Most read article(s)
- Public and Environmental Health Microbiology | SpotlightImpact of Currently Marketed Tampons and Menstrual Cups on Staphylococcus aureus Growth and Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 Production In Vitro
- Public and Environmental Health Microbiology | SpotlightDeposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot-Air Hand Dryers
Public and Environmental Health Microbiology | SpotlightDroplet- Rather than Aerosol-Mediated Dispersion Is the Primary Mechanism of Bacterial Transmission from Contaminated Hand-Washing Sink TrapsAmong the possible environmental reservoirs in a patient care environment, sink drains are increasingly recognized as a potential reservoir to hospitalized patients of multidrug-resistant health care-associated pathogens. With increasing antimicrobial resistance limiting therapeutic options for patients, a better understanding of how pathogens disseminate from sink drains is urgently needed. Once this knowledge gap has decreased,...
BiotechnologyBioprospecting Reveals Class III ω-Transaminases Converting Bulky Ketones and Environmentally Relevant PolyaminesAmine transaminases of the class III ω-TAs are key enzymes for modification of chemical building blocks, but finding those capable of converting bulky ketones and (R) amines is still challenging. Here, by an extensive analysis of the substrate spectra of 10 class III ω-TAs, we identified a number of residues playing a role in determining the access and positioning of bulky ketones, bulky amines, and (R)- and (S...
Microbial EcologyManganese Oxide Biomineralization Provides Protection against Nitrite Toxicity in a Cell-Density-Dependent MannerWe present here a direct fitness benefit (i.e., growth advantage) for manganese oxide biomineralization activity in Roseobacter sp. strain AzwK-3b, a model organism used to study this process. We find that strain AzwK-3b in a laboratory culture experiment is growth inhibited by nitrite in manganese-free cultures, while the inhibition is considerably relieved by...
Evolutionary and Genomic MicrobiologyA Type I Restriction-Modification System Associated with Enterococcus faecium Subspecies SeparationEnterococcus faecium is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections around the world. Rising antibiotic resistance in certain E. faecium lineages leaves fewer treatment options. The overarching aim of this work was to determine whether restriction-modification (R-M) systems contribute to the...
Environmental MicrobiologyInhibition Studies with 2-Bromoethanesulfonate Reveal a Novel Syntrophic Relationship in Anaerobic Oleate DegradationIn anaerobic treatment of complex wastewater containing fat, oils, and grease, high long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) concentrations may inhibit microbial communities, particularly those of methanogens. Here, we investigated if anaerobic degradation of LCFAs can proceed when methanogens are inhibited and in the absence of typical external electron acceptors, such as nitrate, iron, or sulfate. Inhibition studies were performed with the...