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Polystyrene nanoplastics trigger changes in cell surface properties of freshwater and marine cyanobacteria
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Polystyrene nanoplastics altered cell surface properties—including charge, hydrophobicity, and extracellular polymeric substance composition—in both freshwater and marine cyanobacteria without affecting growth or structure, suggesting cyanobacteria employ adaptive surface remodeling strategies to resist nanoplastic stress.
Polystyrene nanoplastics altered the surface properties of cyanobacteria without affecting their growth or structure, highlighting their remarkable resilience and adaptive strategies in response to environmental challenges.
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Interaction of Cyanobacteria with Nanometer and Micron Sized Polystyrene Particles in Marine and Fresh Water
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Marine and freshwater cyanobacteria formed aggregates with polystyrene nanoplastics held together by extracellular polymeric substances, causing the particles to sink, with larger and faster aggregation in saltwater. Microplastics produced different-shaped aggregates linked by a small number of particles, neither causing cell death, showing that cyanobacteria can alter nanoplastic fate and distribution in aquatic systems.
Post-exposure recovery of Microcystis aeruginosa from nanoplastics stress: metabolic adaptation and damage resilience
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Researchers exposed Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria to polystyrene nanoplastics for 15 days, then transferred them to NP-free medium to study post-exposure recovery. Toxicity was concentration-dependent during exposure, and cells showed metabolic changes and only partial recovery after removal, suggesting persistent effects on cyanobacterial physiology.
Roles of extracellular polymeric substances on Microcystis aeruginosa exposed to different sizes of polystyrene microplastics
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Researchers examined how the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa responds to different sizes of polystyrene microplastics by producing extracellular polymeric substances. They found that the composition of these protective substances varied depending on particle size, with each size triggering distinct defense mechanisms in the algae. The study reveals that extracellular polymeric substances play a crucial role in mitigating the adverse effects of microplastics on algal growth and photosynthesis.
Toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastic variants to cyanobacteria: Evidence from algal growth, physiology and transcriptomics
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Scientists found that nanoplastics with a positive electrical charge are far more harmful to algae than neutral or negatively charged ones, damaging the algae's ability to photosynthesize and produce energy. This matters because these algae form the base of aquatic food webs, so widespread plastic pollution with certain surface charges could ripple through ecosystems—and ultimately affect the water and seafood we depend on.
Growth and membrane stress responses in E. coli and Acinetobacter sp. upon exposure to functionalized polystyrene microplastics
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Researchers exposed E. coli and Acinetobacter bacteria to polystyrene microplastics with different surface chemistries, finding that surface functionalization strongly influenced MP toxicity, with some functionalized particles disrupting bacterial membrane integrity and biofilm formation more than non-functionalized particles.
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