bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infections of cats attributable to slow growing or ‘non-culturable’ mycobacteria
Authors: Malik Richard , O'Brien Carolyn , Fyfe Janet
Published: April 2020

Cats are susceptible to a range of different mycobacterial infections. Tuberculosis has not been seen in domestic species living in Australia (including the cat) for decades. Mycobacterial infections most commonly develop in cats subsequent to penetrating injuries (typically inflicted by other cats) that become contaminated with soil or dirt. Most of these infections are caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria, especially Mycobacterium smegmatis and related species, although occasionally other species such as Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium ulcerans are involved. In this report we briefly review infections caused by some novel mycobacterial species, which are either impossible or very difficult to grow in vitro using the usual range of liquid and solid media available in reference laboratories. Our understanding of these infections, sometimes referred to as ?feline leprosy-like syndromes?, has increased greatly since the application of molecular techniques and the systematic investigation of affected cats.
Bluetongue virus is ‘on-the-move’
Authors: Walker Peter J
Published: April 2020

Bluetongue virus is ?on-the-move?. The distribution of this important arthropod-borne pathogen of sheep and cattle is expanding rapidly, particularly in Europe, where its emergence and spread during the past decade have had severe economic consequences. The movement of bluetongue virus into new temperate European habitats appears to have been driven, at least in part, by global warming. Record summer temperatures, warmer winters and changes in precipitation patterns are believed to have provided the conditions necessary for more northerly seasonal spread, over-wintering and adaptation of the virus to new insect vectors. The emergence of bluetongue disease in Europe since 1998 has resulted in the deaths of more than two million sheep. The economic impact in France alone in 2006-07 was estimated to have already exceeded $1.4 billion, mostly in lost trade. These events have significant implications for Australia, where freedom from disease and favourable terms of trade rest on a potentially fragile ecological balance between viruses, hosts and vectors.
The ‘Tiger’ on our doorstep: emergence of Aedes albopictus as an arbovirus vector in northern Australia
Authors: van den Hurk Andrew F
Published: April 2020

Aedes albopictus is commonly referred to as the ?Asian Tiger Mosquito?, a name that describes its distinctive black and white banding and its origins in Southeast Asian rainforests. This highly invasive species is a competent vector of dengue viruses (DENVs) and was the primary vector during the recent resurgence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the islands of the western Indian Ocean. Ae. albopictus is also a vicious biter and can transmit dog heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, between dogs. In the last 30 years, it has colonised many parts of Europe, North and South America and Africa. Until recently, Australia had been spared infestation by Ae. albopictus. However, widespread populations were discovered in the Torres Strait in 2005 and genetic analysis suggested that it had been repeatedly introduced from the New Guinea landmass [N.W. Beebe, L.A. Hill and A.F. van den Hurk, unpublished data]. Should Ae. albopictus become established on the mainland, it has the potential to colonise much of coastal Australia, including southern areas, thus rendering them receptive to possible DENV and CHIKV transmission.
Nipah virus
Authors: MacKenzie John S , Prowse Stephen J
Published: April 2020

Nipah virus emerged in 1999 in Peninsula Malaysia, where it caused a severe respiratory disease in pigs, some of which also displayed encephalitic symptoms. Humans became infected following contact with infected pigs and suffered a severe encephalitic disease. There were a total of 276 human infections in Malaysia and Singapore, with 106 deaths, a case fatality rate of 38.4% 1. The outbreak was finally contained by culling just over one million pigs at significant cost to the Malaysian economy.
Vertical Transmission, November 2009
Authors: Stokes Hatch
Published: April 2020

In the last VT, I mentioned the new look website. Since then we have introduced the ability to join and rejoin the society online, with the new site being the launch point for this. This process has been some time in the making as it required major upgrades of the databases in the national office. Thanks to all the staff in the national office for helping to make this possible, most notably Lina Raco. Most members will have come into contact with or had help from Lina at some point as she has been with the Society since 2003. Lina left the ASM in September to take up another position in the hospital sector in Melbourne. On behalf of all members, I wish her all the best in her new job.
Progress towards a vaccine for Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Batzloff Michael R , McMillan David , Pandey Manisha
Published: April 2020

Infection with Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus, GAS) can lead to rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which are significant health concerns in the Indigenous populations of developed countries, including Australian Aboriginal people. The global burden of GAS diseases had been recently reviewed 1 and multiple studies have demonstrated the high burden of these diseases in Australia. RF and RHD are autoimmune type diseases, in which T-cells and antibodies targeting the bacteria may also cross-react with human tissues, therefore rendering a whole cell vaccine impractical.
Fungal infection in Australian Aborigines
Authors: Saul Nathan , Koh Karen , Ellis David
Published: April 2020

Australian Aborigines are disproportionately affected by both superficial cutaneous and systemic fungal infections.
Dangerous bacteria in unexpected locations; Burkholderia pseudomallei and melioidosis in Australia
Authors: Currie Bart J
Published: April 2020

