Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Management affects the diversity and functions of root and leaf-associated microbiomes: implications for olive resilience

Researchers studied how different farming practices, including organic, conventional, and traditional methods, shape the microbial communities associated with olive tree roots and leaves. They found that agricultural management significantly influenced microbiome diversity and functional traits, with organic practices generally supporting more beneficial microbe populations. The findings suggest that farming methods play an important role in the overall health and resilience of olive trees.

2026 Frontiers in Plant Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Culture dependent analysis of bacterial activity, biofilm-formation and oxidative stress of seawater with the contamination of microplastics under climate change consideration

Researchers examined how temperature changes and microplastic contamination jointly affect bacterial activity, biofilm formation, and oxidative stress in seawater. The study found that different plastic materials at varying temperatures produced distinct bacterial responses, suggesting that climate change could compound the environmental effects of microplastic pollution in marine settings.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Community and Enzyme Activity of Forest Plantation, Natural Forests, and Agricultural Land in Chilean Coastal Cordillera Soils

This paper is not relevant to microplastics; it investigates how converting native forests to plantations and cropland affects soil microbial communities and enzyme activity in Chile.

2023 Forests 6 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Beach wracks microbiome and its putative function in plastic polluted Mediterranean marine ecosystem

This study examined the microbial communities living on beach debris, including seagrass and plastic waste, along Mediterranean coastlines. Researchers found that while the bacterial communities on plastics were shaped more by beach conditions than by the type of plastic, these biofilms contained both plastic-degrading bacteria and potential human pathogens.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Review Tier 2

Impacts of climatic stressors on dissolved organic matter leaching from microplastics and their effects on biogeochemical processes: A review

This review examines how microplastics release dissolved organic matter as they break down in the environment, and how climate change may accelerate this process. The chemicals leached from degrading plastics can disrupt microbial communities and natural nutrient cycles, potentially increasing greenhouse gas production and altering the ecosystems that ultimately support our food and water supplies.

2024 Water Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Microbes in Microplastic Removal and Its Effect on Human Health

This review examines the role of microbes in microplastic removal from environmental matrices and food systems, covering both degradation pathways and the health implications of microplastic-microbiome interactions for humans and other organisms.

2025
Article Tier 2

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.

2016 PLoS ONE 542 citations
Article Tier 2

Global Changes Alter the Successions of Early Colonizers of Benthic Surfaces

Not relevant to microplastics — this review examines how climate change and ocean acidification alter the succession of early-colonising organisms (bacteria, diatoms) on underwater surfaces, with no microplastic content.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review of Climatic Threats and Adaptation of Marine Biodiversity

This comprehensive review examines how climate change threatens marine biodiversity through rising ocean temperatures, acidification, and habitat loss. Among the many environmental stressors discussed, microplastic pollution is highlighted as an additional threat that compounds the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems. The paper evaluates adaptation strategies like marine protected areas and habitat restoration that could help protect the ocean ecosystems humans depend on for food.

2024 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 33 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 mLife
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
Article Tier 2

Profiles of bacterial assemblages from microplastics of tropical coastal environments

Microplastic pieces collected from tropical coastal environments in Malaysia were found to host distinct bacterial communities that differed from surrounding seawater, including potential pathogens and plastic-degrading bacteria. The study contributes to understanding the plastisphere in tropical regions, where warm temperatures may accelerate both microbial colonization and plastic degradation.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 188 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers investigated the distribution and characterization of microplastics in coastal surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea as part of the MICROPLASMED project, examining the relationship between microplastic pollution levels and the composition of marine microbiomes as potential biological indicators. Surface water samples were collected across Mediterranean sites to characterize microplastic abundance and assess how varying pollution levels influence microbial community diversity and abundance.

2024 Florence Research (University of Florence)
Article Tier 2

Dynamics and functions of microbial communities in the plastisphere in temperate coastal environments

Researchers explored microbial communities colonizing microplastics in coastal environments of Japan, comparing bacterial and fungal communities across different plastic types, water, sediment, and sand. The study found that while microbial communities varied by sample type and location rather than plastic shape, microplastics harbored hydrocarbon-degrading organisms as well as potential pathogens, highlighting the ecological significance of plastic-associated biofilms.

2024 Water Research 14 citations