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Kottuparambil S, Ashok A, López P, Amad MH, Duarte CM, Agusti S. High temperature and solar radiation in the Red Sea enhance the dissolution of crude oil from surface films. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:42034-42048. [PMID: 38856854 PMCID: PMC11219460 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33864-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The Red Sea is a hotspot of biodiversity susceptible to oil pollution. Besides, it is one of the warmest seas on the Earth with highly transparent waters. In this study, we estimated the oil dissolution rates under natural sunlight spectra and temperature conditions using coastal oil slicks collected after the 2019 Sabiti oil spill in the Red Sea. Optical analyses revealed the significant interactive effect of sunlight and temperature in enhancing the dissolution of oil into dissolved organic matter (DOM). The highest oil dissolution rate (38.68 g C m-3 d-1) was observed in full-spectrum sunlight. Oil dissolution significantly enhanced total organic carbon (TOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seawater. High nucleic acid (HNA) bacteria, likely the oil degraders, proliferated from 30 to 70 - 90% after 4 days. The heavier stable carbon isotopic composition of methane (δ13C-CH4) and lighter stable carbon isotopic composition of carbon dioxide (δ13C-CO2) indicate the putative role of bacterial processes in the natural degradation of crude oil. The results indicated that the combined effect of temperature and solar radiation enhanced the biological and photochemical dissolution of oil on the Red Sea surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreejith Kottuparambil
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
- Mubadala Arabian Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ACCESS), New York University Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Ananya Ashok
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Patricia López
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Core Labs, 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maan H Amad
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Core Labs, 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Susana Agusti
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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2
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de Prinse T, Klantsataya E, Tsiminis G, Payten T, Moffatt J, Kee TW, Spooner NA. Multiphoton Phosphorescence of Simple Ketones by Visible-light Excitation and Its Consideration for Active Sensing in Space. J Fluoresc 2022; 32:1051-1057. [PMID: 35298738 PMCID: PMC9095556 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-022-02912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Acetone and butanone were seen to emit blue light around 450 nm when excited in the green by a high intensity pulsed laser. The pathway of this anti-Stokes emission is believed to be multiphoton absorption followed by phosphorescence, with emission being observed in the samples at cryogenic temperatures below their melting point and not seen from either ketone in their cold liquid state. Given the widespread nature of these simple ketones in off-world bodies and their potential importance as an organic resource for Space Resource Utilization, signals which enable the identification and tracing of these materials are of use in applications from remote sensing and mapping to monitoring during extraction processes. While the excitation process has a low efficiency, the ability to use visible light for sensing of these targets has advantages over UV sources, such as the wider availability of high-powered lasers which could be utilized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas de Prinse
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Elizaveta Klantsataya
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Georgios Tsiminis
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Thomas Payten
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jillian Moffatt
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tak W Kee
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Nigel A Spooner
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Edinburgh, Australia
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3
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Ryan CH, Daly MG, Brady AL, Slater GF, Lim DSS. Organic Material Distribution in Mars-Analog Volcanic Rocks, as Determined with Ultraviolet Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:981-996. [PMID: 34406806 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the distribution of trace organic material in a rocky environment is a key to constraining the material requirements for sustaining microbial life. We used an ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy instrument to characterize the distribution of organic biosignatures in basalts collected from two Mars-analog environments. We correlated the fluorescence results with alteration-related sample properties. These samples exhibit a range of alteration conditions found in the volcanic environments of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i (HI), and Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho (ID), including fumarolic systems. LIF mapping of the sample surfaces and interiors showed a heterogeneous distribution of areas of highly fluorescent material (point[s]-of-interest [POIs])-with fluorescence characteristics indicative of organic material. Results suggest that POIs are associated with secondary alteration mineral deposits in the rock's vesicles, including zeolites and calcite. Scanning electron microscopy with electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to characterize the mineralogy present at POIs and support the evidence of carbon-bearing material. Overall, samples collected proximate to active or relict meteoric fumaroles from Hawai'i were shown to contain evidence for organic deposits. This suggests that these minerals are measurable spectroscopic targets that may be used to inform sample-site selection for astrobiology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catheryn H Ryan
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael G Daly
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Allyson L Brady
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Greg F Slater
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Darlene S S Lim
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
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4
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Gasda PJ, Wiens RC, Reyes-Newell A, Ganguly K, Newell RT, Peterson C, Sandoval B, Ott L, Adikari S, Voit S, Clegg SM, Misra AK, Acosta-Maeda TE, Quinn H, Sharma SK, Dale M, Love SP, Maurice S. OrganiCam: a lightweight time-resolved laser-induced luminescence imager and Raman spectrometer for planetary organic material characterization. APPLIED OPTICS 2021; 60:3753-3763. [PMID: 33983308 DOI: 10.1364/ao.421291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OrganiCam is a laser-induced luminescence imager and spectrometer designed for standoff organic and biosignature detection on planetary bodies. OrganiCam uses a diffused laser beam (12° cone) to cover a large area at several meters distance and records luminescence on half of its intensified detector. The diffuser can be removed to record Raman and fluorescence spectra from a small spot from 2 m standoff distance. OrganiCam's small size and light weight makes it ideal for surveying organics on planetary surfaces. We have designed and built a brassboard version of the OrganiCam instrument and performed initial tests of the system.
