Browsing by Author "Hallsworth, John E."

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    Aspergillus ullungdoensis sp. nov., Penicillium jeongsukae sp. nov., and other fungi from Korea
    (Elsevier, 2024-12-01) Lee, Hyang Burm; Nguyen, Thuong T. T.; Noh, So Jeong; Kim, Dong Hee; Kang, Ki Hyun; Kim, Su Jin; Kirk, Paul M.; Avery, Simon V.; Medina, Angel; Hallsworth, John E.
    Eurotiales fungi are thought to be distributed worldwide but there is a paucity of information about their occurrence on diverse substrates or hosts and at specific localities. Some of the Eurotiales, including Aspergillus and Penicillium species, produce an array of secondary metabolites of use for agricultural, medicinal, and pharmaceutical applications. Here, we carried out a survey of the Eurotiales in Korea, focusing on soil, freshwater, and plants (dried persimmon fruits and seeds of Perilla frutescens, known commonly as shiso). We obtained 11 species that—based on morphology, physiology, and multi-locus (ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2) phylogenetic analyses—include two new species, Aspergillus ullungdoensis sp. nov. and Penicillium jeongsukae sp. nov., and nine species that were known, but previously not described in Korea, Aspergillus aculeatinus, Aspergillus aurantiacoflavus, Aspergillus croceiaffinis, Aspergillus pseudoviridinutans, Aspergillus uvarum, Penicillium ferraniaense, Penicillium glaucoroseum, Penicillium sajarovii, and one, Penicillium charlesii, that was isolated from previously unknown host, woodlouse (Porcellio scaber). We believe that biodiversity surveys and identifying new species can contribute to set a baseline for future changes in the context of humanitarian crises such as climate change.
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    Glycerol enhances fungal germination at the water-activity limit for life
    (Wiley, 2016-11-13) Stevenson, Andrew; Hamill, Philip G.; Medina-Vayá, Ángel; Kminek, Gerhard; Rummel, John D.; Dijksterhuis, Jan; Timson, David J.; Magan, Naresh; Leong, Su-lin L.; Hallsworth, John E.
    For the most-extreme fungal xerophiles, metabolic activity and cell division typically halts between 0.700 and 0.640 water activity (approximately 70.0-64.0% relative humidity). Here, we investigate whether glycerol can enhance xerophile germination under acute water-activity regimes, using an experimental system which represents the biophysical limit of Earth's biosphere. Spores of a variety of species including Aspergillus penicillioides, Eurotium halophilicum, Xerochrysium xerophilium (formerly Chrysosporium xerophilum), and Xeromyces bisporus, were produced by cultures growing on media supplemented with glycerol (up to 189 mg glycerol g dry spores−1). The ability of these spores to germinate and their kinetics of germination were then determined in media designed to recreate stresses experienced in microbial habitats or anthropogenic systems (water-activities from 0.765-0.575). For A. penicillioides, E. amstelodami, E. halophilicum, X. xerophilium and X. bisporus, germination occurred at lower water-activities than previously recorded (0.640, 0.685, 0.651, 0.664 and 0.637 respectively). In addition, the kinetics of germination at low water-activities were substantially faster than those reported previously. Extrapolations indicated theoretical water-activity minima below these values; as low as 0.570 for A. penicillioides and X. bisporus. Glycerol is present at high concentrations (up to molar levels) in many types of microbial habitat. We discuss the likely role of glycerol in expanding the water-activity limit for microbial function in relation to temporal constraints and location of the microbial cell or habitat. The findings reported here also have critical implications for understanding the extremes of Earth's biosphere; for understanding the potency of disease-causing microorganisms; and in biotechnologies that operate at the limits of microbial function. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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    Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children's enthusiasm for microbes [Editorial]
    (Wiley, 2020-05-14) McGenity, Terry J.; Gessesse, Amare; Hallsworth, John E.; Cela, Esther Garcia; Verheecke-Vaessen, Carol; Wang, Fengping; Chavarría, Max; Haggblom, Max M.; Molin, Søren; Danchin, Antoine; Smid, Eddy J.; Lood, Cédric; Cockell, Charles S.; Whitby, Corinne; Liu, Shuang‐Jiang; Keller, Nancy P.; Stein, Lisa Y.; Bordenstein, Seth R.; Lal, Rup; Nunes, Olga C.; Gram, Lone; Singh, Brajesh K.; Webster, Nicole S.; Morris, Cindy; Sivinski, Sharon; Bindschedler, Saskia; Junier, Pilar; Antunes, André; Baxter, Bonnie K.; Scavone, Paola; Timmis, Kenneth
    We have recently argued that, because microbes have pervasive – often vital – influences on our lives, and that therefore their roles must be taken into account in many of the decisions we face, society must become microbiology‐literate, through the introduction of relevant microbiology topics in school curricula (Timmis et al. 2019. Environ Microbiol 21: 1513‐1528). The current coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of why microbiology literacy is such a crucial enabler of informed policy decisions, particularly those involving preparedness of public‐health systems for disease outbreaks and pandemics. However, a significant barrier to attaining widespread appreciation of microbial contributions to our well‐being and that of the planet is the fact that microbes are seldom visible: most people are only peripherally aware of them, except when they fall ill with an infection. And it is disease, rather than all of the positive activities mediated by microbes, that colours public perception of ‘germs’ and endows them with their poor image. It is imperative to render microbes visible, to give them life and form for children (and adults), and to counter prevalent misconceptions, through exposure to imagination‐capturing images of microbes and examples of their beneficial outputs, accompanied by a balanced narrative. This will engender automatic mental associations between everyday information inputs, as well as visual, olfactory and tactile experiences, on the one hand, and the responsible microbes/microbial communities, on the other hand. Such associations, in turn, will promote awareness of microbes and of the many positive and vital consequences of their actions, and facilitate and encourage incorporation of such consequences into relevant decision‐making processes. While teaching microbiology topics in primary and secondary school is key to this objective, a strategic programme to expose children directly and personally to natural and managed microbial processes, and the results of their actions, through carefully planned class excursions to local venues, can be instrumental in bringing microbes to life for children and, collaterally, their families. In order to encourage the embedding of microbiology‐centric class excursions in current curricula, we suggest and illustrate here some possibilities relating to the topics of food (a favourite pre‐occupation of most children), agriculture (together with horticulture and aquaculture), health and medicine, the environment and biotechnology. And, although not all of the microbially relevant infrastructure will be within reach of schools, there is usually access to a market, local food store, wastewater treatment plant, farm, surface water body, etc., all of which can provide opportunities to explore microbiology in action. If children sometimes consider the present to be mundane, even boring, they are usually excited with both the past and the future so, where possible, visits to local museums (the past) and research institutions advancing knowledge frontiers (the future) are strongly recommended, as is a tapping into the natural enthusiasm of local researchers to leverage the educational value of excursions and virtual excursions. Children are also fascinated by the unknown, so, paradoxically, the invisibility of microbes makes them especially fascinating objects for visualization and exploration. In outlining some of the options for microbiology excursions, providing suggestions for discussion topics and considering their educational value, we strive to extend the vistas of current class excursions and to: (i) inspire teachers and school managers to incorporate more microbiology excursions into curricula; (ii) encourage microbiologists to support school excursions and generally get involved in bringing microbes to life for children; (iii) urge leaders of organizations (biopharma, food industries, universities, etc.) to give school outreach activities a more prominent place in their mission portfolios, and (iv) convey to policymakers the benefits of providing schools with funds, materials and flexibility for educational endeavours beyond the classroom.