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Contente D, Díaz-Formoso L, Feito J, Gómez-Sala B, Costas D, Hernández PE, Muñoz-Atienza E, Borrero J, Poeta P, Cintas LM. Antimicrobial Activity, Genetic Relatedness, and Safety Assessment of Potential Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from a Rearing Tank of Rotifers ( Brachionus plicatilis) Used as Live Feed in Fish Larviculture. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1415. [PMID: 38791633 PMCID: PMC11117289 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaculture is a rapidly expanding agri-food industry that faces substantial economic losses due to infectious disease outbreaks, such as bacterial infections. These outbreaks cause disruptions and high mortalities at various stages of the rearing process, especially in the larval stages. Probiotic bacteria are emerging as promising and sustainable alternative or complementary strategies to vaccination and the use of antibiotics in aquaculture. In this study, potential probiotic candidates for larviculture were isolated from a rotifer-rearing tank used as the first live feed for turbot larvae. Two Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and two Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolates were selected for further characterization due to their wide and strong antimicrobial activity against several ichthyopathogens, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative. An extensive in vitro safety assessment of these four isolates revealed the absence of harmful traits, such as acquired antimicrobial resistance and other virulence factors (i.e., hemolytic and gelatinase activities, bile salt deconjugation, and mucin degradation, as well as PCR detection of biogenic amine production). Moreover, Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR) analyses unveiled their genetic relatedness, revealing two divergent clusters within each species. To our knowledge, this work reports for the first time the isolation and characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) with potential use as probiotics in aquaculture from rotifer-rearing tanks, which have the potential to optimize turbot larviculture and to introduce novel microbial management approaches for a sustainable aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Contente
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
| | - Lara Díaz-Formoso
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
| | - Javier Feito
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
| | - Beatriz Gómez-Sala
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland;
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, R93 XE12 Cork, Ireland
| | - Damián Costas
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Centro de Investigación Mariña (ECIMAT), 36331 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Pablo E. Hernández
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
| | - Estefanía Muñoz-Atienza
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
| | - Juan Borrero
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
| | - Patrícia Poeta
- Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal;
- CECAV-Veterinary and Animal Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Luis M. Cintas
- Grupo de Seguridad y Calidad de los Alimentos por Bacterias Lácticas, Bacteriocinas y Probióticos (SEGA-BALBP), Sección Departamental de Nutrición y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (D.C.); (L.D.-F.); (P.E.H.); (E.M.-A.); (J.B.)
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Mathan Muthu CM, Vickram AS, Bhavani Sowndharya B, Saravanan A, Kamalesh R, Dinakarkumar Y. A comprehensive review on the utilization of probiotics in aquaculture towards sustainable shrimp farming. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 147:109459. [PMID: 38369068 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Probiotics in shrimp aquaculture have gained considerable attention as a potential solution to enhance production efficiency, disease management, and overall sustainability. Probiotics, beneficial microorganisms, have shown promising effects when administered to shrimp as dietary supplements or water additives. Their inclusion has been linked to improved gut health, nutrient absorption, and disease resistance in shrimp. Probiotics also play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced microbial community within the shrimp pond environment, enhancing water quality and reducing pathogen prevalence. This article briefly summarizes the many ways that probiotics are used in shrimp farming and the advantages that come with them. Despite the promising results, challenges such as strain selection, dosage optimization, and environmental conditions are carefully addressed for successful probiotic integration in shrimp aquaculture. The potential of probiotics as a sustainable and ecologically friendly method of promoting shrimp development and health while advancing environmentally friendly shrimp farming techniques is highlighted in this analysis. Further research is required to fully exploit probiotics' benefits and develop practical guidelines for their effective implementation in shrimp aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Mathan Muthu
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - A S Vickram
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India.
