Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-03-24eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag008
Digambar V Gokhale
{"title":"Waking up of sleeping giant ligno-cellulosic biomass for biofuel production.","authors":"Digambar V Gokhale","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag008","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag008","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag008"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375354/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-03-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag012
Wisnu Adi Wicaksono, Samuel Bickel, Julia Peissl, Nader Marzban, Daniel Hoefle, Ahmed Abdelfattah, Markus Antonietti, Gabriele Berg
{"title":"Microbiome interventions combined with artificial humic acid treatments for restoring soil bacterial diversity.","authors":"Wisnu Adi Wicaksono, Samuel Bickel, Julia Peissl, Nader Marzban, Daniel Hoefle, Ahmed Abdelfattah, Markus Antonietti, Gabriele Berg","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag012","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil health is under threat worldwide and technologies for soil restoration are urgently needed. Here we study the effect of artificial humic acids (A-HA) and soil transplants fo one restoration of depleted soil microbiomes. We used a controlled microcosm experiment with gradients of microbial diversity, with and without A-HA, across three soil types. Microbial abundance, diversity, and composition were assessed using qPCR and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, complemented by metabolomic profiling of water-extractable compounds and the growth characterization of bacterial isolates. A-HA treatment had a stronger effect on bacterial richness and community structure in degraded than in the original soil. Soil microbiome transplants could partially regenerate microbial abundances and increased bacterial richness and diversity in the degraded soils. Interestingly, the combination of A-HAs with addition of 10% soil transplants yielded the best restoration effect. The effect of individual as well as combined treatments strongly depended on the composition of the native soil microbiome. From a mechanistic point of view, A-HA treatment inhibited fast-growing bacteria, which allowed slow-growing bacteria to recover. By combined treatment, depending on the soil type and its native soil microbiome, we can synergistically restore the soil microbiome to resemble its original composition.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 2","pages":"qvag012"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Panuya Athithan, Suzanne L Ishaq, Emma Allen-Vercoe, Kieran C O'Doherty
{"title":"Microbes first into the life rafts: preserving microbiomes to secure health in degrading ecosystems.","authors":"Panuya Athithan, Suzanne L Ishaq, Emma Allen-Vercoe, Kieran C O'Doherty","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag010","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>All organisms on the planet intrinsically rely on microbial ecosystems, and there are increasing calls from research communities to consider microbiota when administering personal or public health, ecosystem health, and the use of microbiota in personal or environmental health remediation, such as reducing the impacts of climate change, or protecting at-risk habitats which host rare microbiota. Through our collective work on the integral nature of microbiomes to host and environmental health, on health policy, and on the development of research and policy agendas, we have previously developed the concept of '<i>microbiome stewardship</i>' and guidelines to promote consideration of microbial communities broadly or in specific scenarios. The practicality of stewarding one versus many microbiota is highly contextual, and will require different strategies for different scales of conservation. Here, we provide scientific arguments for the need for microbial stewardship, examples of possible solutions scaled to different ecological challenges or conservation goals, discourse on the logistical challenges which have been cited by research communities, and opportunities to use cutting-edge microbiome concepts and technology to implement large-scale interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13035370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147597426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-03-09eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag004
Francis Hassard, Thomas Thompson, Victor Castro-Gutierrez
{"title":"Microbial innovations for sustainable water treatment.","authors":"Francis Hassard, Thomas Thompson, Victor Castro-Gutierrez","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag004","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag004"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375314/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-03-06eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag009
Malsha Samarasiri, Wei Ning Chen
{"title":"Urban mushroom farming for future foods: safety considerations and nutritional benefits.","authors":"Malsha Samarasiri, Wei Ning Chen","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag009","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the growing global population and rapid urbanization, urban agriculture has gained increasing attention as a sustainable pathway to achieving food security. This review discusses recent advances in urban mushroom farming, its integration with computer-based technologies, safety considerations, and the potential of mushrooms and mycelium-based foods as future foods. Urban mushroom farming systems include indoor/vertical farms, container/modular units, and rooftop/community-based setups. Technologies such as the Internet of Things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence can be incorporated to improve monitoring, control, and overall efficiency in urban mushroom farms. Mushrooms and mycelium-based products, including fruiting bodies, mycelial biomass, mycelium-fermented foods, hybrid or 3D-printed products, and mushroom extracts or functional ingredients, can be produced within urban environments while utilizing various food waste and agro-industrial residues as cultivation media. These products are rich sources of protein, essential amino acids, dietary fibre, antioxidants, ergosterols, and several essential minerals. Key safety considerations for mushrooms and mycelium-based foods in urban production systems, including biological hazards, mycotoxins, heavy metal accumulation, and potential allergenicity, are also discussed. Although mushrooms have a long history of consumption, macrofungal mycelium-based foods may be regarded as novel foods and evaluated under novel food safety regulations.