Microbes play critical roles in global nutrient cycling by transforming carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus compounds. In the carbon cycle, microbes fix carbon through photosynthesis and respiration, and facilitate the breakdown of organic matter. They also produce methane through fermentation. In the nitrogen cycle, microbes fix atmospheric nitrogen and carry out nitrification, denitrification, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Microbes oxidize sulfur compounds in the sulfur cycle. They mineralize organic phosphates and mobilize insoluble phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle.
Introduction,Definition, Cycling elements, Types of biogeochemical cycle- Gaseous cycle and sedimentary cycle Nitrogen cycle, steps of Nitrogen cycle- Nitrogen fixation, Nitrification, Assimilation Ammonification, and Denitrification and ecological function of nitrogen, use of nitrogen cycle phosphorus cycle, steps of phosphorus cycle, biological functions of phosphorus cycle and other functions of phosphorus and conclusion
This is a comprehensive account of the nitrogen cycle in terrestrial environments. The nitrogen cycle is responsible for the circulation of nitrogen between inorganic and organic components of the environment.
(May 29th, 2024) Advancements in Intravital Microscopy- Insights for Preclini...Scintica Instrumentation
Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a powerful tool utilized to study cellular behavior over time and space in vivo. Much of our understanding of cell biology has been accomplished using various in vitro and ex vivo methods; however, these studies do not necessarily reflect the natural dynamics of biological processes. Unlike traditional cell culture or fixed tissue imaging, IVM allows for the ultra-fast high-resolution imaging of cellular processes over time and space and were studied in its natural environment. Real-time visualization of biological processes in the context of an intact organism helps maintain physiological relevance and provide insights into the progression of disease, response to treatments or developmental processes.
In this webinar we give an overview of advanced applications of the IVM system in preclinical research. IVIM technology is a provider of all-in-one intravital microscopy systems and solutions optimized for in vivo imaging of live animal models at sub-micron resolution. The system’s unique features and user-friendly software enables researchers to probe fast dynamic biological processes such as immune cell tracking, cell-cell interaction as well as vascularization and tumor metastasis with exceptional detail. This webinar will also give an overview of IVM being utilized in drug development, offering a view into the intricate interaction between drugs/nanoparticles and tissues in vivo and allows for the evaluation of therapeutic intervention in a variety of tissues and organs. This interdisciplinary collaboration continues to drive the advancements of novel therapeutic strategies.
Introduction,Definition, Cycling elements, Types of biogeochemical cycle- Gaseous cycle and sedimentary cycle Nitrogen cycle, steps of Nitrogen cycle- Nitrogen fixation, Nitrification, Assimilation Ammonification, and Denitrification and ecological function of nitrogen, use of nitrogen cycle phosphorus cycle, steps of phosphorus cycle, biological functions of phosphorus cycle and other functions of phosphorus and conclusion
This is a comprehensive account of the nitrogen cycle in terrestrial environments. The nitrogen cycle is responsible for the circulation of nitrogen between inorganic and organic components of the environment.
(May 29th, 2024) Advancements in Intravital Microscopy- Insights for Preclini...Scintica Instrumentation
Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a powerful tool utilized to study cellular behavior over time and space in vivo. Much of our understanding of cell biology has been accomplished using various in vitro and ex vivo methods; however, these studies do not necessarily reflect the natural dynamics of biological processes. Unlike traditional cell culture or fixed tissue imaging, IVM allows for the ultra-fast high-resolution imaging of cellular processes over time and space and were studied in its natural environment. Real-time visualization of biological processes in the context of an intact organism helps maintain physiological relevance and provide insights into the progression of disease, response to treatments or developmental processes.
In this webinar we give an overview of advanced applications of the IVM system in preclinical research. IVIM technology is a provider of all-in-one intravital microscopy systems and solutions optimized for in vivo imaging of live animal models at sub-micron resolution. The system’s unique features and user-friendly software enables researchers to probe fast dynamic biological processes such as immune cell tracking, cell-cell interaction as well as vascularization and tumor metastasis with exceptional detail. This webinar will also give an overview of IVM being utilized in drug development, offering a view into the intricate interaction between drugs/nanoparticles and tissues in vivo and allows for the evaluation of therapeutic intervention in a variety of tissues and organs. This interdisciplinary collaboration continues to drive the advancements of novel therapeutic strategies.
