Feature Papers in Environmental Microbiology
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Editor
Topical Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Topical Collection “Feature Papers in Environmental Microbiology”. This collection aims to showcase high-quality research articles, short communications, and review articles covering all aspects of environmental microbiology. By curating cutting-edge works, we strive to highlight the latest advancements and innovations shaping this dynamic field.
We warmly invite researchers to submit manuscripts reflecting their most recent progress and breakthroughs. Additionally, we encourage you to extend this invitation to relevant experts and colleagues whose contributions would enhance the breadth and impact of this collection.
We look forward to your valuable contributions that will further the understanding and application of environmental microbiology.
Dr. Alexander Machado Cardoso
Collection Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript.
The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs).
Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's
English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- structure and function of microbial communities
- microbial community genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics
- microbial interaction
- microbial communication
- microbial ecology
- microbial population biology
- biogeochemical processes (C-, N-, P-, and S-cycles)
- microbial life in extreme environments
- evolutionary processes of microbial communities
- biofilm formation and surfaces of microbes
- metabolic flux analysis and stable isotope probing (DNA, RNA, and protein)
- microbiome biology of environmental habitats (e.g., soil, rhizosphere, or aquifer)
- microbial treatment—microbial biodegradation, microbial bioremediation, microbial and waste recycling, microbial pesticide, microbial fertilizer, and so on
- microbial pollution—pathogenic microorganisms in the environment (water, soil, air, and food)—microbial metabolism, and environmental pollution (e.g., microbial toxin), and so on
- microbiological monitoring—testing methods and monitoring techniques development
Published Papers (3 papers)
2025
Open AccessArticle
The Impact of Wheat Growth Stages on Soil Microbial Communities in a Rain-Fed Agroecosystem
by
Yosef Steinberger, May Levi, Itaii Applebaum, Chen Sherman, Tirza Doniger and Adrian Unc
Viewed by 246
Abstract
Wheat is the largest terrestrial agricultural crop globally. This study was conducted to determine the soil microbial biomass, soil CO
2 evolution, and physiological profile in the rhizosphere of the winter wheat rain-fed
Triticum aestivum along the development stages in a rain-fed semi-arid
[...] Read more.
Wheat is the largest terrestrial agricultural crop globally. This study was conducted to determine the soil microbial biomass, soil CO
2 evolution, and physiological profile in the rhizosphere of the winter wheat rain-fed
Triticum aestivum along the development stages in a rain-fed semi-arid agro-ecosystem. The data show that a significant, over 100-fold increase in the utilization of four substrate groups (benzoic acid, amino acid, carbohydrates, and carboxylic acid) occurred in the wheat soil rhizosphere along the wheat growth phenology. After the stubble field stage, there was a notable decrease in the utilization of all four substrates. The occurrence of each substrate in the soil aligns with the below-ground rhythm of wheat plant biomass growth. The abundance of fine roots, categorizing wheat plant roots, in the soil at maturity and the stubble field stage may explain the heightened activity and diversity of copiotroph bacteria. This association suggests a potential link between the richness of fine roots and the increased activity and diversity of copiotroph bacteria in the soil. The findings clarify the impact of constraining abiotic factors, coupled with the phenological influences of wheat plants, and their combined effects on substrate utilization by microbial communities in a rain-fed
Triticum aestivum wheat field.
Full article
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Open AccessArticle
The Reliable Detection of Homocysteine Using a Biosensor Based on Recombinant Cystathionine β-Synthase and Nanoporous Gold
by
Zihan Huang, Yan Gao, Lei Zhang, Ting Cai, Ruijun Liu and Xia Wang
Viewed by 482
Abstract
Given the essential roles of homocysteine (Hcy) and the interference of cysteine in effectively monitoring human health, this study proposed a synergistic effect strategy that combines the unique structural and functional properties of nanoporous gold (NPG) with the selective recognition capability of a
[...] Read more.
Given the essential roles of homocysteine (Hcy) and the interference of cysteine in effectively monitoring human health, this study proposed a synergistic effect strategy that combines the unique structural and functional properties of nanoporous gold (NPG) with the selective recognition capability of a recombinant cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) for the sensitive and specific detection of Hcy. The CBS protein with specific catalytic activity for Hcy was successfully produced in recombinant
Escherichia coli BL21 (pET-30a-
cbs) using the
cbs gene from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. The electrochemical mechanism demonstrated that the electrooxidation of H
2S, a catalytic product of the CBS, was an irreversibly surface-controlled process on the CBS/NPG/GCE electrode surface. The electrochemical detection of Hcy exhibited excellent linearity, with a high sensitivity reaching 10.43 µA mM
−1 cm
−2 and a low detection limit of 1.31 µM. Furthermore, the CBS/NPG/GCE biosensor was successfully used to detect Hcy in urine samples with strong anti-interference capability and high selectivity (relative standard deviation less than 2.81%), while effectively reducing the interference from cysteine. These results confirmed that the proposed CBS/NPG/GCE electrochemical sensor achieved specific, sensitive, and reliable rapid detection of homocysteine, making it highly promising for practical applications in clinical treatment and health assessment.
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Open AccessArticle
Vertical Stratification Reduces Microbial Network Complexity and Disrupts Nitrogen Balance in Seasonally Frozen Ground at Qinghai Lake in Tibet
by
Ni Zhang, Zhiyun Zhou, Yijun Wang, Shijia Zhou, Jing Ma, Jianqing Sun and Kelong Chen
Viewed by 362
Abstract
Global climate change has accelerated the reduction of permafrost regions across different altitude gradients, shortening the duration of the freezing period to varying extents. However, the response of the soil microorganisms of frozen soils along altitude gradients remains unclear. In this study, we
[...] Read more.
Global climate change has accelerated the reduction of permafrost regions across different altitude gradients, shortening the duration of the freezing period to varying extents. However, the response of the soil microorganisms of frozen soils along altitude gradients remains unclear. In this study, we employed 16S rRNA sequencing and LC-MS metabolomics to investigate the response of soil microbial communities and soil metabolites to vertical stratification in the permafrost soils of the Qinghai Lake region. The results indicated that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were key soil bacterial phyla in the permafrost soils of Qinghai Lake during the freezing period, with Proteobacteria and Firmicutes showing significant sensitivity to vertical stratification (
p < 0.05). The majority of the physicochemical factors exhibited a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with increasing altitude, whereas pH showed the opposite trend. pH and moisture content were identified as the most important environmental factors influencing soil bacterial community structure. Deterministic processes dominated the assembly of bacterial communities of frozen soils in the Qinghai Lake basin. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that increasing altitude gradients led to a higher average degree of the bacterial network, while reducing network complexity and inter-species connectivity. Soil metabolomics analysis revealed that vertical stratification altered the metabolic profiles of 27 metabolites, with the significantly changed metabolites primarily associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. In conclusion, the characteristics of the Qinghai Lake permafrost were regulated by regional vertical stratification, which further influenced microbial community structure and soil metabolic characteristics, thereby altering carbon and nitrogen stocks. Specifically, higher altitudes were more favorable for the retention of the carbon and nitrogen stocks of frozen soils in the Qinghai Lake basin.
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