Prevalence and distribution of fecal indicator organisms in South Florida beach sand and preliminary assessment of health effects associated with beach sand exposure

Fecal indicator levels in nearshore waters of South Florida are routinely monitored to assess microbial contamination at recreational beaches. However, samples of sand from the surf zone and upper beach are not monitored which is surprising since sand may accumulate and harbor fecal-derived organisms. This study examined the prevalence of fecal indicator organisms in tidally-affected beach sand and in upper beach sand and compared these counts to levels in the water. Since indicator organisms were statistically elevated in sand relative to water, the study also considered the potential health risks associated with beach use and exposure to sand. Fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, somatic coliphages, and F(+)-specific coliphages were enumerated from sand and water at three South Florida beaches (Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Hollywood Beach, and Hobie Beach) over a 2-year period. Bacteria were consistently more concentrated in 100g samples of beach sand (2-23 fold in wet sand and 30-460 fold in dry sand) compared to 100ml samples of water. Somatic coliphages were commonly recovered from both sand and water while F(+)-specific coliphages were less commonly detected. Seeding experiments revealed that a single specimen of gull feces significantly influenced enterococci levels in some 3.1m(2) of beach sand. Examination of beach sand on a micro-spatial scale demonstrated that the variation in enterococci density over short distances was considerable. Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the physical and chemical parameters monitored in this study could only minimally account for the variation observed in indicator densities. A pilot epidemiological study was conducted to examine whether the length of exposure to beach water and sand could be correlated with health risk. Logistic regression analysis results provided preliminary evidence that time spent in the wet sand and time spent in the water were associated with a dose-dependent increase in gastrointestinal illness.     

Influences of Oyster Shell Soil Conditioner on Soil and Plant Rhizospheric Microorganisms

Oyster shell soil conditioner had significant influence on soil and rhizospheric microorganisms in their biomass, respiratory intensity and nutritional requirement. It could stimulate growth of soil and rhizospheric microorganisms, especially nitrogen-fixers, and intensify soil respiration in proportion to the dose and fertilizing time of the conditioner, leading to the increase in the number of nitrogen fixing bacteria and the decrease in the number of bacteria with special nutrition demands.     

Siderophores from Marine Microorganisms and Their Applications

1　Introduction　Ironisanessentialelementwhichisdifficulttoob tainduetoitslowsolubilityunderthephysiologicalconditions ,anditisalsothemostimportanttransitionmetalionfornearlyalllivingsystems.Manypatho genicbacteriausuallyobtainironfromtheiron bind ingprot…     

The Geochemical Significance of Deep-water Coral and Their Food Source

Deep-sea corals live in the dark cold-water environments, the food of which that provides them with energy and nutrition is a key ecological and biogeochemical problem. Currently, the most common understanding is that their food mainly comes from organic matter produced by and deposited from surface seawater. However, more and more studies have found that they can also obtain food supply through symbiosis with a variety of chemosynthetic autotrophs and heterotrophs. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes have been used to trace and reveal the food sources of deep-sea corals. They also have been successfully used to reconstruct the phytoplankton community structure and the changes of nitrate isotopes in surface seawater in the past, thus providing valuable biogeochemical data for paleoceanographic study. However, due to the widespread existence of symbiosis with chemosynthetic autotrophs, further studies are needed to assess the reliability of organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes of deep-sea corals to reflect changes in the surface seawater. The deep-sea gorgonian coral, like those gorgonian forests recently found in the South China Sea, is relatively new and insufficiently studied in the field of deep-sea corals. Thus, basic biochemical and paleoceanographic researches on the South China Sea deep-water gorgonians will provide profound and novel insights to understanding the cold-water coral system.     

荒漠土壤微生物群落结构特征研究进展

荒漠生态系统占地球陆地面积三分之一,是地球化学循环中的重要部分。荒漠干旱高温、缺乏植被、UV辐射强,曾被认为是没有生命的地方。然而在这恶劣环境中却蕴含有大量的微生物资源,尤其是荒漠土壤富集了大量微生物。微生物参与和主导整个荒漠生态系统地球生物化学循环,对于调节重要生态过程、修复和稳定荒漠生态系统起到重要作用,对其的研究生态学意义突出。本文综述了国内外对荒漠土壤微生物群落结构特征、群落功能多样性以及微生物群落、微生物与植物、微生物与环境之间相互关系的研究现状,旨在充分了解荒漠土壤微生物多样性研究,总结对荒漠微生物生态认识的不足,为荒漠微生物生态研究方向提供参考。     