There are 25-50 human cases of melioidosis annually in Australia. While the vast majority occur in the tropical north, sporadic cases have been documented from unexpected temperate locations and, each year, several cases are diagnosed in southern hospitals in patients infected in and returned or travelling from northern Australia or southeast Asia.
Rotavirus diarrhoea and Aboriginal Children
Authors: Bishop Ruth , Kirkwood Carl
Published: April 2020

Rotavirus is the most common cause of paediatric gastroenteritis worldwide. In Australia, Aboriginal children are at the greatest risk of severe disease. The continual changes in dominant strains pose challenges to vaccine success. However, early evidence suggests that rotavirus vaccination will be successful in reducing the impact of rotavirus disease on Australia?s most susceptible population.
From the Editors
Authors: Macreadie Ian , Macreadie Jo
Published: April 2020

This is the last Microbiology Australia issue for 2009. The Editorial Board works hard to ensure that there is an array of topics of interest for ASM members and this year?s issues provide examples of the diversity of our discipline. The first issue (March) focused on the Microbiology of water reuse and alternative supplies. This topic not only remains a high priority for Australia, but its importance continues to increase, as our population grows and our water supplies decrease in many areas.
Sydney Rubbo
Authors: Rood Sarah , Sheedy Katherine
Published: April 2020

Born in Sydney in 1911, Sydney Dattilo Rubbo was educated at Sydney Boys? High School and the University of Sydney (BSc, 1934) before travelling to London to further his studies. He obtained a diploma in bacteriology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (1935) and was awarded a scholarship for microbiological research at the University of London (PhD, 1937). Returning to Australia in 1937, Rubbo took up an appointment as a senior lecturer in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Melbourne where he taught students of medicine, dentistry, science and agricultural science. A ?brilliant and provocative lecturer?, he inspired a generation of students. He also studied and completed a medical degree (MB, BS, 1943) and in 1945, at the age of 33, was appointed Professor of Bacteriology (Microbiology from 1964), a position he held until 1969.
Frank Fenner
Authors: Rood Sarah , Sheedy Katherine
Published: April 2020

Frank John Fenner was born in Ballarat in 1914 and moved to Adelaide as a young child. He completed his undergraduate studies in medicine (1938) at the University of Adelaide, before obtaining a Diploma of Tropical Medicine (University of Sydney, 1940) and later a Doctor of Medicine (University of Adelaide, 1942). During World War II, Fenner served in the Australian Army Medical Corps, as a field ambulance medical officer, pathologist and malariologist. For his work in combating malaria in Papua New Guinea, Fenner received the award Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1944.
Vertical Transmission March 2010
Authors: Stokes Hatch
Published: April 2020

Welcome to our first online edition of Microbiology Australia. Over the next few editions we hope to introduce some new features to the magazine that will take advantage of the electronic format. You will see some examples in this version along with the traditional themed stories that have been so successful in the past. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this transition of the magazine to electronic format, including Chris Burke and Ian Macreadie, along with the rest of the MA Editorial Board and the staff in the ASM National Office, most notably Michelle Jackson. We welcome feedback on how we can make the journal better. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to email me directly.
Utilising the learning management system to enhance feedback for students
Authors: Cain Helen , Power Cheryl
Published: April 2020

Internet-based learning management systems (LMS) allow academics to automate the provision of timely feedback to students. However, to fully exploit this LMS capability and to further encourage student involvement, teaching staff can add an element of summative assessment to the feedback process.
From discovery to commercialisation of vaccines
Authors: Gust Ian , Carbis Rodney
Published: April 2020

Having spent the first 25 years of my [IG] working life involved in research on vaccine development and delivery and then a decade in industry, working for and with, companies that actually made vaccines, I am reminded of the observation, attributed to Charles Dickens: "When I was 14, I thought my Father was the stupidest person on earth. When I was 21, I was amazed at how much he had learnt in the past 7 years." Exposure to the harsh realities of product development challenged my academic preconceptions, gave me a greater insight into the nature and complexity of the development process and a greater respect for the skills of those involved.
Queensland biodiscovery industry and Biodiscovery Act
Authors: Goverment Queensland
Published: April 2020

Queensland is not just a beautiful place to live and visit. Behind the beauty is unparalleled biodiversity, unique tropical expertise and unsurpassed opportunities. Nowhere else on earth has such rich potential when it comes to our rainforests and reefs as sources of new drug discoveries. In Queensland we are proud of our natural assets and want to ensure biodiscovery is carried out in a sustainable manner. In 2004, the Queensland Government introduced best-practice legislation to create legal certainty for biodiscovery activities in the State. The Biodiscovery Act 2004 (Qld) provides sustainable access to Queensland?s biodiversity and fulfils Queensland?s commitment to Article 15 of the international Convention on Biological Diversity.
Large-scale recombinant protein production and structure-based drug design capabilities at CSIRO
Authors: Lovrecz G , Dumsday G , Adams T
Published: April 2020

