to use chemical energy (chemoautotrophs) or light energy (photoautotrophs) in a process like photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into biomass. EEU-capable chemoautotrophs and photoautotrophs are quite common in nature and could not only be used to remove CO2 from the environment but also to concurrently produce bioplastics or biofuels through microbial electrosynthesis.more » « less
-
Surfactants, both synthetic and natural, are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Organisms from extreme environments are well-adapted to the harsh conditions and represent an exciting avenue of discovery of naturally occurring biosurfactants, yet microorganisms from cold environments have been largely overlooked for their biotechnological potential as biosurfactant producers. In this study, four cold-adapted bacterial isolates from Antarctica are investigated for their ability to produce biosurfactants. Here we report on the physical properties and chemical structure of biosurfactants from the genera Janthinobacterium, Psychrobacter, and Serratia. These organisms were able to grow on diesel, motor oil, and crude oil at 4 °C. Putative identification showed the presence of sophorolipids and rhamnolipids. Emulsion index test (E24) activity ranged from 36.4–66.7%. Oil displacement tests were comparable to 0.1–1.0% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions. Data presented herein are the first report of organisms of the genus Janthinobacterium to produce biosurfactants and their metabolic capabilities to degrade diverse petroleum hydrocarbons. The organisms’ ability to produce biosurfactants and grow on different hydrocarbons as their sole carbon and energy source at low temperatures (4 °C) makes them suitable candidates for the exploration of hydrocarbon bioremediation in low-temperature environments.more » « less
An official website of the United States government