Slide 1: Title Slide
Extrachromosomal Inheritance
Slide 2: Introduction to Extrachromosomal Inheritance
Definition: Extrachromosomal inheritance refers to the transmission of genetic material that is not found within the nucleus.
Key Components: Involves genes located in mitochondria, chloroplasts, and plasmids.
Slide 3: Mitochondrial Inheritance
Mitochondria: Organelles responsible for energy production.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA): Circular DNA molecule found in mitochondria.
Inheritance Pattern: Maternally inherited, meaning it is passed from mothers to all their offspring.
Diseases: Examples include Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and mitochondrial myopathy.
Slide 4: Chloroplast Inheritance
Chloroplasts: Organelles responsible for photosynthesis in plants.
Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA): Circular DNA molecule found in chloroplasts.
Inheritance Pattern: Often maternally inherited in most plants, but can vary in some species.
Examples: Variegation in plants, where leaf color patterns are determined by chloroplast DNA.
Slide 5: Plasmid Inheritance
Plasmids: Small, circular DNA molecules found in bacteria and some eukaryotes.
Features: Can carry antibiotic resistance genes and can be transferred between cells through processes like conjugation.
Significance: Important in biotechnology for gene cloning and genetic engineering.
Slide 6: Mechanisms of Extrachromosomal Inheritance
Non-Mendelian Patterns: Do not follow Mendel’s laws of inheritance.
Cytoplasmic Segregation: During cell division, organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts are randomly distributed to daughter cells.
Heteroplasmy: Presence of more than one type of organellar genome within a cell, leading to variation in expression.
Slide 7: Examples of Extrachromosomal Inheritance
Four O’clock Plant (Mirabilis jalapa): Shows variegated leaves due to different cpDNA in leaf cells.
Petite Mutants in Yeast: Result from mutations in mitochondrial DNA affecting respiration.
Slide 8: Importance of Extrachromosomal Inheritance
Evolution: Provides insight into the evolution of eukaryotic cells.
Medicine: Understanding mitochondrial inheritance helps in diagnosing and treating mitochondrial diseases.
Agriculture: Chloroplast inheritance can be used in plant breeding and genetic modification.
Slide 9: Recent Research and Advances
Gene Editing: Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 are being used to edit mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA.
Therapies: Development of mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) for preventing mitochondrial diseases.
Slide 10: Conclusion
Summary: Extrachromosomal inheritance involves the transmission of genetic material outside the nucleus and plays a crucial role in genetics, medicine, and biotechnology.
Future Directions: Continued research and technological advancements hold promise for new treatments and applications.
Slide 11: Questions and Discussion
Invite Audience: Open the floor for any questions or further discussion on the topic.
Professional air quality monitoring systems provide immediate, on-site data for analysis, compliance, and decision-making.
Monitor common gases, weather parameters, particulates.
Nutraceutical market, scope and growth: Herbal drug technologyLokesh Patil
As consumer awareness of health and wellness rises, the nutraceutical market—which includes goods like functional meals, drinks, and dietary supplements that provide health advantages beyond basic nutrition—is growing significantly. As healthcare expenses rise, the population ages, and people want natural and preventative health solutions more and more, this industry is increasing quickly. Further driving market expansion are product formulation innovations and the use of cutting-edge technology for customized nutrition. With its worldwide reach, the nutraceutical industry is expected to keep growing and provide significant chances for research and investment in a number of categories, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal supplements.
Multi-source connectivity as the driver of solar wind variability in the heli...Sérgio Sacani
The ambient solar wind that flls the heliosphere originates from multiple
sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described
as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal
holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are
under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is to identify
solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the
heliosphere. By combining magnetic feld modelling and spectroscopic
techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show
that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March
2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to
multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic feld footpoints
connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole
to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This
is refected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast
to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of
a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au
but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
Richard's entangled aventures in wonderlandRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
Richard's aventures in two entangled wonderlandsRichard Gill
Since the loophole-free Bell experiments of 2020 and the Nobel prizes in physics of 2022, critics of Bell's work have retreated to the fortress of super-determinism. Now, super-determinism is a derogatory word - it just means "determinism". Palmer, Hance and Hossenfelder argue that quantum mechanics and determinism are not incompatible, using a sophisticated mathematical construction based on a subtle thinning of allowed states and measurements in quantum mechanics, such that what is left appears to make Bell's argument fail, without altering the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. I think however that it is a smoke screen, and the slogan "lost in math" comes to my mind. I will discuss some other recent disproofs of Bell's theorem using the language of causality based on causal graphs. Causal thinking is also central to law and justice. I will mention surprising connections to my work on serial killer nurse cases, in particular the Dutch case of Lucia de Berk and the current UK case of Lucy Letby.