CSIRO has opened its large-scale Recombinant Protein Production Facilities (RPPF) as part of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS).
Rapid sequencing and analysis for pathogen confirmation
Authors: Ratcliff Rodney M
Published: April 2020

Genetic amplification methods and especially those based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are revolutionising diagnostic microbiology. Genetic amplification is rapidly becoming the method of choice to detect viruses, ?single pathogen? infections such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, slow growing or difficult-to-grow bacteria such as mycobacteria and legionella, or toxigenic bacteria such as Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli and Clostridium difficile. This trend has been accelerated with the use of fluorescent, probe-based, real-time PCR, high-throughput thermocyclers and the use of robotics. Traditional biochemistry-based identification is adequate for many bacterial isolates, as is the specificity afforded by real-time probes for direct PCR detection. However, the sequencing of amplified products (amplicons) is also often performed where increased resolution is required, even though longer amplicons than those generated by real-time PCR are required. Two benefits are clear. Firstly, sequence is constructed solely from the four nucleotides so can be likened to a digital signal. In comparison, biochemical identifications are more like an analogue signal, where weak or equivocal reactions can create ambiguity. Secondly, the resolution afforded by biochemical reactions (less than 100 character states i.e. 48 reactions that can be positive or negative) is easily exceeded by sequencing (2000 character states for a 500 bp sequence i.e. 500 sites which can contain one of four nucleotides). Further, the sequence is reproducible and not dependent on variables such as the bacterial growth conditions and easily lends itself to computer-based analysis.
DNA sequencing of fungi in a microbiology laboratory
Authors: Davis Stephen
Published: April 2020

The identification of fungi in a general microbiology laboratory using traditional techniques has always been problematic for several reasons. These include the requirement for trained personnel to identify the fungi, as well as the fact that many fungi take much longer than bacteria to grow, making identification of these organisms in a timely fashion difficult. An additional complication is that some fungi do not show characteristic structures, making identification by traditional techniques difficult, if not impossible. DNA sequencing for the identification of fungal cultures can be easily established in a laboratory that is set up for bacterial DNA sequencing. This technology, when complemented with appropriate levels of training in classical fungal identification, will extend the mycological capabilities of a general microbiology laboratory.
T-cell immunity against the A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic virus
Authors: Valkenburg Sophie A , Laurie Karen , Kelso Anne , Turner Stephen J , Doherty Peter C , Kedzierska Katherine
Published: April 2020

The sudden emergence of the novel reassortant A(H1N1) 2009 influenza virus led to rapid global spread, due to minimal pre-existing antibody levels in those born after 1950. Memory T cells specific for more conserved viral peptides elicit broad immunity and can promote more rapid recovery. However, mutations within T-cell immunogenic peptides occur, although less commonly than at antibody-binding sites. Comparison of human T-cell peptides between the pandemic H1N1 2009 and seasonal strains showed 50?70% conservation, depending on the particular virus protein and influenza strains. Experimental analysis demonstrated cross-recognition of some T-cell epitopes (for example, HLA-A2+M158-66), although there was also evidence of immune escape by other immunodominant peptides (for example, NP418-426 presented by the HLA-B7 family). Non-conserved T-cell regions of A(H1N1) 2009 highly resembled those derived from H1N1-1918 rather than recent seasonal viruses, reflecting protein conservation (in the parent swine virus) from influenza strains circulating early in the 20th century. As a consequence, individuals with HLA types presenting variable T-cell peptides had diminished pre-existing T-cell memory towards the A(H1N1) 2009 virus.
Antiviral drug resistance in seasonal and pandemic influenza
Authors: Hurt Aeron C
Published: April 2020

Two classes of anti-influenza drugs are currently available for the treatment or prophylaxis of influenza. These are the adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine), which block the activity of the M2 ion channel of influenza A viruses (but not influenza B viruses), and the neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs), which act by binding to the enzymatic site of the influenza neuraminidase (NA) thereby preventing progeny virions from being released from the host cell during viral replication. Antiviral resistance can occur in influenza viruses and render the drug ineffective for the treatment of patients. Virtually all influenza A viruses currently circulating in the human population are resistant to the adamantanes, while in comparison these viruses remain susceptible to the NAIs. In particular, very low NAI resistance has been observed in pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 viruses, even though unprecedented amounts of these drugs were used.
Molecular taxonomic parameters
Authors: Stackebrant Erko
Published: April 2020

The parameters in place for the circumscription of taxonomic ranks increase with the description of lower ranks; only one or a few, mostly genomic properties, for phyla, classes and orders, while those for families, genera and, above all, for species, are described with increasing complexity, including molecular, chemotaxonomic, morphological and biochemical properties. Even the attempt to list a few examples for species-rich genera or for a phylogenetically diverse range of taxa would go beyond the scope of this communication. Rather, the presently applied molecular approaches for delineation should be revisited here. For a broad overview on the use of the wide spectrum of phenotypic methods recommended today the reader is referred to a recent publication by Tindall et al.
What’s up with Bergey’s?
Authors: Whitman Barny
Published: April 2020