| | - B Bhavani Sowndharya
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - A Saravanan
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - R Kamalesh
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India
| | - Yuvaraj Dinakarkumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Vel Tech High Tech Dr. Rangarajan Dr. Sakunthala Engineering College, Chennai, India
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Zhu X, Yang P, Xiong G, Wei H, Zhang L, Wang Z, Ning K. Microbial biogeochemical cycling reveals the sustainability of the rice-crayfish co-culture model. iScience 2023; 26:106769. [PMID: 37234090 PMCID: PMC10206492 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaculture has great potential in nourishing the global growing population, while such staggering yields are coupled with environmental pollution. Rice-crayfish co-culture models (RCFP) have been widely adopted in China due to their eco-friendliness. However, little is known about RCFP's microbiome pattern, which hinders our understanding of its sustainability. This study has conducted metagenomic analysis across aquaculture models and habitats, which revealed aquaculture model-specific biogeochemical cycling pattern (e.g., nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and carbon (C)): RCFP is advantageous in N-assimilation, N-contamination, and S-pollutants removal, while non-RCFP features N denitrification process and higher S metabolism ability, producing several hazardous pollutants in non-RCFP (e.g., nitric oxide, nitrogen monoxide, and sulfide). Moreover, RCFP has greater capacity for carbohydrate enzyme metabolism compared with non-RCFP in environmental habitats, but not in crayfish gut. Collectively, RCFP plays an indispensable role in balancing aquaculture productivity and environmental protection, which might be applied to the blue transformation of aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Pengshuo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Guangzhou Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Huimin Wei
- Key Laboratory for Environment and Disaster Monitoring and Evaluation of Hubei, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Environment and Disaster Monitoring and Evaluation of Hubei, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- Key Laboratory for Environment and Disaster Monitoring and Evaluation of Hubei, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430077, China
| | - Kang Ning
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
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Hines IS, Markov Madanick J, Smith SA, Kuhn DD, Stevens AM. Analysis of the core bacterial community associated with consumer-ready Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281747. [PMID: 36812164 PMCID: PMC9946220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Shellfish, such as the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), are an important agricultural commodity. Previous research has demonstrated the importance of the native microbiome of oysters against exogenous challenges by non-native pathogens. However, the taxonomic makeup of the oyster microbiome and the impact of environmental factors on it are understudied. Research was conducted quarterly over a calendar year (February 2020 through February 2021) to analyze the taxonomic diversity of bacteria present within the microbiome of consumer-ready-to-eat live Eastern oysters. It was hypothesized that a core group of bacterial species would be present in the microbiome regardless of external factors such as the water temperature at the time of harvest or post-harvesting processing. At each time point, 18 Chesapeake Bay (eastern United States) watershed aquacultured oysters were acquired from a local grocery store, genomic DNA was extracted from the homogenized whole oyster tissues, and the bacterial 16S rRNA gene hypervariable V4 region was PCR-amplified using barcoded primers prior to sequencing via Illumina MiSeq and bioinformatic analysis of the data. A core group of bacteria were identified to be consistently associated with the Eastern oyster, including members of the phyla Firmicutes and Spirochaetota, represented by the families Mycoplasmataceae and Spirochaetaceae, respectively. The phyla Cyanobacterota and Campliobacterota became more predominant in relation to warmer or colder water column temperature, respectively, at the time of oyster harvest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Hines
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Justin Markov Madanick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Stephen A. Smith
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - David D. Kuhn
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ann M. Stevens
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Zhou Q, Zhu X, Li Y, Yang P, Wang S, Ning K, Chen S. Intestinal microbiome-mediated resistance against vibriosis for Cynoglossus semilaevis. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:153. [PMID: 36138436 PMCID: PMC9503257 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01346-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases have caused huge economic loss and food security issues in fish aquaculture. Current management and breeding strategies heavily rely on the knowledge of regulative mechanisms underlying disease resistance. Though the intestinal microbial community was linked with disease infection, there is little knowledge about the roles of intestinal microbes in fish disease resistance. Cynoglossus semilaevis is an economically important and widely cultivated flatfish species in China. However, it suffers from outbreaks of vibriosis, which results in huge mortalities and economic loss. RESULTS Here, we used C. semilaevis as a research model to investigate the host-microbiome interactions in regulating vibriosis resistance. The resistance to vibriosis was reflected in intestinal microbiome on both taxonomic and functional levels. Such differences also influenced the host gene expressions in the resistant family. Moreover, the intestinal microbiome might control the host immunological homeostasis and inflammation to enhance vibriosis resistance through the microbe-intestine-immunity axis. For example, Phaeobacter regulated its hdhA gene and host cyp27a1 gene up-expressed in bile acid biosynthesis pathways, but regulated its trxA gene and host akt gene down-expressed in proinflammatory cytokines biosynthesis pathways, to reduce inflammation and resist disease infection in the resistant family. Furthermore, the combination of intestinal microbes and host genes as biomarkers could accurately differentiate resistant family from susceptible family. CONCLUSION Our study uncovered the regulatory patterns of the microbe-intestine-immunity axis that may contribute to vibriosis resistance in C. semilaevis. These findings could facilitate the disease control and selective breeding of superior germplasm with high disease resistance in fish aquaculture. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhou
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences/Key Laboratory for Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture; Shandong Key Laboratory for Marine Fishery Biotechnology and Genetic Breeding; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, China
| | - Xue Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Yangzhen Li
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences/Key Laboratory for Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture; Shandong Key Laboratory for Marine Fishery Biotechnology and Genetic Breeding; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, China
| | - Pengshuo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Shengpeng Wang
- Dezhou Key Laboratory for Applied Bile Acid Research, Shandong Longchang Animal Health Product Co., Ltd., Qihe, Shandong Lachance Co., Ltd., Jinan, 251100, Shandong, China
| | - Kang Ning
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular-imaging, Center of AI Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, Hubei, China.