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5
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Di Meglio LG, Busalmen JP, Pegoraro CN, Nercessian D. Biofilms of Halobacterium salinarum as a tool for phenanthrene bioremediation. BIOFOULING 2020; 36:564-575. [PMID: 32580583 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2020.1779709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The use of hyperhalophilic microorganisms is emerging as a sustainable alternative to clean hydrocarbon-polluted hypersaline water bodies. In line with this practice, this work reports on the ability of the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum to develop biofilms on a solid surface conditioned by the presence of phenanthrene crystals, which results in the removal of the contaminating compound. The cell surface hydrophobicity does not change during the removal process and this organism is shown to constitutively produce a surfactant molecule with specific action on aromatic hydrocarbons, both indicating that phenanthrene removal might proceed through a non-contact mechanism. A new approach is presented to follow the process in situ through epifluorescence microscopy by monitoring phenanthrene auto-fluorescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Gabriel Di Meglio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (CONICET-UNMdP), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Bioelectroquímica, INTEMA (CONICET-UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Busalmen
- Laboratorio de Bioelectroquímica, INTEMA (CONICET-UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - César Nicolas Pegoraro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (CONICET-UNMdP), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Débora Nercessian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (CONICET-UNMdP), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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Drissi LB, Ouarrad H, Ramadan FZ, Fritzsche W. Graphene and silicene quantum dots for nanomedical diagnostics. RSC Adv 2020; 10:801-811. [PMID: 35494439 PMCID: PMC9047344 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra08399e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present work, the prominent effects of edge functionalization, size variation and base material on the structural, electronic and optical properties of diamond shaped graphene and silicene quantum dots are investigated. Three functional groups, namely (–CH3, –OH and –COOH) are investigated using the first principles calculations based on the density functional, time-dependent density functional and many-body perturbation theories. Both the HOMO–LUMO energy gap, the optical absorption and the photoluminescence are clearly modulated upon functionalization compared to the H-passivated counterparts. Besides the functional group, the geometric distortion induced in some QDs also influences their optical features ranging from near ultra-violet to near infra-red. All these results indicate that edge-functionalizations provide a favorable key factor for adjusting the optoelectronic properties of quantum dots for a wide variety of nanomedical applications, including in vitro and in vivo bioimaging in medical diagnostics and therapy. In the present work, the prominent effects of edge functionalization, size variation and base material on the structural, electronic and optical properties of diamond shaped graphene and silicene quantum dots are investigated.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- L. B. Drissi
- LPHE, Modeling and Simulations
- Faculty of Science
- Mohammed V University in Rabat
- Rabat
- Morocco
| | - H. Ouarrad
- LPHE, Modeling and Simulations
- Faculty of Science
- Mohammed V University in Rabat
- Rabat
- Morocco
| | - F. Z. Ramadan
- LPHE, Modeling and Simulations
- Faculty of Science
- Mohammed V University in Rabat
- Rabat
- Morocco
| | - W. Fritzsche
- IPHT, Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology
- Jena
- Germany
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7
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Georgiou CD. Functional Properties of Amino Acid Side Chains as Biomarkers of Extraterrestrial Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1479-1496. [PMID: 30129781 PMCID: PMC6211371 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The present study proposes to search our solar system (Mars, Enceladus, Europa) for patterns of organic molecules that are universally associated with biological functions and structures. The functions are primarily catalytic because life could only have originated within volume/space-constrained compartments containing chemical reactions catalyzed by certain polymers. The proposed molecular structures are specific groups in the side chains of amino acids with the highest catalytic propensities related to life on Earth, that is, those that most frequently participate as key catalytic groups in the active sites of enzymes such as imidazole, thiol, guanidinium, amide, and carboxyl. Alternatively, these or other catalytic groups can be searched for on non-amino-acid organic molecules, which can be tested for certain hydrolytic catalytic activities. The first scenario assumes that life may have originated in a similar manner as the terrestrial set of α-amino acids, while the second scenario does not set such a requirement. From the catalytic propensity perspective proposed in the first scenario, life must have invented amino acids with high catalytic propensity (His, Cys, Arg) in order to overcome, and be complemented by, the low catalytic propensity of the initially available abiogenic amino acids. The abiogenic and the metabolically invented amino acids with the lowest catalytic propensity can also serve as markers of extraterrestrial life when searching for patterns on the basis of the following functional propensities related to protein secondary/quaternary structure: (1) amino acids that are able to form α-helical intramembrane peptide domains, which can serve as primitive transporters in protocell membrane bilayers and catalysts of simple biochemical reactions; (2) amino acids that tend to accumulate in extremophile proteins of Earth and possibly extraterrestrial life. The catalytic/structural functional propensity approach offers a new perspective in the search for extraterrestrial life and could help unify previous amino acid-based approaches.
