Project description:Human skeletal tissue contains an abundance of proteins some of which may be preserved over geological timescales. The profiling of proteins from ancient individuals — or palaeoproteomics —has begun to provide new information about the diseases suffered in past societies. We describe here the first dental palaeoproteomic profiles of Iron Age individuals, collected from the site of Long Long Rak rockshelter in northwest Thailand. We recovered amino acid sequences for thousands of proteins preserved in their dental tissue, however, it is evident that these palaeoproteomic profiles comprise a palimpsest of modifications that occurred both ante-mortem and post-mortem. Palaeoproteomic profiles are able to categorise disease and show the capacity of these individuals for harboring a variety of illnesses prior to death. Here we apply for the first time palaeoproteomic analysis to five prehistoric human teeth from Southeast Asia. We combine this method with stable isotope analysis using δ18O and δ13C values to broadly identify the diet of these individuals. The specimens were collected from log coffins contained within the Iron Age site of Long Long Rak (LLR) rockshelter in Pang Mapha district, Mae Hong Son Province, northwest Thailand.. Radiocarbon dating shows these log coffins to date within the range of 1,960±30 cal. yr BP to 1,636±44 cal. yr BP.
Project description:Eutrophication can lead to an uncontrollable increase in algal biomass, which has repercussions for the entire microbial and pelagic community. Studies have shown how nutrient enrichment affects microbial species succession, however details regarding the impact on community functionality are rare. Here, we applied a metaproteomic approach to investigate the functional changes to algal and bacterial communities, over time, in oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions, in freshwater microcosms. Samples were taken early during algal and cyanobacterial dominance and later under bacterial dominance. 1048 proteins, from the two treatments and two timepoints, were identified and quantified by their exponentially modified protein abundance index. In oligotrophic conditions, Bacteroidetes express extracellular hydrolases and Ton-B dependent receptors to degrade and transport high molecular weight compounds captured while attached to the phycosphere. Alpha- and Beta-proteobacteria were found to capture different substrates from algal exudate (carbohydrates and amino acids, respectively) suggesting resource partitioning to avoid direct competition. In eutrophic conditions, environmental adaptation proteins from cyanobacteria suggested better resilience compared to algae in a low carbon nutrient enriched environment. This study provides insight into differences in functional microbial processes between oligo- and eutrophic conditions at different timepoints and highlights how primary producers control bacterial resources in freshwater environments.
Project description:Background: The soil environment is responsible for sustaining most terrestrial plant life on earth, yet we know surprisingly little about the important functions carried out by diverse microbial communities in soil. Soil microbes that inhabit the channels of decaying root systems, the detritusphere, are likely to be essential for plant growth and health, as these channels are the preferred locations of new root growth. Understanding the microbial metagenome of the detritusphere and how it responds to agricultural management such as crop rotations and soil tillage will be vital for improving global food production. Methods: The rhizosphere soils of wheat and chickpea growing under + and - decaying root were collected for metagenomics sequencing. A gene catalogue was established by de novo assembling metagenomic sequencing. Genes abundance was compared between bulk soil and rhizosphere soils under different treatments. Conclusions: The study describes the diversity and functional capacity of a high-quality soil microbial metagenome. The results demonstrate the contribution of the microbiome from decaying root in determining the metagenome of developing root systems, which is fundamental to plant growth, since roots preferentially inhabit previous root channels. Modifications in root microbial function through soil management, can ultimately govern plant health, productivity and food security.
Project description:Metagenome data from soil samples were collected at 0 to 10cm deep from 2 avocado orchards in Channybearup, Western Australia, in 2024. Amplicon sequence variant (ASV) tables were constructed based on the DADA2 pipeline with default parameters.