| | - Songlin Chen
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences/Key Laboratory for Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture; Shandong Key Laboratory for Marine Fishery Biotechnology and Genetic Breeding; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, China.
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Henriksen NNSE, Lindqvist LL, Wibowo M, Sonnenschein EC, Bentzon-Tilia M, Gram L. Role is in the eye of the beholder-the multiple functions of the antibacterial compound tropodithietic acid produced by marine Rhodobacteraceae. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:fuac007. [PMID: 35099011 PMCID: PMC9075582 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many microbial secondary metabolites have been studied for decades primarily because of their antimicrobial properties. However, several of these metabolites also possess nonantimicrobial functions, both influencing the physiology of the producer and their ecological neighbors. An example of a versatile bacterial secondary metabolite with multiple functions is the tropone derivative tropodithietic acid (TDA). TDA is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial compound produced by several members of the Rhodobacteraceae family, a major marine bacterial lineage, within the genera Phaeobacter, Tritonibacter, and Pseudovibrio. The production of TDA is governed by the mode of growth and influenced by the availability of nutrient sources. The antibacterial effect of TDA is caused by disruption of the proton motive force of target microorganisms and, potentially, by its iron-chelating properties. TDA also acts as a signaling molecule, affecting gene expression in other bacteria, and altering phenotypic traits such as motility, biofilm formation, and antibiotic production in the producer. In microbial communities, TDA-producing bacteria cause a reduction of the relative abundance of closely related species and some fast-growing heterotrophic bacteria. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the chemical ecology of TDA, including the environmental niches of TDA-producing bacteria, and the molecular mechanisms governing the function and regulation of TDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie N S E Henriksen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Laura L Lindqvist
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mario Wibowo
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Eva C Sonnenschein
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Bentzon-Tilia
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Paillard C, Gueguen Y, Wegner KM, Bass D, Pallavicini A, Vezzulli L, Arzul I. Recent advances in bivalve-microbiota interactions for disease prevention in aquaculture. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 73:225-232. [PMID: 34571318 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In bivalves, no clear-cut functional role of microbiota has yet been identified, although many publications suggest that they could be involved in nutrition or immunity of their host. In the context of climate change, integrative approaches at the crossroads of disciplines have been developed to explore the environment-host-pathogen-microbiota system. Here, we attempt to synthesize work on (1) the current methodologies to analyse bivalve microbiota, (2) the comparison of microbiota between species, between host compartments and their surrounding habitat, (3) how the bivalve microbiota are governed by environmental factors and host genetics and (4) how host-associated microorganisms act as a buffer against pathogens and/or promote recovery, and could thereby play a role in the prevention of disease or mortalities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yannick Gueguen
- IHPE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, UPVD, Montpellier, France.
| | - K Mathias Wegner
- Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Coastal Ecology, Waddensea Station Sylt, D-25992 List, Germany
| | - David Bass
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, DT4 8UB Dorset, UK; Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QD Exeter, UK; Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK
| | - Alberto Pallavicini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgeri 5, 34126 Trieste, Italy; National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, via Piccard 54, 34151 Trieste, Italy
| | - Luigi Vezzulli
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabelle Arzul
- Ifremer, RBE-SG2M-LGPMM, Station de La Tremblade, Avenue de Mus de Loup, F-17390 La Tremblade, France.
