We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Draft genome of novel cyanobacteria Sphaerothrix Gracilis isolated from coastal microplastics reveal insights to chemical ecology, bloom and plastic-utilization potential
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers isolated and characterized a novel cyanobacterium, Sphaerothrix gracilis, from the surface of foam microplastics in tropical coastal waters. Genome sequencing revealed genes associated with antibiotic resistance, nitrogen fixation, plastic degradation, and harmful metabolite production. The study highlights both the potential bioremediation applications and the ecological risks of cyanobacteria that colonize and are transported on floating microplastic debris.
Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic organisms which are found across many ecosystems, including freshwater and marine habitats. They are also found on natural and artificial surfaces. In this study, we cultured and characterise a novel cyanobacterium from the surfaces of foam microplastics of tropical coastal waters. We study the chemical ecology of this cyanobacterium, Sphaerothrix gracilis gen. et sp. nov., together with its potential to form harmful cyanobacterial blooms and bioremediation applications to combat plastic pollution. The genome of S. gracilis spanned 6.7 Mbp, with identification of antibiotic resistance, nitrogen-fixation, plastic-degrading and genes involved in harmful metabolite production. The transport of potentially harmful S. gracilis in coastal environments could have severe implications on human health and food security, especially in times of a cyanobacterial bloom.
More Papers Like This
Sphaerothrix gracilis gen. et sp. nov. (Nodosilineales, Cyanobacteria): a novel filamentous cyanobacterium isolated from tropical coastal microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers described a new genus and species of cyanobacteria, Sphaerothrix gracilis, isolated from foam microplastic particles found in tropical coastal beach sediments near Singapore. The organism belongs to the Nodosilineaceae family and was characterized through both morphological and molecular analysis. The discovery highlights that microplastics in marine environments serve as substrates for microbial colonization, including previously unknown species of cyanobacteria.
Microplastics benefit bacteria colonization and induce microcystin degradation
AI summary Read the abstract
Polystyrene microplastics in a microcosm experiment facilitated bacterial colonization and promoted the degradation of the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin, with the plastisphere community showing distinct metabolic activity compared to free-living bacteria. The study reveals that microplastic biofilms can unexpectedly accelerate detoxification of co-occurring harmful algal bloom toxins.
Metagenomic analyses of the plastisphere reveals a common functional potential across oceans
AI summary Read the abstract
Genome-resolved metagenomic analysis of plastisphere biofilms from the North Atlantic and North Pacific garbage patches revealed a consistent functional signature distinct from surrounding plankton: larger genomes, higher GC content, and greater metabolic capacity for nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, and alternative energy sources. These findings confirm that ocean plastic pollution is actively reshaping microbial ecology at a global scale, creating a new functional unit with unknown cascading consequences for marine biogeochemical cycles.
Novel functional insights into the microbiome inhabiting marine plastic debris: critical considerations to counteract the challenges of thin biofilms using multi-omics and comparative metaproteomics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used advanced multi-omics techniques — simultaneously analyzing the DNA, proteins, and metabolic activity of microbes — to study the complex communities of bacteria and other microorganisms that colonize marine plastic debris (the "plastisphere"). The work reveals new ecological functions of these microbial films beyond plastic breakdown, including potential biotechnology applications and risks from pathogen hitchhiking on ocean plastic.
Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses of Arthrospira platensis to Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastic Exposure
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the physiological and transcriptomic responses of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis following exposure to low-density polyethylene microplastics, examining how particle presence alters growth, oxidative stress markers, and gene expression in this commercially important microorganism.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.