Interplanetary spacecraft are built in a spacecraft assembly facility (SAF), a clean room designed to reduce microbial contamination that could confound life detection missions or influence native ecosystems. The frigid hyperarid near-surface environment of Mars has ample hygroscopic Mg and Na salts of chloride, (per)chlorate and sulphate that may deliquesce to form dense brines, liquids with low water activity, and freezing points <0°C. The current study sought to define the climax microbial community after 6 mo of enrichment of SAF floor wipe samples in salt plains medium supplemented with 50% (w/v; ~2 M; aw = 0.94) MgSO4 or 20% (w/v; ~1.9 M; aw = 0.91) NaClO3. After 1 wk, 4 wk and 6 mo of incubation, metagenomic DNA extracts of the enriched SAF microbial community were used for high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Additionally, dozens of bacterial strains were isolated by repetitive streak-plating from the climax community after 6 mo of enrichment. Early in the enrichment, staphylococci greatly dominated and then remained abundant members of the community. However, actinobacteria succeeded the staphylococci as the dominant taxa as the cultures matured, including Arthrobacter, Brachybacterium and Brevibacterium. A diverse assemblage of bacilli was present, with Oceanobacillus being especially abundant. The SAF culture collection included representatives of Brachybacterium conglomeratum, Brevibacterium sediminis, Oceanobacillus picturae and Staphylococcus sciuri. These were characterized with biochemical and physiological tests, revealing their high salinotolerance. Shannon diversity indices were generally near 2, reflecting modest diversity at several levels of identity and the community structures were uneven throughout. However, minor members of the community seem capable of the ecosystem functions required for biogeochemical cycling. For instance, organisms capable of all the functions of the N cycle were detected. The microbial assemblage in SAFs is the most likely to be transported by spacecraft to another world. While individual microbial populations may exhibit the qualities needed for survival at the near-surface of Mars, certainly entire communities with the capacity for complete biogeochemical cycling, would have a greater chance of survival and proliferation.

Foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes may cause serious, life-threatening disease in susceptible persons. We combined data from Finnish national listeriosis surveillance, patient interview responses, and laboratory data of patient samples and compared them to listeria findings from food and food production plants collected as part of outbreak investigations during 2011–2021. The incidence of invasive listeriosis in Finland (1.3/100000 in 2021) is higher than the EU average (0.5/100000 in 2021), and most cases are observed in the elderly with a predisposing condition. Many cases reported consuming high-risk foods as well as improper food storage. Since ongoing patient interviews and whole genome sequencing were introduced, several listeriosis outbreaks were detected and food sources identified. Recommendations about high-risk foods for listeriosis and proper food storage should be better communicated to susceptible people. In Finland, patient interviews and typing and comparing listeria isolates in foods and patient samples are crucial in solving outbreaks and determining measures to control invasive listeriosis.

Melting glacier surfaces are unique ecosystems for specialized microbes, frequently harbouring blooms of microalgae with pigments contributing to the darkening of ice surfaces, reducing albedo and enhancing melt rates. The main cause of this phenomenon is algae of the genus Ancylonema. Prior investigation depended on field-collected material because these algae resisted cultivation. To enhance research on how these algae dominate melting ice, we established a strain of Ancylonema alaskanum from an alpine glacier and exposed to temperatures around the freezing point at irradiations of ~10% of full sunlight. The morphology of the culture changed, with the cells becoming longer and turning green by losing their brownish pigmentation, indicating that these dark phenols are crucial for survival in the cryosphere. Photophysiological comparisons of strain and glacial material showed adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus to prevailing conditions. This laboratorial strain opens possibilities for a wide range of comparative ‘omics’ research.

Distant glacial areas are interconnected by a complex system of fractures and water channels which run in the glacier interior and characterize the englacial realm. Water can slowly freeze in these channels where the slow freezing excludes air bubbles giving the ice a clear aspect. This ice is uplifted to the surface ablation zone by glacial movements and can therefore be observed in the form of clear surface ice bands. We employed an indirect method to sample englacial water by coring these ice bands. We were able, for the first time, to compare microbial communities sampled from clear (i.e. frozen englacial water bands) and cloudy ice (i.e. meteoric ice) through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Although microbial communities were primarily shaped and structured by their spatial distribution on the glacier, ice type was a clear secondary factor. One area of the glacier, in particular, presented significant microbial community clear/cloudy ice differences. Although the clear ice and supraglacial communities showed typical cold-adapted glacial communities, the cloudy ice had a less defined glacial community and ubiquitous environmental organisms. These results highlight the role of englacial channels in the microbial dispersion within the glacier and, possibly, in the shaping of glacial microbial communities.

Artisanal unripened cheeses produced in northwestern Paraná, Brazil, were studied for microbiological quality and sensory quality. The cheeses analyzed showed high counts of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms and S. aureus. However, even with the results showing poor microbiological quality, from a sensory point of view, consumers considered cheeses acceptable (high acceptance index). The results may indicate that there is still a lack of training and knowledge of production procedures to reduce microbiological contamination of artisanal cheese produced in northwestern Paraná.