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La Clair JJ. Accessing Nystatin through Mariculture. Molecules 2021; 26:7649. [PMID: 34946737 PMCID: PMC8708966 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding our oceans and their marine ecosystems has enabled the development of sustainable systems for mariculture. While the bulk of studies to date have focused on the production of food, its remarkable expanse has inspired the translation of other markets towards aquatic environments. This manuscript outlines an approach to pharmaceutical mariculture, by demonstrating a benchmark for future prototyping. Here, design, field evaluation and natural product chemistry are united to successfully produce nystatin at sea. This study begins by evaluating new designs for culture flasks, illustrating a next step towards developing self-contained bioreactors for culturing in marine environments. Through pilot studies, an underwater system was developed to cost effectively produce cultures that yielded 200 mg of nystatin per deployment. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential for the practical culturing of microbes in a marine environment and provides an important next step for the fledgling field of molecular mariculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J La Clair
- Xenobe Research Institute, P.O. Box 3052, San Diego, CA 92163-1052, USA
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Diwan AD, Harke SN, Gopalkrishna, Panche AN. Aquaculture industry prospective from gut microbiome of fish and shellfish: An overview. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2021; 106:441-469. [PMID: 34355428 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The microbiome actually deals with micro-organisms that are associated with indigenous body parts and the entire gut system in all animals, including human beings. These microbes are linked with roles involving hereditary traits, defence against diseases and strengthening overall immunity, which determines the health status of an organism. Considerable efforts have been made to find out the microbiome diversity and their taxonomic identification in finfish and shellfish and its importance has been correlated with various physiological functions and activities. In recent past due to the availability of advanced molecular tools, some efforts have also been made on DNA sequencing of these microbes to understand the environmental impact and other stress factors on their genomic structural profile. There are reports on the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, including amplicon and shot-gun approaches, and associated bioinformatics tools to count and classify commensal microbiome at the species level. The microbiome present in the whole body, particularly in the gut systems of finfish and shellfish, not only contributes to digestion but also has an impact on nutrition, growth, reproduction, immune system and vulnerability of the host fish to diseases. Therefore, the study of such microbial communities is highly relevant for the development of new and innovative bio-products which will be a vital source to build bio and pharmaceutical industries, including aquaculture. In recent years, attempts have been made to discover the chemical ingredients present in these microbes in the form of biomolecules/bioactive compounds with their functions and usefulness for various health benefits, particularly for the treatment of different types of disorders in animals. Therefore, it has been speculated that microbiomes hold great promise not only as a cure for ailments but also as a preventive measure for the number of infectious diseases. This kind of exploration of new breeds of microbes with their miraculous ingredients will definitely help to accelerate the development of the drugs, pharmaceutical and other biological related industries. Probiotic research and bioinformatics skills will further escalate these opportunities in the sector. In the present review, efforts have been made to collect comprehensive information on the finfish and shellfish microbiome, their diversity and functional properties, relationship with diseases, health status, data on species-specific metagenomics, probiotic research and bioinformatics skills. Further, emphasis has also been made to carry out microbiome research on priority basis not only to keep healthy environment of the fish farming sector but also for the sustainable growth of biological related industries, including aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind D Diwan
- Mahatma Gandhi Mission's (MGM) Institute of Biosciences and Technology, MGM University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sanjay N Harke
- Mahatma Gandhi Mission's (MGM) Institute of Biosciences and Technology, MGM University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Gopalkrishna
- Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE, Deemed University), ICAR, Mumbai, India
| | - Archana N Panche
- Mahatma Gandhi Mission's (MGM) Institute of Biosciences and Technology, MGM University, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India
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10
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D'Hondt K, Kostic T, McDowell R, Eudes F, Singh BK, Sarkar S, Markakis M, Schelkle B, Maguin E, Sessitsch A. Microbiome innovations for a sustainable future. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:138-142. [PMID: 33510435 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-00857-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen D'Hondt
- Department of Economy, Science and Innovation - Flemish Government, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tanja Kostic
- Bioresources Unit, Center for Health & Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Tulln, Austria
| | - Richard McDowell
- AgResearch, Lincoln Science Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand.,Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Francois Eudes
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Science and Technology Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.,Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sara Sarkar
- International Engagement Division, Science and Technology Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marios Markakis
- Bioeconomy & Food Systems Unit, Healthy Planet Directorate, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Emmanuelle Maguin
- UMR1319 MICALIS, Université Paris Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Angela Sessitsch
- Bioresources Unit, Center for Health & Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Tulln, Austria.