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag009"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375316/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-02-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag005
Davide Faggionato, Melania Muñoz-García, Tanja Kostic, Mariana L Ferrari, Pascale Vonaesch, Mathilde Poyet, Perrine Portier, Matthew J Ryan, Djamila Djeddour, Cornelia Stumptner, Giovanna Cristina Varese, Aurora Zuzuarregui, Mathieu Groussin, Michael Schloter, Robert D Finn, Aylin S Haas, Ian Probert, Gerard Verkley, Jörg Overmann, Amber H Scholz
{"title":"Policy Briefing: from access to use-untangling the international legal frameworks that govern microbial resources.","authors":"Davide Faggionato, Melania Muñoz-García, Tanja Kostic, Mariana L Ferrari, Pascale Vonaesch, Mathilde Poyet, Perrine Portier, Matthew J Ryan, Djamila Djeddour, Cornelia Stumptner, Giovanna Cristina Varese, Aurora Zuzuarregui, Mathieu Groussin, Michael Schloter, Robert D Finn, Aylin S Haas, Ian Probert, Gerard Verkley, Jörg Overmann, Amber H Scholz","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag005","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The wide geographic distribution of microorganisms, combined with their vast taxonomic and functional diversity, make them indispensable reservoirs of genetic variation that sustain ecosystem resilience and fuel biotechnological innovation. However, to use this diversity, microbiologists must navigate a complex legal and regulatory landscape governed by multiple United Nations treaties and their respective access and benefit-sharing frameworks as well as regulatory frameworks specific to particular ecosystems, biosecurity, pathogens, and intellectual property. This complex regulatory web is also actively growing and changing, which makes it immensely challenging for a \"regular\" microbiologist to navigate. For policymakers and negotiators, it is also difficult to appreciate the full complexity that practitioners experience. This policy briefing provides a concise regulatory guide for practitioners and policymakers alike, summarized in a graphical overview, to provide more clarity and understanding for those at the edge of decision-making and practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag005"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-02-18eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag007
Davide Faggionato, Melania Muñoz-García, Tanja Kostic, Mariana L Ferrari, Pascale Vonaesch, Mathilde Poyet, Perrine Portier, Matthew J Ryan, Djamila Djeddour, Cornelia Stumptner, Giovanna Cristina Varese, Aurora Zuzuarregui, Mathieu Groussin, Michael Schloter, Robert D Finn, Aylin S Haas, Ian Probert, Gerard Verkley, Jörg Overmann, Amber H Scholz
{"title":"Policy in Practice: How to do the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance.","authors":"Davide Faggionato, Melania Muñoz-García, Tanja Kostic, Mariana L Ferrari, Pascale Vonaesch, Mathilde Poyet, Perrine Portier, Matthew J Ryan, Djamila Djeddour, Cornelia Stumptner, Giovanna Cristina Varese, Aurora Zuzuarregui, Mathieu Groussin, Michael Schloter, Robert D Finn, Aylin S Haas, Ian Probert, Gerard Verkley, Jörg Overmann, Amber H Scholz","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Nagoya Protocol establishes an international framework for access and benefit-sharing including for microbial research. Yet many microbiologists have only a vague understanding of what the Nagoya Protocol requires and are unsure how to navigate its complexities, despite the fact that non-compliance can have significant legal consequences and far-reaching reputational and legal impacts. This paper discusses common misconceptions and practical challenges that microbiologists may encounter when complying with the Nagoya Protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to \"do\" the Nagoya Protocol. We present three case studies to showcase real-life experiences and provide best practice principles for access and benefit-sharing while fostering biodiversity conservation, equitable collaboration, and sustainable innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 2","pages":"qvag007"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375289/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148708996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-02-12eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag006
Tamara Gómez-Gallego, Mart B H Ros, Sara Sánchez-Moreno, Dalia Feiziene, Gerard L Velthof, Søren O Petersen, Lars Munkholm, Laurent Philippot, Luca Bragazza, Marcel van der Heijden, Sara Hallin, Marta Goberna, Juan Luis Ramos