从来克丁物质与微生物相互作用看水产无脊椎动物对疾病的防御活动

本文从水产无脊椎动物与环境的关系论述其来克丁物质的功能;来克丁与微生物间的相互作用包括相互作用中有关来克丁、微生物种类,作用部位和作用物质等。从来克丁在水产无脊椎动物识别外来物质,包括抵御病原体的作用看,健康发展的水产业之一项关键任务便是认识和掌握来克丁在御防病害活动中的机理。     

厦门海区潮间带海洋动植物共附生微生物的抗菌活性

从厦门海区潮间带石纯、浒苔、江蓠、海兔、海葵及鲨鱼肠道分离得２８９株共附生微生物,以８种敏感菌为指示菌,从中获得拮抗活性的幼苗２８株,放线菌１７株,真菌８株。拮抗细菌以假单胞菌（３９％）、弧菌（２５％）和芽直菌（１４％）为主,主要为抗革兰氏阳性细菌,抗真菌的菌株比例较低。拮抗放线菌分属于链霉菌和小单孢菌,其抗革兰氏阳性菌、阴性菌和真菌的菌株比例分别为６５％、４７％和２３％。拮抗真菌分青霉属和芽枝霉     

黄海透光层悬浮半导体矿物组成及其促进微生物胞外电子传递过程初探

在地球上最为活跃的海洋透光层体系中,矿物-微生物交互作用的形式十分丰富。系统采集了黄海近海透光层水体样品,测试分析发现其中分布大量悬浮半导体矿物及微生物群落。通过电感耦合等离子质谱仪(ICP-MS)、环境扫描电子显微镜(ESEM)及配有的EDX能谱仪,从宏观到微区对悬浮颗粒矿物的化学元素组成进行了测试分析,发现其主要矿物组成元素为Si、O、Na、K、Ca、Al等,且含有较高含量的Mn、Fe、Ti等金属元素;通过X射线衍射光谱(XRD)、拉曼光谱(Raman)测试从整体到局部分析悬浮颗粒矿物的物相组成,发现其主要组成矿物为石英、钠长石、方解石、云母和绿泥石等,还有锐钛矿、金红石、板钛矿、针铁矿等铁、钛金属氧化物半导体矿物。通过16S rRNA高通量测序分析海水中主要微生物群落为Proteobacteria、Actinobacteria、Bacteroidetes、Planctomycetes、Woeseia、Fluviicola等,并通过构建双室反应体系对海水微生物与悬浮矿物间氧化还原作用及胞外电子传递过程进行了表征,结果显示增加海水悬浮矿物作为电子受体后,体系开路电压由330. 80 mV提升至426. 59 mV,提升比率达130%,最大输出功率由8. 376 9 mW/m^2提升至12. 096 8 mW/m^2,为原体系的1. 44倍。实验研究表明,海水透光层悬浮矿物能有效参与并促进微生物胞外电子传递过程,为后续深入研究基于电子能量传递利用的半导体矿物-微生物协同作用以及元素循环调控机制奠定初步基础。     

海洋微生物抗肿瘤活性菌株的分级组合筛选

为探索如何快速获取活性菌株的筛选模式 ,组合使用海虾生物致死法和tsFT2 10细胞的流式细胞术筛选模型 ,对从青岛前海和胶州湾潮间带海泥、动植物样品中分离的 162株海洋微生物 ,进行了抗肿瘤活性的分级组合筛选。经海虾生物致死法一级初筛 ,得到活性菌株 5 8株 (LC50 <5 0 0 μg/mL) ,阳性率为 3 5 .8%。对初筛有效的 5 8株菌利用流式细胞术筛选模型进行二级复筛 ,得到对tsFT2 10细胞有各种活性的活性菌株共 2 5株 ,阳性率为复筛菌株数的 43 .1%、初筛菌株总数的 15 .4% ,其中 ,诱发细胞坏死伴有凋亡诱导活性的菌株 7株 (占总菌株的 4.3 % ) ,具有细胞周期抑制活性的菌株 18株 (占总菌株的 11.1% )。该分级组合筛选模式与流式细胞术筛选模型的单独筛选模式相比 ,无漏筛 ,具有成本低、速度快、宜于大规模筛选等特点。