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11
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Feher M, Fauszt P, Tolnai E, Fidler G, Pesti-Asboth G, Stagel A, Szucs I, Biro S, Remenyik J, Paholcsek M, Stundl L. Effects of phytonutrient-supplemented diets on the intestinal microbiota of Cyprinus carpio. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248537. [PMID: 33886562 PMCID: PMC8062051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the aquaculture sector, a strategy for the more efficient use of resources and proper disease control is needed to overcome the challenges of meat production worldwide. Modulation of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota is a promising approach for promoting animal health and preventing infection. This feeding experiment was conducted to discover the phytonutrient-induced changes in the gastrointestinal tract microbiota of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Acclimatized animals aged 7 months (30 weeks) were divided randomly into five experimental groups to investigate the effects of the applied feed additives. The dietary supplements were manufactured from anthocyanin-containing processing wastes from the food industry, specifically the production of Hungarian sour cherry extract, synbiotics from fermented corn, and fermentable oligosaccharides from Hungarian sweet red pepper seeds and carotenoids from Hungarian sweet red pepper pulps, applied at a dose of 1%. The gut contents of the animals were collected at four time points throughout the 6-week study period. To track the compositional and diversity changes in the microbiota of the carp intestinal tract, V3-V4 16S rRNA gene-based metagenomic sequencing was performed. The growth performance of common carp juveniles was not significantly affected by supplementation of the basal diet with plant extracts. Phytonutrients improve the community diversity, increase the Clostridium and Lactobacillus abundances and decrease the abundances of potentially pathogenic and spoilage bacteria, such as Shewanella, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Aeromonas. The phyla Proteobacteria, Tenericutes and Chlamydiae were positively correlated with the body weight, whereas Spirochaetes and Firmicutes exhibited negatively correlations with the body weight. We hypothesize that the application of phytonutrients in aquaculture settings might be a reasonable green approach for easing the usage of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Feher
- Institute of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Peter Fauszt
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Emese Tolnai
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gabor Fidler
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Georgina Pesti-Asboth
- Institute of Food Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Aniko Stagel
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Istvan Szucs
- Institute of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sandor Biro
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Judit Remenyik
- Institute of Food Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Melinda Paholcsek
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (MP); (LS)
| | - Laszlo Stundl
- Institute of Food Technology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (MP); (LS)
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12
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The Roseobacter-Group Bacterium Phaeobacter as a Safe Probiotic Solution for Aquaculture. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0258120. [PMID: 33310713 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02581-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phaeobacter inhibens has been assessed as a probiotic bacterium for application in aquaculture. Studies addressing the efficacy and safety indicate that P. inhibens maintains its antagonistic activity against pathogenic vibrios in aquaculture live cultures (live feed and fish egg/larvae) while having no or a positive effect on the host organisms and a minor impact on the host microbiomes. While P. inhibens produces antibacterial and algicidal compounds, no study has so far found a virulent phenotype of P. inhibens cells against higher organisms. Additionally, an in silico search for antibiotic resistance genes using published genomes of representative strains did not raise concerns regarding the risk for antimicrobial resistance. P. inhibens occurs naturally in aquaculture systems, supporting its safe usage in this environment. In conclusion, at the current state of knowledge, P. inhibens is a "safe-to-use" organism.
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13
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Probiotic Shewanella putrefaciens (SpPdp11) as a Fish Health Modulator: A Review. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8121990. [PMID: 33327443 PMCID: PMC7764857 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8121990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaculture is considered one of the largest food production sectors in the world. Probiotics have long been considered as a beneficial tool in this industry since these microorganisms improve the welfare of different fish species by modulating several physiological functions, such as metabolism, digestion, immune response, stress tolerance, and disease resistance, among others. SpPdp11, a probiotic isolated from the skin of healthy gilthead seabream, has been the center of attention in a good number of studies since its discovery. The purpose of this paper is to summarize, comment, and discuss the current knowledge related to the effects of SpPdp11 in two commercially important fish species in aquaculture (gilthead seabream and Senegalese sole). Furthermore, some considerations for future studies are also indicated.