This spring, the last volume of the 2nd edition of Bergey?s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology (BMSB) has been submitted to the publisher, with an expected publication date of late 2011 or early 2012. This multi-volume work describes the systematics, ecology, physiology and other biological properties of prokaryotes. Published by Bergey?s Manual Trust and Springer, it is the most complete and authoritative description of bacterial and archaeal diversity currently published.
Proteomic applications in microbial identification
Authors: Bowman John P
Published: April 2020

Proteomics-based approaches have been used in microbial taxonomy for the last several decades. Recent improvements in instruments and software have led to the appearance of mass spectrometric fingerprinting and peptide survey approaches allowing for highly rapid and accurate taxonomic diagnoses suitable for high-throughput laboratories as well as means to deeply analyse entire proteomes.
Metagenomics and beyond: new toolboxes for microbial systematics
Authors: Men Artem E , Forrest Susan , Siemering Kirby
Published: April 2020

An extraordinary DNA sequencing revolution has taken place over the past decade, which has seen exciting, yet challenging times for microbial genomics and systematics. Numerous metagenomics and metatranscriptomics projects have provided us with an unprecedented glimpse at the vast biological diversity that exists in minute amounts of samples obtained from environments such as ocean water, soil or human distal gut. One of the key challenges is how we catalogue and classify this vast diversity of microbial life (much of which represents unculturable mixtures) discovered in the last few years alone. Of even greater challenge is the fact that biological mechanisms that rule bacterial plasticity and ecological fitness are far more complex than previously thought, resulting in new concepts of ?pan? or ?supra-genomes? that appear to be much larger than any individual bacterial genome.
Countermeasure to change resistance in
Authors: Mok Dennis , Pitsis Tyronne S
Published: April 2020

Success in management depends largely on the manager?s strategic leadership ability, self-discipline, reflexivity, and quality of management training received. Recently, strategic management skills have become a major concern in project management; it has been identified that almost 90% of projects fail to deliver value. This shortfall was further highlighted by a recent survey commissioned by IBM Global Business Services involving over 1,500 change practitioners. This study assessed strategies of business, operations, organisational change and technology in order to examine how organisations can manage change and identified strategies for improving project outcomes. It concluded that 44% of all projects surveyed failed to meet either time, budget or quality objectives, while 15% either stop or fail to meet all objectives. These results strongly correlate with two other similar surveys by McKinsey and Company, and Bain and Company.
Vaccines
Authors: Strugnell Dick
Published: April 2020

Vaccines are, without question, one of the most cost-effective and socially acceptable health interventions yet developed and expanding vaccine coverage is a key enabling strategy for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. As a challenge, the expanded and effective use of existing vaccines sits alongside the development of new and improved vaccines for preventing diseases which continue to have a major impact on humanity ? diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Because vaccine development is stringently controlled by regulatory authorities and the costs of producing new vaccines have increased significantly, responsibility for new vaccine development now typically rests with the larger pharmaceutical companies who have the resources and risk appetite to support the clinical testing program that is essential for licensure. Where this doesn?t occur, development of so-called ?orphan? vaccines is supported by the major philanthropic agencies, often in collaboration with institutes such as the International Vaccine Institute in Korea. Animal vaccines are similarly becoming concentrated within global animal health companies.
A mountain higher than Everest
Authors: Lightowlers Marshall
Published: April 2020

Challenging scientific hurdles are just the beginning for those who work on neglected tropical diseases. The really big problem is the reason the diseases are neglected in the first place: they are limited mostly to very poor people and hence there are no commercial markets for new treatments.
Metabolomic analysis of protozoan parasites
Authors: Saunders Eleanor , Souza David De , McRae James , Likic Vladimir , McConville Malcolm
Published: April 2020

Protozoan parasites cause a number of important diseases in humans, including malaria, African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease and the leishmaniases. Current therapeutics for these diseases are limited and their effectiveness is being further undermined by the emergence of drug-resistant parasite strains. Parasite genome sequencing projects have provided new insights into the metabolic capacity of these pathogens and have highlighted potential drug targets. However, these genome-based reconstructions of metabolic networks are incomplete and we still have only a limited understanding of the metabolic requirements of these pathogens during infection. Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful new tool for investigating parasite metabolism and host responses, complementing more established omics technologies as well as being useful as a stand-alone technique.
Pre-breeding for disease resistance in wheat – the stagonospora nodorum blotch example
Authors: Shankar Manisha , Francki Michael , Loughman Rob
Published: April 2020

?Pre-breeding? is an alternative term used for ?genetic enhancement?, and in recent times it has become an essential, planned part of all plant breeding activities. The main objectives of pre-breeding for disease resistance are to increase the efficiency of breeding by providing breeding programs with (i) molecular markers linked to effective disease resistance genes, (ii) improved germplasm and associated genetic knowledge that enhance resistance expression and diversity, (iii) improved parental stocks which can be readily utilised within breeding programs and (iv) improved selection methodologies. This article discusses the various activities involved in a pre-breeding program targeting disease resistance with recent outcomes of genetic enhancement for adult plant resistance to stagonospora nodorum blotch in wheat.
Role of plant pathogens in food insecurity
Authors: Strange Richard
Published: April 2020

