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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon data illuminates the major role of environment in determining the marine plastisphere microbial communities
ClearAnalysis of 16S rRNA amplicon data illuminates the major role of environment in determining the marine plastisphere microbial communities
By reanalyzing publicly available microbiome data from marine microplastics collected at multiple ocean locations, this study found that the surrounding water environment shapes the community of microbes living on plastic surfaces (the plastisphere) more strongly than the type of plastic polymer does. While both location and polymer type matter, once environmental differences were accounted for, polymer type alone had no statistically significant effect on microbial diversity. This is important because microplastics can carry and transport harmful microbes across vast ocean distances, and understanding what controls those communities helps assess the ecological risk.
The structure and assembly mechanisms of plastisphere microbial community in natural marine environment
Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastic surfaces in natural marine environments over an eight-week period. They found that the composition of these plastic-associated microbial communities, known as the plastisphere, was shaped more by environmental conditions and time than by the specific type of plastic. The study provides new understanding of the ecological processes governing how microorganisms assemble on ocean plastic debris.
Relative Influence of Plastic Debris Size and Shape, Chemical Composition and Phytoplankton-Bacteria Interactions in Driving Seawater Plastisphere Abundance, Diversity and Activity
This study evaluated the relative influence of plastic debris size, shape, chemical composition, and environmental conditions on the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics (the plastisphere). Results showed that multiple plastic properties and environmental factors jointly shape which microorganisms colonize plastic surfaces in the marine environment.
16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the microbial community on microplastic samples from the North Atlantic and Great Pacific Garbage Patches
Researchers compared microbial communities living on microplastics collected from the North Atlantic and Great Pacific Garbage Patches, finding distinct plastisphere communities shaped by ocean region and plastic type. Understanding which microbes thrive on ocean plastic helps assess the risk of harmful or antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreading on plastic debris.
Plastisphere assemblages differ from the surrounding bacterial communities in transitional coastal environments
Researchers found that bacterial communities colonizing plastic particles (the plastisphere) in Portuguese estuarine and beach environments were significantly different from those in surrounding water and sediments, with plastic type and environmental conditions influencing microbial community composition.
Microplastic polymer properties as deterministic factors driving terrestrial plastisphere microbiome assembly and succession in the field
Researchers incubated five common microplastic polymer types in landfill soil for 14 months and used 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the plastisphere communities that assembled on each polymer. Polymer type was a significant deterministic factor in plastisphere microbiome composition, which differed from surrounding soil communities and varied over time.
Microbial Communities on Plastic Polymers in the Mediterranean Sea
Researchers collected floating microplastics from a bay in the Mediterranean and analyzed their bacterial biofilm communities using 16S rRNA sequencing, finding that microbial communities on plastics were distinct from surrounding seawater and differed between polymer types.
Substrate-driven microbial diversity and functional potential of plastisphere biofilms in a dynamic coastal ecosystem of northeastern Taiwan
Researchers used full-length 16S rRNA sequencing to compare microbial communities on floating microplastics, natural wood debris, and surface seawater from ten coastal sites in Taiwan, finding that microplastics harbor unique and highly diverse microbial assemblages distinct from those on natural surfaces.
An In Situ Study to Understand Community Structure of Estuarine Microbes on the Plastisphere
Researchers performed 16S rRNA sequencing on biofilms from three microplastic polymer types and glass bead controls deployed in Baltimore Inner Harbor over 28 days, finding that plastisphere communities were taxonomically distinct from free-living microbial communities but that polymer type did not significantly differentiate community composition, with Cyanobacteria, Planctomycetes, and sulfate-reducing bacteria among the notable colonizers.
Community Composition and Seasonal Dynamics of Microplastic Biota in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Researchers described the seasonal dynamics and community composition of microplastic-associated microbial communities across different environments, finding that temperature and nutrient availability influenced plastisphere diversity. The study contributes to understanding how environmental conditions shape biofilm formation on plastic debris.
Investigating the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces
Researchers investigated the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces, examining how microbial communities interact with plastic polymers in environmental settings. The study characterized the 'plastisphere' — the community of microorganisms that colonize microplastic surfaces — and assessed the extent to which microbial activity contributes to plastic degradation in natural environments.
Short‐term plastisphere colonization dynamics across six plastic types
Researchers studied the short-term colonization dynamics of microbial communities (plastisphere) forming on six plastic polymer types submerged in marine waters in South Australia, finding polymer-type-specific differences in prokaryotic community composition over four weeks.
Environmental exposure more than plastic composition shapes marine microplastic‐associated bacterial communities in Pacific versus Caribbean field incubations
Researchers incubated six types of household plastic polymers in Pacific and Caribbean coastal waters to study the bacterial communities that form on microplastics. They found that geographic location and exposure time were far more important than plastic type in shaping these microbial communities. The study identified a core plastisphere of 57 bacterial variants common across all conditions, suggesting environmental context plays a bigger role than plastic composition in microplastic colonization.
Plastisphere - a new habitat of microbial community: Composition, structure and ecological consequences
This review examines the plastisphere — microbial communities colonizing microplastics — covering the composition and structure of plastisphere microbiomes across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments and discussing ecological consequences including pathogen dispersal.
Microbes on a Bottle: Substrate, Season and Geography Influence Community Composition of Microbes Colonizing Marine Plastic Debris
Researchers studied bacterial communities colonizing plastic bottles in marine environments, finding that substrate type, season, and geographic location all influenced which microbes colonized the plastic surface.
Marine microplastic-associated bacterial community succession in response to geography, exposure time, and plastic type in China's coastal seawaters
Researchers used high-throughput gene sequencing to track how microbial communities on polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics changed over a full year in Chinese coastal waters. They found that the composition of plastic-associated bacterial communities varied significantly across geographic locations and over time, with Alphaproteobacteria being consistently dominant. The study reveals that the plastisphere is a dynamic ecosystem shaped by both environmental conditions and the duration of exposure.
Time-series incubations in a coastal environment illuminates the importance of early colonizers and the complexity of bacterial biofilm dynamics on marine plastics
Researchers used time-series incubations in a coastal marine environment to track plastisphere biofilm formation on microplastics, finding that early bacterial colonizers play a disproportionate role in shaping community dynamics and that biofilm composition is highly complex, varying with polymer type, incubation time, and surrounding environment.
Evidence for selective bacterial community structuring on microplastics
Plastic substrates incubated in Baltic Sea water developed distinct bacterial communities that differed significantly from those on glass surfaces and from the surrounding water, with some plastic-colonizing taxa selected for regardless of polymer type. The study provides experimental evidence that plastic surfaces act as selective filters for microbial community assembly, contributing to the concept of a unique plastisphere.
Exploring the Composition and Functions of Plastic Microbiome Using Whole-Genome Sequencing
Whole-genome sequencing of microbial biofilms on four types of marine microplastics revealed that plastic surfaces harbor distinct microbial communities with unique functional potential, including enrichment of Vibrio species with pathogenic and plastic-degrading capabilities.
The geographical and seasonal effects on the composition of marine microplastic and its microbial communities: The case study of Israel and Portugal
Researchers compared microplastic-associated microbial communities in marine environments of Israel and Portugal, finding that both geography and season significantly influence the composition of the plastisphere and its associated bacterial species.