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14
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Yan CZY, Austin CM, Ayub Q, Rahman S, Gan HM. Genomic characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Pacific white shrimp and rearing water in Malaysia reveals novel sequence types and structural variation in genomic regions containing the Photorhabdus insect-related (Pir) toxin-like genes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 366:5582596. [PMID: 31589302 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Malaysian and global shrimp aquaculture production has been significantly impacted by acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) typically caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus harboring the pVA plasmid containing the pirAVp and pirBVp genes, which code for Photorhabdus insect-related (Pir) toxin. The limited genomic resource for V. parahaemolyticus strains from Malaysian aquaculture farms precludes an in-depth understanding of their diversity and evolutionary relationships. In this study, we isolated shrimp-associated and environmental (rearing water) V. parahaemolyticus from three aquaculture farms located in Northern and Central Malaysia followed by whole-genome sequencing of 40 randomly selected isolates on the Illumina MiSeq. Phylogenomic analysis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) reveal distinct lineages of V. parahaemolyticus that harbor the pirABVp genes. The recovery of pVA plasmid backbone devoid of pirAVp or pirABVp in some V. parahaemolyticus isolates suggests that the toxin genes are prone to deletion. The new insight gained from phylogenomic analysis of Asian V. parahaemolyticus, in addition to the observed genomic instability of pVa plasmid, will have implications for improvements in aquaculture practices to diagnose, treat or limit the impacts of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrystine Zou Yi Yan
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility, Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Christopher M Austin
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility, Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, 3220 Victoria, Australia.,Deakin Genomics Centre, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia
| | - Qasim Ayub
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility, Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Sadequr Rahman
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility, Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Han Ming Gan
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility, Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, 3220 Victoria, Australia.,Deakin Genomics Centre, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia
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15
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Changes in the Microbiome of Mariculture Feed Organisms after Treatment with a Potentially Probiotic Strain of Phaeobacter inhibens. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00499-20. [PMID: 32385083 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00499-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Phaeobacter genus has been explored as probiotics in mariculture as a sustainable strategy for the prevention of bacterial infections. Its antagonistic effect against common fish pathogens is predominantly due to the production of the antibacterial compound tropodithietic acid (TDA), and TDA-producing strains have repeatedly been isolated from mariculture environments. Despite many in vitro trials targeting pathogens, little is known about its impact on host-associated microbiomes in mariculture. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate how the addition of a TDA-producing Phaeobacter inhibens strain affects the microbiomes of live feed organisms and fish larvae. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the bacterial diversity associated with live feed microalgae (Tetraselmis suecica), live feed copepod nauplii (Acartia tonsa), and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) eggs/larvae. The microbial communities were unique to the three organisms investigated, and the addition of the probiotic bacterium had various effects on the diversity and richness of the microbiomes. The structure of the live feed microbiomes was significantly changed, while no effect was seen on the community structure associated with turbot larvae. The changes were seen primarily in particular taxa. The Rhodobacterales order was indigenous to all three microbiomes and decreased in relative abundance when P. inhibens was introduced in the copepod and turbot microbiomes, while it was unaffected in the microalgal microbiome. Altogether, the study demonstrates that the addition of P. inhibens in higher concentrations, as part of a probiotic regime, does not appear to cause major imbalances in the microbiome, but the effects were specific to closely related taxa.IMPORTANCE This work is an essential part of the risk assessment of the application of roseobacters as probiotics in mariculture. It provides insights into the impact of TDA-producing Phaeobacter inhibens on the commensal bacteria related to mariculture live feed and fish larvae. Also, the study provides a sequencing-based characterization of the microbiomes related to mariculture-relevant microalga, copepods, and turbot larvae.
