Project description:Campylobacter fetus infection is a substantial problem in herds of domestic cattle worldwide and a rising threat in human disease. Application of comparative and functional genomics approaches will be essential to understand the molecular basis of this pathogen's interactions with various hosts. Here we report recent progress in genome analyses of C. fetus ssp. fetus and C. fetus ssp. venerealis, and the development of molecular tools to determine the genetic basis of niche-specific adaptations. Campylobacter research has been strengthened by the rapid advancements in imaging technology occurring throughout microbiology. To move forward in understanding the mechanisms underlying C. fetus virulence, current efforts focus on developing suitable in vitro models to reflect host- and tissue-specific aspects of infection.
Project description:Microbial contamination of pharmaceutical preparations may cause health hazard to the patient (e.g. infection, pyrogenic or allergic reaction), altered therapeutic activity of the product, or other decrease in quality (turbidity, loss of consistency, altered pH). This chapter provides a general introduction on pharmaceutical microbiology by focusing on the essential properties of micro-organisms. First of all the basic characteristics of life and the types of biological contaminants and potentially infectious agents of pharmaceutical products will be discussed: viz. prions, viruses, mollicutes, bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins. In the next section factors affecting survival and growth of micro-organisms are discussed. In addition to well-known factors such as time, temperature, and chemical and physical characteristics of the environment, attention will be paid to biofilm formation. Primary microbiological contamination is prevented by implementing an adequate microbiological quality control and quality assurance program and by following cGMPs during production. Microbiological quality control of pharmaceutical preparations and monitoring of production areas depend on the detection and quantification of micro-organisms. The classical, growth based, methods and some of the commercially available alternative methods are discussed. Understanding essential microbiological concepts is necessary in designing both microbiologically stable pharmaceutical products and ensuring an effective quality control and monitoring program within the manufacturing or preparation facility.
Project description:Systems biology and functional genomics require genome-wide datasets and resources. Complete sets of cloned open reading frames (ORFs) have been made for about a dozen bacterial species and allow researchers to express and study complete proteomes in a high-throughput fashion.We have constructed an open reading frame (ORFeome) collection of 3974 or 94% of the known Escherichia coli K-12 ORFs in Gateway entry vector pENTR/Zeo. The collection has been used for protein expression and protein interaction studies. For example, we have compared interactions among YgjD, YjeE and YeaZ proteins in E. coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. We also compare this ORFeome with other Gateway-compatible bacterial ORFeomes and show its utility for comparative functional genomics.The E. coli ORFeome provides a useful resource for functional genomics and other areas of protein research in a highly flexible format. Our comparison with other ORFeomes makes comparative analyses straighforward and facilitates direct comparisons of many proteins across many genomes.
Project description:The skin is the primary physical barrier between the body and the external environment and is also a substrate for the colonization of numerous microbes. Previously, dermatological microbiology research was dominated by culture-based techniques, but significant advances in genomic technologies have enabled the development of less-biased, culture-independent approaches to characterize skin microbial communities. These molecular microbiology approaches illustrate the great diversity of microbiota colonizing the skin and highlight unique features such as site specificity, temporal dynamics, and interpersonal variation. Disruptions in skin commensal microbiota are associated with the progression of many dermatological diseases. A greater understanding of how skin microbes interact with each other and with their host, and how we can therapeutically manipulate those interactions, will provide powerful tools for treating and preventing dermatological disease.
Project description:The field of microbiology has experienced significant growth due to transformative advances in technology and the influx of scientists driven by a curiosity to understand how microbes sustain myriad biochemical processes that maintain Earth. With this explosion in scientific output, a significant bottleneck has been the ability to rapidly disseminate new knowledge to peers and the public. Preprints have emerged as a tool that a growing number of microbiologists are using to overcome this bottleneck. Posting preprints can help to transparently recruit a more diverse pool of reviewers prior to submitting to a journal for formal peer review. Although the use of preprints is still limited in the biological sciences, early indications are that preprints are a robust tool that can complement and enhance peer-reviewed publications. As publishing moves to embrace advances in Internet technology, there are many opportunities for preprints and peer-reviewed journals to coexist in the same ecosystem.
Project description:BackgroundDigitalization and artificial intelligence have an important impact on the way microbiology laboratories will work in the near future. Opportunities and challenges lie ahead to digitalize the microbiological workflows. Making efficient use of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in clinical microbiology requires a profound understanding of data handling aspects.ObjectiveThis review article summarizes the most important concepts of digital microbiology. The article gives microbiologists, clinicians and data scientists a viewpoint and practical examples along the diagnostic process.SourcesWe used peer-reviewed literature identified by a PubMed search for digitalization, machine learning, artificial intelligence and microbiology.ContentWe describe the opportunities and challenges of digitalization in microbiological diagnostic processes with various examples. We also provide in this context key aspects of data structure and interoperability, as well as legal aspects. Finally, we outline the way for applications in a modern microbiology laboratory.ImplicationsWe predict that digitalization and the usage of machine learning will have a profound impact on the daily routine of laboratory staff. Along the analytical process, the most important steps should be identified, where digital technologies can be applied and provide a benefit. The education of all staff involved should be adapted to prepare for the advances in digital microbiology.
Project description:Unique microbial communities in ancient volcanic ash layers within deep marine sediments are structured by the composition of iron phases