Plants are the primary means by which food is produced for living organisms. These include the species Homo sapiens ? all 7 billion plus of us. But we are far from being the only species that depends on plants. There are many herbivores with which we compete, some of the most devastating being insects. Moreover, plants deemed useful as sources of food may be outcompeted by other plants of less practical use: these are often regarded as weeds. More insidiously, there are many infectious agents ranging from viroids, consisting of a few hundred nucleotides, through viruses, bacteria, mycoplasmas, nematodes and fungi to plants themselves that parasitise those crop plants we use as sources of food.
New Phytophthoras in Western Australia’s natural ecosystems
Authors: Stukely Michael JC
Published: April 2020

Phytophthora spp. are recognised as important plant pathogens. Ten new and genetically diverse species, not previously reported from elsewhere, have recently been described from natural ecosystems in Western Australia (WA): Phytophthora multivora1; P. elongata; P. thermophila, P. gregata, P. gibbosa, P. litoralis; P. arenaria, P. constricta; P. fluvialis; and P. amnicola. They were identified by DNA sequencing of recent and historical isolates from the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). Several additional new taxa await description. New records for WA of at least eight other Phytophthora taxa that are known overseas, some of them as yet undescribed, have also been confirmed: P. inundata; P. taxon niederhauserii, P. taxon asparagi, P. taxon PgChlamydo, P. taxon personii; P. taxon salixsoil; P. palmivora and P. rosacearum. Furthermore, numerous Phytophthora hybrids have been identified in natural vegetation and waterways in WA. The phylogenetic relationships of the new WA Phytophthora taxa, with their nearest relatives, are shown in Figure 1.
Impact of rotavirus vaccination on childhood gastroenteriti
Authors: Sheridan Sarah , Lambert Stephen , Grimwood Keith
Published: April 2020

Rotaviruses are the most common cause of severe childhood gastroenteritis worldwide. The recent development of safe and effective rotavirus vaccines means that the global health and economic burden of rotavirus disease can now be reduced.
The association of picornaviruses with gastroenteritis
Authors: Thorley Bruce , Roberts Jason
Published: April 2020

Many members of the family Picornaviridae survive passage through the stomach and some are known to replicate in the intestinal tract. Yet these picornaviruses are not considered as a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. Further investigation of gastroenteritis cases not associated with viruses known to cause diarrhoea may serve to delineate further between picornaviruses causing gastroenteritis and an incidental finding.
Guest commentary: The human microbiome and the promise of clinical ecology
Authors: Hugenholtz Phil
Published: April 2020

Metagenomics, the application of high-throughput sequencing to nucleic acids extracted directly from environmental samples, made its debut in 2004 through two high-profile papers in Science (Sargasso Sea) and Nature (acid mine drainage). A key strength of the approach is the ability to circumvent the well-known cultivation bottleneck and lay bare the genetic blueprints of ecologically important members of the microbial community, many of which cannot be easily obtained in culture.
Industrial revolution with microorganisms
Authors: Britz Margaret L , Demain Arnold L
Published: April 2020

Mankind has used microbes from the dawn of history to perform services and produce useful chemicals and bioactives. Mixed complex communities, which are resilient over time, preserved food, made alcoholic beverages and treated wastes, all in the absence of an understanding of the underlying biological processes. Moving to single microbial transformation systems led to high-level production of primary (amino acids, nucleotides, vitamins ? used as flavour-enhancing agents, nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals ? solvents and organic acids, including biofuels) and secondary (pharmaceuticals, enzyme inhibitors, bio-herbicides and pesticides, plant growth regulators) metabolites and bioactives (including bacteriocins and enzymes). Several hallmark discoveries in microbiology and other sciences over the last 60 years transformed our ability to discover, manipulate, enhance and derive commercial benefit from industrial applications of microorganisms. This article attempts to capture some of the key discoveries that revolutionised industrial microbiology and speculates about where the ?omics? revolution will take us next.
BLIS-producing probiotics targeting the oral cavity
Authors: Hale John DF , Tagg John R , Wescombe Philip A
Published: April 2020