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Shkolyar S, Eshelman EJ, Farmer JD, Hamilton D, Daly MG, Youngbull C. Detecting Kerogen as a Biosignature Using Colocated UV Time-Gated Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:431-453. [PMID: 29624103 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Mars 2020 mission will analyze samples in situ and identify any that could have preserved biosignatures in ancient habitable environments for later return to Earth. Highest priority targeted samples include aqueously formed sedimentary lithologies. On Earth, such lithologies can contain fossil biosignatures as aromatic carbon (kerogen). In this study, we analyzed nonextracted kerogen in a diverse suite of natural, complex samples using colocated UV excitation (266 nm) time-gated (UV-TG) Raman and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopies. We interrogated kerogen and its host matrix in samples to (1) explore the capabilities of UV-TG Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies for detecting kerogen in high-priority targets in the search for possible biosignatures on Mars; (2) assess the effectiveness of time gating and UV laser wavelength in reducing fluorescence in Raman spectra; and (3) identify sample-specific issues that could challenge rover-based identifications of kerogen using UV-TG Raman spectroscopy. We found that ungated UV Raman spectroscopy is suited to identify diagnostic kerogen Raman bands without interfering fluorescence and that UV fluorescence spectroscopy is suited to identify kerogen. These results highlight the value of combining colocated Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies, similar to those obtainable by SHERLOC on Mars 2020, to strengthen the confidence of kerogen detection as a potential biosignature in complex natural samples. Key Words: Raman spectroscopy-Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy-Mars Sample Return-Mars 2020 mission-Kerogen-Biosignatures. Astrobiology 18, 431-453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Shkolyar
- 1 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
- 2 Current address: Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington , Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Evan J Eshelman
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jack D Farmer
- 1 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
| | - David Hamilton
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael G Daly
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cody Youngbull
- 4 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana , Polson, Montana
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Trampe E, Castenholz RW, Larsen JEN, Kühl M. Phototrophic microbes form endolithic biofilms in ikaite tufa columns (SW Greenland). Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:4754-4770. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Trampe
- Marine Biological Section; University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5; Helsingør DK-3000 Denmark
| | | | - Jens E. N. Larsen
- Marine Biological Section; University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5; Helsingør DK-3000 Denmark
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biological Section; University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5; Helsingør DK-3000 Denmark
- Climate Change Cluster; University of Technology Sydney; Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia
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10
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Baqué M, Verseux C, Böttger U, Rabbow E, de Vera JPP, Billi D. Preservation of Biomarkers from Cyanobacteria Mixed with Mars-Like Regolith Under Simulated Martian Atmosphere and UV Flux. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2016; 46:289-310. [PMID: 26530341 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The space mission EXPOSE-R2 launched on the 24th of July 2014 to the International Space Station is carrying the BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) experiment aimed at investigating the endurance of extremophiles and stability of biomolecules under space and Mars-like conditions. In order to prepare the analyses of the returned samples, ground-based simulations were carried out in Planetary and Space Simulation facilities. During the ground-based simulations, Chroococcidiopsis cells mixed with two Martian mineral analogues (phyllosilicatic and sulfatic Mars regolith simulants) were exposed to a Martian simulated atmosphere combined or not with UV irradiation corresponding to the dose received during a 1-year-exposure in low Earth orbit (or half a Martian year on Mars). Cell survival and preservation of potential biomarkers such as photosynthetic and photoprotective pigments or DNA were assessed by colony forming ability assays, confocal laser scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and PCR-based assays. DNA and photoprotective pigments (carotenoids) were detectable after simulations of the space mission (570 MJ/m(2) of UV 200-400 nm irradiation and Martian simulated atmosphere), even though signals were attenuated by the treatment. The fluorescence signal from photosynthetic pigments was differently preserved after UV irradiation, depending on the thickness of the samples. UV irradiation caused a high background fluorescence of the Martian mineral analogues, as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. Further investigation will be needed to ensure unambiguous identification and operations of future Mars missions. However, a 3-month exposure to a Martian simulated atmosphere showed no significant damaging effect on the tested cyanobacterial biosignatures, pointing out the relevance of the latter for future investigations after the EXPOSE-R2 mission. Data gathered during the ground-based simulations will contribute to interpret results from space experiments and guide our search for life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Baqué
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Cyprien Verseux
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Ute Böttger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elke Rabbow
- Radiation Biology Department, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Köln, Germany
| | | | - Daniela Billi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.
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