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Tastassa AC, Sharaby Y, Lang-Yona N. Aeromicrobiology: A global review of the cycling and relationships of bioaerosols with the atmosphere. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168478. [PMID: 37967625 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Airborne microorganisms and biological matter (bioaerosols) play a key role in global biogeochemical cycling, human and crop health trends, and climate patterns. Their presence in the atmosphere is controlled by three main stages: emission, transport, and deposition. Aerial survival rates of bioaerosols are increased through adaptations such as ultra-violet radiation and desiccation resistance or association with particulate matter. Current research into modern concerns such as climate change, global gene transfer, and pathogenicity often neglects to consider atmospheric involvement. This comprehensive review outlines the transpiring of bioaerosols across taxa in the atmosphere, with significant focus on their interactions with environmental elements including abiotic factors (e.g., atmospheric composition, water cycle, and pollution) and events (e.g., dust storms, hurricanes, and wildfires). The aim of this review is to increase understanding and shed light on needed research regarding the interplay between global atmospheric phenomena and the aeromicrobiome. The abundantly documented bacteria and fungi are discussed in context of their cycling and human health impacts. Gaps in knowledge regarding airborne viral community, the challenges and importance of studying their composition, concentrations and survival in the air are addressed, along with understudied plant pathogenic oomycetes, and archaea cycling. Key methodologies in sampling, collection, and processing are described to provide an up-to-date picture of ameliorations in the field. We propose optimization to microbiological methods, commonly used in soil and water analysis, that adjust them to the context of aerobiology, along with other directions towards novel and necessary advancements. This review offers new perspectives into aeromicrobiology and calls for advancements in global-scale bioremediation, insights into ecology, climate change impacts, and pathogenicity transmittance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel C Tastassa
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Yehonatan Sharaby
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Naama Lang-Yona
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003 Haifa, Israel.
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Lappan R, Thakar J, Molares Moncayo L, Besser A, Bradley JA, Goordial J, Trembath-Reichert E, Greening C. The atmosphere: a transport medium or an active microbial ecosystem? THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae092. [PMID: 38804464 PMCID: PMC11214262 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae092] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The atmosphere may be Earth's largest microbial ecosystem. It is connected to all of Earth's surface ecosystems and plays an important role in microbial dispersal on local to global scales. Despite this grand scale, surprisingly little is understood about the atmosphere itself as a habitat. A key question remains unresolved: does the atmosphere simply transport microorganisms from one location to another, or does it harbour adapted, resident, and active microbial communities that overcome the physiological stressors and selection pressures the atmosphere poses to life? Advances in extreme microbiology and astrobiology continue to push our understanding of the limits of life towards ever greater extremes of temperature, pressure, salinity, irradiance, pH, and water availability. Earth's atmosphere stands as a challenging, but potentially surmountable, extreme environment to harbour living, active, resident microorganisms. Here, we confront the current understanding of the atmosphere as a microbial habitat, highlighting key advances and limitations. We pose major ecological and mechanistic questions about microbial life in the atmosphere that remain unresolved and frame the problems and technical pitfalls that have largely hindered recent developments in this space, providing evidence-based insights to drive future research in this field. New innovations supported by rigorous technical standards are needed to enable progress in understanding atmospheric microorganisms and their influence on global processes of weather, climate, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and microbial connectivity, especially in the context of rapid global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Lappan
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jordan Thakar
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Laura Molares Moncayo
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
- Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
- Aix Marseille University, University of Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille 13009, France
| | - Alexi Besser
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
| | - James A Bradley
- Aix Marseille University, University of Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille 13009, France
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline Goordial
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada
| | | | - Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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