Consumers seeking health-promoting dietary supplements have long been conditioned to the regular ingestion of yoghurt as a convenient source of living beneficial microbes (viz. probiotics). Conventional probiotics have typically been bacteria of intestinal origin (especially lactobacilli and bifidobacteria) and their application has principally been to provide relief for maladies of the gastrointestinal tract. However, the realisation that much human illness can be linked either directly (dental caries, periodontal disease and candidosis) or indirectly (cardiovascular disease and perhaps even obesity) to the development of oral microbiota disequilibria has diverted much of the thrust of contemporary probiotic research towards the establishment and maintenance of a healthy oral microbiota. Step one was to determine whether conventional intestinal probiotics could influence the oral microbiota, but these (perhaps unsurprisingly) have no oral persistence and any oral cavity health benefits are transitory and largely attributable to immune stimulation. Enter, Streptococcus salivarius K12 ? the world?s first purposely-selected oral probiotic, a bacterium derived from the oral microbiota of a healthy human and shown to colonise the oral cavity and to express a wide variety of anti-competitor molecules, termed BLIS (bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances) capable of targeting oral pathogens and also thought to have a role in the stabilisation of a healthy oral microbiota.
Algae: an essential link between our past and future
Authors: Mouradov Aidyn , Stevenson Trevor
Published: April 2020

Interest in the replacement of imported fossil-based fuels with home-grown, renewable and cheap sources of energy spikes each time we are paying over $1.50/litre for petrol. This time, however, the danger of an energy shortage coincides with an increasing level of atmospheric CO2 and an approaching global food shortage. This all dictates an urgency for the development of a new generation of feedstocks that will not only produce biofuels or their various components, but that can also be used for feeding animals and humans and at the same time will reduce a level of atmospheric CO2. These feedstock organisms have to be grown on marginal lands not used for food crops and require low inputs of fresh water and fertiliser. Further adding to this wish list is that these feedstocks could also grow in sea water, can utilise animal and human waste and be used as fertilisers for crops. All of this will finish a portrait of algae, a group of aquatic, photosynthetic, organisms ranging in size from few microns for microalgae to over 100 metres in the case of Macrocystis pyrifera.
Hendra virus – a ‘One Health’ success story.
Authors: Field Hume , McCall Brad
Published: April 2020

Zoonoses account for 60% of emerging diseases threatening humans. Wildlife are the origin of an increasing proportion of zoonoses over recent decades to a point where they now account for 75% of all zoonoses1. Concurrently and/or consequentially, there has been an increasing recognition of the inter-connectedness of wildlife, livestock and human health, and increasing momentum of an ecosystem-level approach (most commonly termed ‘One Health’) to complex emerging disease scenarios2. This paper describes the evolution and application of such an approach to periodic Hendra virus incidents in horses and humans in Australia.
Q fever
Authors: Norton Robert
Published: April 2020

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. North Queensland has some of the highest rates of Q fever notifications in Australia. The clinical diagnosis of Q fever can be difficult with non-specific symptoms. Up to 5% of cases will develop chronic Q fever with a high likelihood of endocarditis. Diagnosis is essentially by serology. In North Queensland cases have clustered in relatively new, semi-rural suburbs which lie adjacent to native bushland. Native mammals are attracted to new growth in these cleared areas, particularly after the wet season. There is little or no occupational contact with traditional sources of Q fever such as cattle. Seroprevalence studies on native mammals have shown higher levels of seropositivity in native mammals than in cattle. It is postulated that the increase in human cases seen from these areas are a direct effect of interaction between native mammals and humans. Further studies on environmental sampling is currently under way.
My FASM Experience
Authors: Gonis Gena
Published: April 2020

My association with The Australian Society for Microbiology began as an honours student at Melbourne University when my then supervisor, Dr Roy Robins-Browne, gave me a student membership as my 21st birthday present. I have been an ASM member ever since! When I graduated from university, I found I had reached a crossroad. I loved research, but just missed out on a PhD scholarship and so decided to go out into the workforce. My first job was in the Bacteriology Laboratory of a small private pathology service. I found the work so enjoyable that when faced with the same choice 2 years later, being offered a PhD scholarship and a job at the Royal Children’s Hospital diagnostic bacteriology laboratory at the same time, I jumped at the opportunity to work at the hospital. That was more than 25 years ago!
Revisiting biodiscovery from microbial sources in the light of molecular advances
Authors: Kurtböke İpek
Published: April 2020

Since the discovery of penicillin microorganisms have been an unexhausted source of novel bioactive compounds that served as scaffolds for potential drug candidates as well for the development of new antibiotics via fermentative processes. However, after 30 glorious years of biodiscovery begun in the 1940s, discovery of new antibiotic or therapeutic compounds with medicinal value entered a decline phase from the late 1970s onwards. At the same time, significant increases in the numbers of antibiotic or multi-drug resistant bacteria resulting in serious infections were reported. Although natural product discovery research was encouraged to continue due to the need to treat these infections only a few discoveries of potent antibiotics were made in the years of decline such as the discovery of Nikkomycin and Spinosyn. However, at the dawn of the 21st century advances in molecular biology such as genome mining and metabolic engineering changed the scene providing new avenues to the field of drug discovery. This article will highlight some of these advances.
Vertical Transmission
Authors: Robins-Browne Roy
Published: April 2020

The ASM’s motto is ‘Bringing Microbiologists Together’. We achieve this by holding general meetings – specifically, the Bistate, Tristate and Annual Scientific Meetings. I am a firm believer in the value of general meetings such as these, because I know from experience how much we stand to learn from colleagues who work in areas outside our own narrow focus of interest.
Environmental microbiomes
Authors: Blackall Linda L
Published: April 2020