1. Microbial Application to Environment
Contribution of Microbes to Nutrient Cycling:
Microbes in Carbon Cycle;
Microbes play a critical role in carbon cycle on the global scale that is a
key constituent of all living organisms. Microorganisms avail carbon for
living organisms and for themselves as well through extracting it from
nonliving sources. In aquatic habitats, microbes convert carbon
anaerobically, present at oxygen-free zones such as deep mud of lakes
and ponds. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most common form of carbon
that enters a carbon cycle. CO2 is a water-soluble gas present in the
atmosphere. Plants and photosynthetic alga use CO2 during
photosynthesis to synthesize carbohydrates. Additionally,
chemoautotrophs such as archaea and bacteria also utilize CO2 to
synthesize sugars. This carbon, present in the form of sugar, is further
processed through a chain of reactions during respiration known as
tricarboxylic acid cycle resulting into energy. Microbes may also use
carbon under anaerobic conditions to produce energy through a process
called as fermentation.
2. Plants are the primary producers in a terrestrial ecosystem; however,
free-living planktons, cyanobacteria, and symbionts such as lichens also
contribute in fixing carbon in some ecosystems. Nonliving organic
material is recycled by heterotrophic bacteria and fungi, whereas
saprobes utilize organic material and produce CO2 during respiration,
thereby contributing to carbon cycle. However, higher animals, e.g.,
herbivores and carnivores, also digest organic materials to obtain energy
using gut microbiota residing in their intestinal tracts; the process is
known as decomposition, resulting into inorganic products such as CO2,
ammonia, and water.
Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria are capable of degrading soluble
organic compounds, e.g., organic acids, amino acids, and sugars.
Similarly, Bacteroidetes are also involved in degradation of more
recalcitrant carbon compounds, e.g., cellulose, lignin, and chitin, and
utilize higher level of available nitrogen that help in production of
extracellular and transport enzymes. On the contrary, bacteria living in
low-nitrogen environments are more able to metabolize nitrogen-rich
organic compounds, e.g., amino acids. The abundance of α-
Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes favors carbon mineralization, whereas
Acidobacteriota oppose it
Microbes in Methane Production;
Some microbes execute anaerobic or fermentative degradation of
organic compounds into organic acids and some gases, e.g., hydrogen
and CO2. Methanogens can use that hydrogen to reduce CO2 into
methane under strict anaerobic conditions. To complete cycle, methane-
oxidizing bacteria, e.g., methanotrophs, transform methane to CO2,
water, and energy under aerobic conditions.
3. Other microbes such as green and purple sulfur bacteria participate in
carbon cycle by degrading hydrogen sulfide (H2S) into compounds
having carbon during energy production (see in reaction). Some bacteria,
e.g., Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, derive energy from oxidation of ferrous
iron to ferric iron and thereby contribute to carbon cycle. Few microbes
such as Bacteroides succinogenes, Clostridium butyricum, and
Syntrophomonas spp. make a collaborative effort (also known as
interspecies hydrogen transfer) for anaerobic degradation of carbon to
produce CO2 and methane in bulk. The following reaction shows
anaerobic photoautotrophism in purple sulfur bacteria:
2CO2+H2S+2H2O→2(CH2O) +H2SO4
Microbes in Nitrogen Cycle;
4. Nitrogen is an essential element present in protein and nucleic acid
structure. Microorganisms play a critical role in nitrogen cycle through
various processes such as nitrogen fixation, nitrate reduction,
nitrification, denitrification, etc. The microbial processes limit the
productivity of an ecosystem because nitrogen availability is a limiting
factor for plant biomass production. Ammonification involves
decomposition of organic nitrogen into ammonia. Both bacteria and
archaea can fix atmospheric nitrogen through reduction into ammonium
Nitrogenase is an oxygen-sensitive enzyme that catalyzes nitrogen
fixation under low oxygen environment. N-fixation requires energy in
form of ATP (16 mol) per
mole of fixed nitrogen.