In Brazil, the buffalo milk market has been growing. However, identity and quality standards have not been established for this raw material, nor have proper distinctions between buffalo milk and bovine milk been defined. Currently, the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) has only three producers that supply raw material for officially marketed derivatives. The aim of this study was to determine the identity and quality standards of raw buffalo milk in this region. Samples were obtained biweekly from three farm cooling tanks between June 2017 and August 2018, to reach a total of 69 samples. The averages for the results of the physicochemical parameters fat, protein, lactose, total solids, SNF (solids-not-fat), calcium, density, FP, acidity and SCC were 5.5 g/100 g, 4.06 g/100 g, 5.07 g/100 g, 15.5 g/100 g, 9.96 g/100 g, 0.161 g/100 g, 1.034 g/ml, −0.527°C, 16°D and 95 × 103 cells/ml, respectively. With reference to the microbiological parameters, the mean of the Standard Plate Count (SPC) and thermotolerant coliforms were 9,0 × 104 CFU/ml and 1.6 × 102 MPN/ml, respectively. Regarding coagulase-positive staphylococci, 36 samples tested positive (52% of total). Neither Salmonella spp. nor Listeria monocytogenes, nor antibiotic or antiparasitic residues were detected in any sample. In conclusion, the buffalo milk used as raw material for dairy products in southern Brazil demonstrated satisfactory physicochemical and microbiological characteristics, in accordance with recent scientific literature.

The work reported in this research communication investigated the occurrence of Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) in milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis on dairy farms from seven Brazilian states. We hypothesized that M. bovis was present in bovine clinical mastitis milk in Brazil. A total of 561 milk samples were cultured on Hayflick agar and incubated in a microaerophilic atmosphere at 5% CO2. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the detection of Mycoplasma spp. and Mycoplasma bovis in milk samples. Mycoplasma spp. were isolated in 2% of the milk samples, and Mycoplasma bovis was verified in 3% of the milk samples by PCR. The results showed that Mycoplasma bovis is involved in clinical mastitis in Brazilian dairy herds. We emphasize the need for further studies to investigate the infection by this agent in clinical mastitis cases, particularly in Brazil, due to the lack of knowledge about its prevalence.

Employer- and school-mandated verification of minor illness leads patients to use healthcare resources solely to obtain a “sick note.” This puts unnecessary strain on the patient and the emergency department (ED), and threatens to spread communicable diseases in our community.

The use of antibiotics as performance enhancers in animal feeding is declining, so Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil (LGSEO) could be used as a potential substitute for the conventionally used growth promoters. The LGSEO contains components such as carvacrol and thymol, which kill and/or control pathogenic bacteria, increase population of beneficial organisms, act against oxidative processes and onto nutrient digestibility and absorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the action and the effects of LGSEO as a growth promoter in the diet of Japanese quail by examining their productive performance, intestinal microbiology, blood biochemical parameters, hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content and intestinal gene expression. A total of 252 two-day-old quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were assigned to 3 treatments in 7 replicates, using 12 birds per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of a basal diet, basal diet + LGSEO at 400 mg/kg of diet and basal diet + chemical antimicrobial (bacitracin methylene disalicylate) at 500 mg/kg of diet. The experimental period was 34 days. The highest feed intake (P < 0.01) was found in the group receiving the conventional antimicrobial, whereas the best feed conversion (P < 0.01) was shown by the animals receiving LGSEO. Escherichia coli growth was restricted in the quail receiving the growth promoters. Salmonella spp. growth was controlled by the treatment containing the conventional antimicrobial. There was no difference between the treatments (P > 0.05) for the concentration of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase enzymes in the blood or hepatic TBARS content. Birds receiving negative-control treatment exhibited a higher expression of sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT1), while those receiving the treatment with essential oil showed lower catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX7) expressions compared to the conventional antimicrobial and control groups, respectively. Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil is a powerful performance enhancer for Japanese quail by virtue of its abilities to improve their intestinal environment, balance the microbial population and reduce energy expenditure for oxidative processes.

We investigate the spatial distribution, spectral properties and temporal variability of primary producers (e.g. communities of microbial mats and mosses) throughout the Fryxell basin of Taylor Valley, Antarctica, using high-resolution multispectral remote-sensing data. Our results suggest that photosynthetic communities can be readily detected throughout the Fryxell basin based on their unique near-infrared spectral signatures. Observed intra- and inter-annual variability in spectral signatures are consistent with short-term variations in mat distribution, hydration and photosynthetic activity. Spectral unmixing is also implemented in order to estimate mat abundance, with the most densely vegetated regions observed from orbit correlating spatially with some of the most productive regions of the Fryxell basin. Our work establishes remote sensing as a valuable tool in the study of these ecological communities in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and demonstrates how future scientific investigations and the management of specially protected areas could benefit from these tools and techniques.

Soft tissue abscess used to be an easy emergency department (ED) presentation: perform an incision and drainage (I + D) and discharge your patient. Times have changed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is now a major cause of soft tissue abscess in ED patients. MRSA is, by definition, resistant to cloxacillin and cephalosporins. Almost all Canadian strains are susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid. MRSA strains are variably susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), tetra/doxycycline, and clindamycin, with pooled Canadian clindamycin resistance just over 40%.