The March 2015 issue of Microbiology Australia was devoted to ‘Mammalian microbiomes’ and this March 2018 issue on ‘Environmental microbiomes’ complements that previous one. Additionally, authors of articles in the current issue were largely chosen from oral presenters at the inaugural ASM-sponsored Australian Microbial Ecology (AUSME2017) conference held a year ago in Melbourne. That 3-day conference in February 2017 celebrated the field of Microbial Ecology.
From the Editorial Team
Authors: Macreadie Ian
Published: April 2020

Microbiology Australia, the official journal of the Australian Society for Microbiology, works towards publishing content that is of interest and benefit to ASM members. It does this with contributions and feedback from members, through its Editorial Board, which meets five times each year (usually by teleconference), and through support from CSIRO Publishing. Articles in the thematic issues are usually solicited via Guest Editors who are knowledgeable in the particular topic of the issue. The aim is produce topical informative articles that are readable by the ASM audience who have very broad interests.
Microbial biodeterioration and biodegradation
Authors: Kurtböke Ipek , Ivshina Irina , Blackall Linda L
Published: April 2020

Microorganisms including bacteria and fungi can use a wide variety of organic compounds as their carbon and energy sources and exploit numerous options as electron acceptors facilitating their ability to live in diverse environments. Such microbial biodegradative activities can result in the bioremediation of polluted sites or cause biodeterioration. Biodegradation and biodeterioration are closely related processes, and they often involve the same organisms, processes and materials.
CtIP promotes the motor activity of DNA2 to accelerate long-range DNA end resection
Authors: Ceppi Ilaria , Howard Sean M. , Kasaciunaite Kristina , Pinto Cosimo , Anand Roopesh , Seidel Ralf , Cejka Petr
Published: April 2020

Significance

Homologous recombination is initiated by a two-step nucleolytic processing of DNA breaks to generate overhangs required for the downstream repair steps. The first short-range resection step is slow but versatile because it can remove noncanonical structures from the break end. The second long-range resection step is fast but sensitive to protein adducts or secondary DNA structures. Our results support a model where CtIP is a cofactor that stimulates not only the short-range pathway as defined previously, but also the long-range nucleolytic processing. Specifically, we define here the interplay of CtIP and the DNA2 nuclease-helicase that functions in long-range resection. The involvement of CtIP in both resection steps might help coordinate DNA end processing and initiation of homologous recombination.
Factors promoting nuclear envelope assembly independent of the canonical ESCRT pathway
Authors: Lee I-Ju , Stokasimov Ema , Dempsey Nathaniel , Varberg Joseph M. , Jacob Etai , Jaspersen Sue L. , Pellman David
Published: April 2020

The nuclear envelope (NE) undergoes dynamic remodeling to maintain NE integrity, a process involving the inner nuclear membrane protein LEM2 recruiting CHMP7/Cmp7 and then ESCRT-III. However, prior work has hinted at CHMP7/ESCRT-independent mechanisms. To identify such mechanisms, we studied NE assembly in Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, a fission yeast that undergoes partial mitotic NE breakdown and reassembly. S. japonicus cells lacking Cmp7 have compromised NE sealing after mitosis but are viable. A genetic screen identified mutations that promote NE integrity in cmp7Δ cells. Unexpectedly, loss of Lem2 or its interacting partner Nur1 suppressed cmp7Δ defects. In the absence of Cmp7, Lem2 formed aggregates that appear to interfere with ESCRT-independent NE sealing. A gain-of-function mutation implicated a membrane and ESCRT-III regulator, Alx1, in this alternate pathway. Additional results suggest a potentially general role for unsaturated fatty acids in NE integrity. These findings establish the existence of mechanisms for NE sealing independent of the canonical ESCRT pathway.
Differentially poised vesicles underlie fast and slow components of release at single synapses
Authors: Blanchard Kris , Zorrilla de San Martín Javier , Marty Alain , Llano Isabel , Trigo Federico F.
Published: April 2020

In several types of central mammalian synapses, sustained presynaptic stimulation leads to a sequence of two components of synaptic vesicle release, reflecting the consecutive contributions of a fast-releasing pool (FRP) and of a slow-releasing pool (SRP). Previous work has shown that following common depletion by a strong stimulation, FRP and SRP recover with different kinetics. However, it has remained unclear whether any manipulation could lead to a selective enhancement of either FRP or SRP. To address this question, we have performed local presynaptic calcium uncaging in single presynaptic varicosities of cerebellar interneurons. These varicosities typically form “simple synapses” onto postsynaptic interneurons, involving several (one to six) docking/release sites within a single active zone. We find that strong uncaging laser pulses elicit two phases of release with time constants of ∼1 ms (FRP release) and ∼20 ms (SRP release). When uncaging was preceded by action potential–evoked vesicular release, the extent of SRP release was specifically enhanced. We interpret this effect as reflecting an increased likelihood of two-step release (docking then release) following the elimination of docked synaptic vesicles by action potential–evoked release. In contrast, a subthreshold laser-evoked calcium elevation in the presynaptic varicosity resulted in an enhancement of the FRP release. We interpret this latter effect as reflecting an increased probability of occupancy of docking sites following subthreshold calcium increase. In conclusion, both fast and slow components of release can be specifically enhanced by certain presynaptic manipulations. Our results have implications for the mechanism of docking site replenishment and the regulation of synaptic responses, in particular following activation of ionotropic presynaptic receptors.
Depressed neuromuscular transmission causes weakness in mice lacking BK potassium channels
Authors: Wang Xueyong , Burke Steven R.A. , Talmadge Robert J. , Voss Andrew A. , Rich Mark M.
Published: April 2020