{"title":"The distribution and kinetics of phosphatase activity in European agricultural soils under long-term tillage reduction practices.","authors":"Tamara Gómez-Gallego, Mart B H Ros, Sara Sánchez-Moreno, Dalia Feiziene, Gerard L Velthof, Søren O Petersen, Lars Munkholm, Laurent Philippot, Luca Bragazza, Marcel van der Heijden, Sara Hallin, Marta Goberna, Juan Luis Ramos","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag006","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Achieving sustainability for agriculture is a significant challenge, particularly with respect to improving nutrient management in the field. This goal requires reducing the use of chemical fertilizers inputs and minimizing nutrient losses whilst maintaining crop yields. Phosphatases, enzymes produced by soil microorganisms and plants, play a key role in phophorus cycling by mobilizing phosphorus (P) from organic sources. This study examined the effects of three long-term tillage practices (no-tillage, reduced tillage, and standard tillage) on acid and alkaline phosphatase activity at two soil depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm) in seven agricultural field trials in Europe over a decade. Despite considerable variation among sampled sites, plots under reduced- and/or no-tillage regimes exhibited higher phosphatase activity in the topsoil compared with those under standard tillage. Both acid and alkaline phosphatases were influenced by the same major soil drivers, such as total nitrogen, total organic carbon, and total organic phosphorus contents. A predictive model incorporating total nitrogen alongside other soil features best explained changes in both phosphatase activities resulting from tillage treatments. Overall, our findings support that reduced-tillage practices enhance phosphatase activity, promote organic P mineralization, and could therefore reduce reliance on inorganic P fertilizers, contributing to more sustainable management of agricultural systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag006"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375305/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-01-28eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag003
Matthew J Tarnowski, Andy Stawowy, Eva C Sonnenschein
{"title":"Plastic additives enrich diverse bacterial communities which show the hallmarks of plastic degradation.","authors":"Matthew J Tarnowski, Andy Stawowy, Eva C Sonnenschein","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag003","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plastics contain a variety of chemical additives that enhance their performance but often pose environmental risks due to their persistence and leaching. Microbial degradation offers a promising strategy to mitigate these pollutants, yet efficient methods to identify active degraders remain limited. This project aims to combine biochemical assays with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to screen microbial communities for plastic additive biodegradation. Inocula from natural (Chessel Bay, Swansea Bay) and anthropogenic (Wastewater Plant, Recycling Plant) environments were enriched for 22 days, using di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT) and tetradecane and compared to negative controls. We adapted high-throughput assays to measure community-level growth, death, redox, and esterase activity. DEHT yielded the highest growth, while tetradecane enhanced redox activity. 16S rRNA amplicon sequence analysis identified 957 amplicon sequence variants across 36 cultures. PERMANOVA showed that the substrate explained 39%-63% of the variance in community structure. Both additives enriched bacterial families known to degrade plastics (e.g. <i>Nocardiaceae</i>, which correlated with esterase activity). Other bacterial families not previously associated with plastic degradation (e.g. <i>Vermiphiliaceae</i>) highlight potential for plastic and additive biodegradation. These results demonstrate that diverse environmental microbiomes can metabolize ester- and alkane-based plastic additives. Our methods enable scalable screening of biodegradative communities for bioremediation applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag003"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sustainable microbiologyPub Date : 2026-01-10eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/sumbio/qvag002
Fang Chi, Kun Chen, Yue Yin, Janetta R Hakovirta, Per E J Saris
{"title":"From dysbiosis to dysfunction: specific gut microbes and metabolites in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Fang Chi, Kun Chen, Yue Yin, Janetta R Hakovirta, Per E J Saris","doi":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag002","DOIUrl":"10.1093/sumbio/qvag002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parkinson's disease (PD) involves a complex interplay between the gut microbiota, their metabolites, and host neurophysiology. Studies across independent cohorts have begun to reveal reproducible microbial signatures, with taxa such as <i>Desulfovibrio</i> spp., <i>Akkermansia</i>, and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> repeatedly enriched, whereas Prevotellaceae and <i>Faecalibacterium</i> are consistently reduced. Beyond these broad compositional patterns, several species and strains-including <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>, curli-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i>, and <i>Desulfovibrio</i> spp.-have been linked to processes such as α-synuclein aggregation, immune activation, and dopaminergic vulnerability. Microbial metabolites including short-chain fatty acids, hydrogen sulfide, lipopolysaccharides, bile acids, and iron-related compounds provide additional mechanistic connections, influencing gut barrier function, inflammatory responses, and neuronal homeostasis. In this review, we bring together findings from taxonomic, metabolic, and mechanistic studies, evaluate the therapeutic potential of microbiota-targeted interventions. Future research should pivot from descriptive microbiome profiling toward mechanistic studies that delineate causal relationships between defined microbes, their metabolites, and PD pathology. Such efforts are essential for identifying early diagnostic biomarkers and developing targeted microbiota-based therapies that could alter the clinical course of PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":516860,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable microbiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"qvag002"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13375376/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}