N2+8H++8e−+16ATP=2NH3+H2+16ADP+16Pi
The free-living microbes such as Azotobacter, Burkholderia, and
Clostridium have an ability to fix nitrogen, and few of them form a
symbiotic relationship with the rhizosphere of plants such as Rhizobium,
Mesorhizobium, and Frankia. Sophora and Clianthus are native legumes
5. and form a symbiotic relationship with Mesorhizobium or Rhizobium
leguminosarum. The symbiotic rhizobia can fix nitrogen by two or three
orders of magnitude higher than free-living soil bacteria.
Nitrification involves two steps: first, ammonia is oxidized to nitrite and
then to nitrate. The oxidation of ammonia to nitrite is carried out by few
soil bacteria, e.g., Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas, Crenarchaeum, or
Nitrososphaera, and thereafter nitrite is oxidized to nitrate by some
bacteria, e.g., Nitrobacter and Nitrospira Nitrification also changes the
ionic state of soil from positive to negative through oxidation of
ammonia to nitrite and release of energy, which is used by nitrifying
microbes to assimilate CO2.
Denitrification involves sequential reduction of nitrate (NO3 −), nitrite
(NO2 −), and nitric oxide (NO) to the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide
(N2O) or benign nitrogen gas (N2). Since this process requires limiting
oxygen, therefore, it occurs mostly in waterlogged areas that provide
anaerobic environment. Nitrogen cycle involves denitrification process
through which fixed nitrogen returns to the atmosphere from soil and
water in order to complete the nitrogen cycle. Denitrification involves a
range of soil microbiota belonging to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and
Firmicutes and other soil eukaryotes. Most of the bacteria lack single or
multiple enzymes involved in denitrification and known to be
incomplete denitrifier, for example, most of the fungi and bacteria lack
nitrous oxide reductase and thereby produce N2O as a final product.
Therefore, incomplete denitrification results into emission of greenhouse
gases.
Microbes in Sulfur Cycle;
6. Sulfur is an important component of a couple of vitamins and essential
metabolites, and it is found in two amino acids, cysteine, and
methionine. Despite its paucity in cells, it is an essential element for
living systems. Like nitrogen and carbon, the microbes can transform
sulfur from its most oxidized form (sulfate or SO4) to its most reduced
state (sulfide or H2S). The sulfur cycle involves some unique groups of
prokaryotes. Two unrelated groups of prokaryotes oxidize H2S to S and
S to SO4. The first is the anoxygenic photosynthetic purple and green
sulfur bacteria that oxidize H2S as a source of electrons for cyclic
photophosphorylation. The second is the “colorless sulfur bacteria” (now
a misnomer because the group contains many archaea) which oxidize
H2S and S as sources of energy. In either case, the organisms can
usually mediate the complete oxidation of H2S to SO4.
H2S→S→SO4lithoorphototrophicsulfuroxidation
Sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes are frequently thermophiles found in hot
(volcanic) springs and near deep-sea thermal vents that are rich in H2S.
They may be acidophiles as well, because they acidify their own
environment by the production of sulfuric acid. Since SO4 and S may be
used as electron acceptors for respiration, sulfate-reducing bacteria
7. produce H2S during a process of anaerobic respiration analogous to
denitrification. The use of SO4 as an electron acceptor is an obligatory
process that takes place only in anaerobic environments. The process
results in the distinctive odor of H2S in anaerobic bogs, soils, and
sediments where it occurs. Sulfur is assimilated by bacteria and plants as
SO4 for use and reduction to sulfide. Animals and bacteria can remove
the sulfide group from proteins as a source of S during decomposition.
These processes complete the sulfur cycle.
Microbes in Phosphorus Cycle;
Phosphorus is a critical element of various building blocks such as
nucleic acids, e.g., DNA and RNA, ADP, ATP, and phospholipids.
Phosphorus is a rare element in the environment because of its tendency
to precipitate in the presence of divalent and trivalent cations at neutral
and alkaline ph.
Microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) mineralize organic phosphate in the
form of phosphate esters into inorganic phosphate through a process
driven by phosphatase enzymes. Additionally, they also convert
insoluble phosphorus into soluble form by a reaction with resulting
byproducts such as organic acids. Mycorrhizal fungi help plants to
overcome phosphorus limitation through its mobilization from insoluble
mineral form by producing oxalate, e.g., various ectomycorrhizal
basidiomycetous fungi express phosphate transporters in their
extraradical hyphae during phosphorus deficiency in surrounding
environments.