Hi all, just one post today, with everything combined. Bacterial vaginosis, daily rhythms  of marine bacteria, food microbiology, and The Picks.

Human vaginal microbiome

Role of Gardnerella vaginalis in the Pathogenesis of Bacterial Vaginosis: A Conceptual Model – Jane R. Schwebke – Journal of Infectious Diseases

“Our model suggests that BV is initiated by the sexual transmission of Gardnerella vaginalis, which has the appropriate virulence factors to adhere to host epithelium, create a biofilm community, and successfully compete with lactobacilli for dominance in the vaginal environment. “

Seawater microbiome

Multispecies diel transcriptional oscillations in open ocean heterotrophic bacterial assemblages – Elizabeth A. Ottesen – Science, with an Editorial by E. Virginia Armbrust: “Taking the pulse of ocean microbes”

“As anticipated, the cyanobacterial transcriptome exhibited pronounced diel periodicity. Unexpectedly, several different heterotrophic bacterioplankton groups also displayed diel cycling in many of their gene transcripts. “

Review: Bacterial diversity and antibiotic resistance in water habitats: searching the links with the human microbiome – Ivone Vaz-Moreira – FEMS Microbiology Reviews

“In this review, the hypothesis that some bacteria may share different water compartments and be also hosted by humans is discussed based on the comparison of the bacterial diversity in different types of water and with the human-associated microbiome. “

Food microbiology

Local domestication of lactic acid bacteria via cassava beer fermentation – Alese M. Colehour – PeerJ

“Bacteria responsible for chicha fermentation could be a source of microbes for the human microbiome, but little is known regarding the microbiology of chicha. We investigated bacterial community composition of chicha batches using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. “

Characterization of the dominant bacterial communities during storage of Norway lobster and Norway lobster tails (Nephrops norvegicus) based on 16S rDNA analysis by PCR-DGGE – Bekaert Karen – Food Microbiology

“To characterize as many bacterial species present as possible, we performed advanced molecular identification techniques (PCR-DGGE). The initial TVC of fresh Norway lobster meat was high (3.0 log cfu/g) as compared to fish.”

Effect of autochthonous bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus lactis on bacterial population dynamics and growth of halotolerant bacteria in Brazilian charqui – Vanessa Biscola – Food Microbiology

“Charqui is a fermented, salted and sun-dried meat product, widely consumed in Brazil and exported to several countries. “

Microbes in the news

Using the gut microbiome to improve health – Mary MacVean – LA Times

“The “bistable” groups, the authors wrote, represent “tipping elements,” or components of the gut microbes that “exhibit alternative stable states linked to the overall ecosystem state and our physiology.” “

Science, Ethics and Publishing

Crack Down on Scientific Fraudsters – Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky – New York Times

“Criminal charges against scientists who commit fraud are even more uncommon. In fact, according to a study published last year, “most investigators who engage in wrongdoing, even serious wrongdoing, continue to conduct research at their institutions.””

Dr. Bik’s Picks

Microplastics in the seas – Kara Lavender Law, Richard C. Thompson – Science

“Microplastics are likely the most numerically abundant items of plastic debris in the ocean today, and quantities will inevitably increase, in part because large, single plastic items ultimately degrade into millions of microplastic pieces. “

Uncontacted tribe in Brazil emerges from isolation – Heather Pringle – Science

“The meeting was Brazil’s first official contact with an isolated Amazonian tribe in 20 years. Anthropologists remain deeply concerned about the tribe’s future as it encounters novel diseases and resource-hungry outsiders. “

Polar Bears from Space: Assessing Satellite Imagery as a Tool to Track Arctic Wildlife – Seth Stapleton – PLOS ONE

“We examined satellite images of a small island in Foxe Basin, Canada, occupied by a high density of bears during the summer ice-free season. Bears were distinguished from other light-colored spots by comparing images collected on different dates. “

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