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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Technological Advancements in Field Investigations of Marine Microorganisms: From Sampling Strategies to Molecular Analyses
ClearExtracting DNA from ocean microplastics: a method comparison study
Researchers compared multiple methods for extracting DNA from microplastics collected in the ocean, providing detailed protocols for studying the microbial communities that colonize plastic debris. Understanding what microorganisms colonize marine plastics is important because these surfaces can transport bacteria — including potentially harmful species — across long ocean distances.
Exploring the Microdiversity Within Marine Bacterial Taxa: Toward an Integrated Biogeography in the Southern Ocean
Researchers used advanced sequencing techniques to study the fine-scale diversity and geographic distribution of bacteria in the Southern Ocean. Understanding ocean microbial communities is relevant to microplastic research because plastics in the ocean host distinct microbial communities that can alter local ecology.
New techniques for the detection of microplastics in sediments and field collected organisms
Researchers developed new techniques for detecting microplastics in sediment samples and for collecting particles in the field, improving the reliability and sensitivity of methods used to monitor environmental microplastic contamination.
The Current and Prospective State of Microplastic Contamination in the Marine Ecosystem
This review assesses the current state of microplastic contamination research in marine ecosystems, identifying strengths and gaps in published literature and recommending new focus areas including marine polymer degradation, advanced sampling methods, and the consequences of research-generated microplastic pollution.
Unveiling the hidden world of microorganisms and their impact on the Earth's ecosystems
This paper is not directly about microplastics; it is a broad review of microbial ecology covering microorganism roles in biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and metals, and how advances in genomics have transformed our understanding of microbial community diversity and function.
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
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.
Analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon data illuminates the major role of environment in determining the marine plastisphere microbial communities
Researchers analysed 16S rRNA amplicon data from marine plastisphere communities, finding that environmental factors play the dominant role in determining the microbial communities that colonise microplastic surfaces in marine ecosystems.
Comparison of techniques for counting prokaryotes in marine planktonic and biofilm samples
Researchers compared various techniques for counting bacteria in marine water samples and biofilms, aiming to identify the most reliable method for studying free-living and surface-attached microbes. Accurate bacterial counts are important in studies of how microplastics carry and amplify microbial communities in the ocean.
An overview – Fate and analysis of marine microplastics with insights into microfluidics, biofilms, and future ecological threats.
This overview examines the fate and analysis of marine microplastics, with focus on microfluidic detection methods, plastisphere biofilm ecology, and future ecological threats from microplastic accumulation in ocean food webs. The authors highlight how microplastic surfaces concentrate toxic contaminants and host distinct microbial communities, amplifying both chemical and biological hazards in marine ecosystems.
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.
Metagenome analysis of a soil and marine environment
This metagenomics thesis analyzed microbial communities on marine microplastics and in plant root zones, finding that the biofilm on plastic particles includes bacteria that may be capable of plastic degradation. Identifying the composition and function of these microbial communities could help in the discovery of plastic-degrading microorganisms.
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.
Current Progress on Marine Microplastics Pollution Research: A Review on Pollution Occurrence, Detection, and Environmental Effects
This review summarized current knowledge on marine microplastic pollution, covering detection methods, occurrence across ocean zones and organism types, and environmental effects, while identifying key research gaps around long-term ecological impacts and standardized monitoring protocols.
A new analytical approach for monitoring microplastics in marine sediments
Researchers developed a new analytical approach for monitoring microplastics specifically in marine sediments, improving extraction and identification steps to enable more reliable and standardized environmental monitoring of seafloor contamination.
Microplastics in seawater: a study of pretreatment, separation, and recovery.
Researchers developed and compared pretreatment, separation, and recovery methods for isolating microplastics from seawater samples, addressing the methodological diversity that limits comparability across marine monitoring studies. The study identified optimal combinations of techniques that improve microplastic recovery efficiency while minimizing contamination and sample loss.
Review of microplastic degradation: Understanding metagenomic approaches for microplastic degrading organisms
This review explores how metagenomics, the study of genetic material from environmental samples, is helping scientists identify microorganisms that can break down plastics. The paper covers the methods used to find and characterize plastic-degrading bacteria, as well as the environmental consequences of plastic degradation including health risks from inhaling and ingesting microplastics. While biological solutions to plastic pollution show promise, the review notes that more research is needed to develop effective, scalable approaches.
Microplastics in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Methods Used for Identification and Quantification
This review covered the methods used to identify and characterize microplastics in marine environmental samples, evaluating the strengths and limitations of visual, spectroscopic, and chemical approaches for field and laboratory analysis.
The threat of microplastics and microbial degradation potential; a current perspective
This review covers the growing threat of microplastics in marine environments, where they enter the food chain and can transfer to humans along with pathogenic organisms, causing various toxic effects. The paper also explores how bacteria and fungi found in ocean environments could be harnessed to biodegrade different types of plastics as a future strategy for reducing microplastic pollution.
Isolation of microplastics in biota-rich seawater samples and marine organisms
Researchers developed and tested methods for extracting microplastics from seawater samples rich in biological material and from the tissues of marine organisms. They found that enzymatic digestion was the most effective and least destructive approach for isolating microplastics from biological samples, outperforming acid and alkaline treatments. The study provides improved laboratory protocols that will help scientists more accurately measure microplastic contamination in marine environments and wildlife.
A novel method enabling the accurate quantification of microplastics in the water column of deep ocean
A new sampling method was developed to accurately measure microplastics in the deep ocean water column, addressing gaps left by traditional net trawls that miss very small particles. Reliable deep-sea sampling is critical since the deep ocean is thought to be a major sink for global microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in a Marine Environment: Review of Methods for Sampling, Processing, and Analyzing Microplastics in Water, Bottom Sediments, and Coastal Deposits
This review briefly describes the principal approaches, methods, and procedures for sampling and analysing microplastics in marine environments including water columns, bottom sediments, and coastal deposits. Researchers outline key considerations for each environmental matrix to support consistent and comparable microplastic monitoring.
Methods for sampling, processing, identification,and quantification of microplastics in the marine environment
This paper reviews and compares the various methods used to collect, process, identify, and quantify microplastics across different environmental samples. It highlights the lack of standardized protocols as a major obstacle to comparing results across studies and calls for methodological harmonization.
Occurrence, Distribution, and Extraction Methods of Microplastics in Marine Organisms
This review synthesizes global data on microplastic occurrence and distribution across marine organisms, comparing the advantages and limitations of different extraction and identification methods used in the field.
Plastic-less equipment for sampling marine microplastics
Researchers designed and evaluated plastic-free field sampling equipment for collecting marine microplastics, addressing the problem that most contemporary sampling gear contains plastic components that can contaminate samples. The study demonstrated that plastic-free equipment significantly reduces procedural contamination during marine microplastic surveys.