Mice lacking functional large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BK channels) are viable but have motor deficits including ataxia and weakness. The cause of weakness is unknown. In this study, we discovered, in vivo, that skeletal muscle in mice lacking BK channels (BK−/−) was weak in response to nerve stimulation but not to direct muscle stimulation, suggesting a failure of neuromuscular transmission. Voltage-clamp studies of the BK−/− neuromuscular junction (NMJ) revealed a reduction in evoked endplate current amplitude and the frequency of spontaneous vesicle release compared with WT littermates. Responses to 50-Hz stimulation indicated a reduced probability of vesicle release in BK−/− mice, suggestive of lower presynaptic Ca2+ entry. Pharmacological block of BK channels in WT NMJs did not affect NMJ function, surprisingly suggesting that the reduced vesicle release in BK−/− NMJs was not due to loss of BK channel–mediated K+ current. Possible explanations for our data include an effect of BK channels on development of the NMJ, a role for BK channels in regulating presynaptic Ca2+ current or the effectiveness of Ca2+ in triggering release. Consistent with reduced Ca2+ entry or effectiveness of Ca2+ in triggering release, use of 3,4-diaminopyridine to widen action potentials normalized evoked release in BK−/− mice to WT levels. Intraperitoneal application of 3,4-diaminopyridine fully restored in vivo nerve-stimulated muscle force in BK−/− mice. Our work demonstrates that mice lacking BK channels have weakness due to a defect in vesicle release at the NMJ.
Finite-range effects in ultradilute quantum drops
Authors: Cikojević V , Markić L Vranješ , Boronat J
Published: April 2020

In the first experimental realization of dilute Bose–Bose liquid drops using two hyperfine states of 39K some discrepancies between theory and experiment were observed. The standard analysis of the data using the Lee–Huang–Yang beyond mean-field theory predicted critical numbers which were significantly off the experimental measurements. Also, the radial size of the drops in the experiment proved to be larger than expected from this theory. Using a new functional, which is based on quantum Monte Carlo results of the bulk phase incorporating finite-range effects, we can explain the origin of the discrepancies in the critical number. This result proves the necessity of including finite-range corrections to deal with the observed properties in this setup. The controversy on the radial size is reasoned in terms of the departure from the optimal concentration ratio between the two species of the mixture.
Extended validity of weak measurement*
Authors: Qiu Jiangdong , Ren Changliang , Li Zhaoxue , Xie Linguo , He Yu , Zhang Zhiyou , Du Jinglei
Published: April 2020

We introduce a modified weak value that is related to the mean value of input meter variable. With the help of the modified weak value, the validity conditions for various modified versions of weak value formalism are investigated, in terms of the dependence of the pointer shift on the mean value of the input meter. The weak value formalism, often used to represent the pointer shift, with the modified weak value is of great use in simplifying calculations and giving guidance of practical experiments whenever the mean value of the input meter variable is nonzero. The simulation in a qubit system is presented and coincident well with our theoretical result.
A chlorophyll-deficient, highly reflective soybean mutant: radiative forcing and yield gaps
Authors: Genesio L , Bright R M , Alberti G , Peressotti A , Delle Vedove G , Incerti G , Toscano P , Rinaldi M , Muller O , Miglietta F
Published: April 2020

Sunlight absorbed at the Earth’s surface is re-emitted as longwave radiation. Increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap an increasing fraction of such heat, leading to global climate change. Here we show that when a chlorophyll (Chl)-deficient soybean mutant is grown in the field, the fraction of solar-irradiance which is reflected, rather than absorbed, is consistently higher than in commercial varieties. But, while the effect on radiative forcing during the crop cycle at the scale of the individual experimental plot was found to be large (−4.1± 0.6 W m−2), global substitution of the current varieties with this genotype would cause a small increase in global surface albedo, resulting in a global shortwave radiative forcing of −0.003 W m−2, corresponding to 4.4 Gt CO2eq.

At present, this offsetting effect would come at the expense of reductions to yields, probably associated with different dynamic of photosynthetic response in the Chl-deficient mutant. The idea of reducing surface-driven radiative forcing by means of Chl-deficient crops therefore requires that novel high-yielding and high-albedo crops are made available soon.