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16
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McGenity TJ, Gessesse A, Hallsworth JE, Garcia Cela E, Verheecke‐Vaessen C, Wang F, Chavarría M, Haggblom MM, Molin S, Danchin A, Smid EJ, Lood C, Cockell CS, Whitby C, Liu S, Keller NP, Stein LY, Bordenstein SR, Lal R, Nunes OC, Gram L, Singh BK, Webster NS, Morris C, Sivinski S, Bindschedler S, Junier P, Antunes A, Baxter BK, Scavone P, Timmis K. Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children's enthusiasm for microbes. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:844-887. [PMID: 32406115 PMCID: PMC7264897 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently argued that, because microbes have pervasive - often vital - influences on our lives, and that therefore their roles must be taken into account in many of the decisions we face, society must become microbiology-literate, through the introduction of relevant microbiology topics in school curricula (Timmis et al. 2019. Environ Microbiol 21: 1513-1528). The current coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of why microbiology literacy is such a crucial enabler of informed policy decisions, particularly those involving preparedness of public-health systems for disease outbreaks and pandemics. However, a significant barrier to attaining widespread appreciation of microbial contributions to our well-being and that of the planet is the fact that microbes are seldom visible: most people are only peripherally aware of them, except when they fall ill with an infection. And it is disease, rather than all of the positive activities mediated by microbes, that colours public perception of 'germs' and endows them with their poor image. It is imperative to render microbes visible, to give them life and form for children (and adults), and to counter prevalent misconceptions, through exposure to imagination-capturing images of microbes and examples of their beneficial outputs, accompanied by a balanced narrative. This will engender automatic mental associations between everyday information inputs, as well as visual, olfactory and tactile experiences, on the one hand, and the responsible microbes/microbial communities, on the other hand. Such associations, in turn, will promote awareness of microbes and of the many positive and vital consequences of their actions, and facilitate and encourage incorporation of such consequences into relevant decision-making processes. While teaching microbiology topics in primary and secondary school is key to this objective, a strategic programme to expose children directly and personally to natural and managed microbial processes, and the results of their actions, through carefully planned class excursions to local venues, can be instrumental in bringing microbes to life for children and, collaterally, their families. In order to encourage the embedding of microbiology-centric class excursions in current curricula, we suggest and illustrate here some possibilities relating to the topics of food (a favourite pre-occupation of most children), agriculture (together with horticulture and aquaculture), health and medicine, the environment and biotechnology. And, although not all of the microbially relevant infrastructure will be within reach of schools, there is usually access to a market, local food store, wastewater treatment plant, farm, surface water body, etc., all of which can provide opportunities to explore microbiology in action. If children sometimes consider the present to be mundane, even boring, they are usually excited with both the past and the future so, where possible, visits to local museums (the past) and research institutions advancing knowledge frontiers (the future) are strongly recommended, as is a tapping into the natural enthusiasm of local researchers to leverage the educational value of excursions and virtual excursions. Children are also fascinated by the unknown, so, paradoxically, the invisibility of microbes makes them especially fascinating objects for visualization and exploration. In outlining some of the options for microbiology excursions, providing suggestions for discussion topics and considering their educational value, we strive to extend the vistas of current class excursions and to: (i) inspire teachers and school managers to incorporate more microbiology excursions into curricula; (ii) encourage microbiologists to support school excursions and generally get involved in bringing microbes to life for children; (iii) urge leaders of organizations (biopharma, food industries, universities, etc.) to give school outreach activities a more prominent place in their mission portfolios, and (iv) convey to policymakers the benefits of providing schools with funds, materials and flexibility for educational endeavours beyond the classroom.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amare Gessesse
- Department of Biological Sciences and BiotechnologyBotswana International University of Science and TechnologyPalapyeBotswana
| | - John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food SecuritySchool of Biological SciencesQueen’s University BelfastBelfastUK
| | | | | | - Fengping Wang
- School of Life Sciences and BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200240China
| | - Max Chavarría
- Escuela de QuímicaCentro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA)Universidad de Costa RicaSan JoséCosta Rica
- Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnológicas (CENIBiot)CeNAT-CONARESan JoséCosta Rica
| | - Max M. Haggblom
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNJUSA
| | - Søren Molin
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for BiosustainabilityTechnical University of DenmarkLyngbyDenmark
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐Jacques75014ParisFrance
| | - Eddy J. Smid
- Food MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Cédric Lood
- Department of Microbial and Molecular SystemsCentre of Microbial and Plant GeneticsLaboratory of Computational Systems BiologyKU Leuven3001LeuvenBelgium
- Department of BiosystemsLaboratory of Gene TechnologyKU Leuven3001LeuvenBelgium
| | | | | | | | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWIUSA
| | - Lisa Y. Stein
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Seth R. Bordenstein
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt Microbiome InitiativeVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Rup Lal
- The Energy and Resources InstituteLodhi RoadNew Delhi110003India
| | - Olga C. Nunes
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Porto4200‐465PortoPortugal
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and BiomedicineTechnical University of DenmarkLyngbyDenmark
| | - Brajesh K. Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentUniversity of Western SydneyPenrithAustralia
| | - Nicole S. Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQLDAustralia
- Australian Centre for EcogenomicsUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Pilar Junier
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelNeuchâtelSwitzerland
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary SciencesMacau University of Science and Technology (MUST)Taipa, Macau SARChina
| | - Bonnie K. Baxter
- Great Salt Lake InstituteWestminster CollegeSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Paola Scavone
- Department of MicrobiologyInstituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente EstableMontevideoUruguay
| | - Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of MicrobiologyTechnical University of BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
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