TY - GEN A1 - Chizhikova, N. P. A1 - Lessovaia, S. N. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna ED - Frank-Kamenetskaya, O. V. ED - Panova, E. G. ED - Vlasov, D. Y. T1 - Biogenic weathering of mineral substrates (Review) N2 - A biological impact on weathering was recognized already at the beginning of the twentieth century, when biochemical influence of the lichen growth on rocks was convincingly demonstrated. Later it was shown that the progress of solid rock weathering initiated by biological colonization was affected by the initial porosity system and sensitivity of mineral association. In the meantime a considerable amount of diverse scientific data confirm the importance of biological rock colonizers (lichens and free-living rock biofilms) in mineral material dynamics as they occur at the atmosphere-exposed rock surfaces on local as well as global scale. Subaerial rock biofilms—microbial ecosystem including free-living heterotrophic and phototrophic settlers of bare rock surfaces—are characteristic for the first stage of primary succession of terrestrial ecosystems on mineral substrates. These cultivable and free-living communities are dominated by fungi and set the stage for the later development of a lichen cover, but in comparison to lichens also represent a new tool for laboratory experimentation and thus open a new stage of work in geomicrobiology. The Minerals sensitivity to microbially induced biological weathering can be demonstrated by studies of natural samples as well as by the laboratory mesocosm experiments. KW - Liches KW - Biofilms KW - Minerals KW - Transformations PY - 2016 SN - 9783319249872 SN - 9783319249858 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24987-2_2 SN - 2193-8571 SP - Part I, 7 EP - 14 PB - Springer International Publishing AN - OPUS4-35677 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Zahlreiche Widerspenstige: Steinlaus, Steinpilz, Steinbiofilm, Steinalge, Steinbakterium… T2 - Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2012 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 2012-06-02 PY - 2012 AN - OPUS4-26312 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Bare rock biofilms - Model systems in biodeterioration sciences N2 - Essential processes in the establishment and maintenance of rock biofilms include photosynthesis, production of extracellular polymeric substances, substrate penetration and atmospheric nutrient enrichment. Functional diversity is supported by a complex subaerial biofilm (SAB) community of heterotrophic and phototrophic microorganisms. Stress tolerant and melanised Ascomycetes dominate heterotrophic SABs while diverse algae and cyanobacteria comprise the phototrophic consortia. Laboratory simulation of SABs permits use of molecular-genetic methods coupled with geochemical and microscopic analyses to study weathering. Our in vitro model includes two free-living and symbiosis-competent, genetically tractable microorganisms: the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme and the microcolonial rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola. This genetically amenable cyanobacterium/fungus model biofilm allows development of quantitative methods tailored to the natural diversity of SABs. Precise, reproducible studies using this model biofilm have shown that both the melanised fungus, as well as the combined bacterial/fungal system, enhances the weathering of minerals. Geochemical signatures of these in vitro rock biofilms can now be obtained and compared with bacterial/fungal mutants of varied EPS composition and substrate penetration patterns. And finally, precise study of the model cyanobacterium/fungus biofilm will Permit prediction of the effects of conservational treatments. T2 - 2. European conference on Biodeterioration of stone monuments CY - Cergy-Pontoise, France DA - 17.11.2016 KW - Model rock biofilm KW - Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-38680 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Del Carmen Montero-Calasanz, M. A1 - Göker, M. A1 - Broughton, W.J. A1 - Cattaneo, A. A1 - Favet, J. A1 - Pötter, G. A1 - Rohde, M. A1 - Spröer, C. A1 - Schumann, P. A1 - Klenk, H.-P. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Geodermatophilus tzadiensis sp. nov., a UV radiation-resistant bacterium isolated from sand of the Saharan desert N2 - Three novel Gram-positive, aerobic, actinobacterial strains, CF5/2T, CF5/1 and CF7/1, were isolated in 2007 during environmental screening of arid desert soil in the Sahara desert, Chad. Results from riboprinting, MALDI-TOF protein spectra and 16S rRNA sequence analysis confirmed that all three strains belonged to the same species. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequences with the strains' closest relatives indicated that they represented a distinct species. The three novel strains also shared a number of physiological and biochemical characteristics distinct from previously named Geodermatophilus species. The novel strains' peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid; their main phospholipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and a small amount of phosphatidylglycerol; MK-9(H4) was the dominant menaquinone. The major cellular fatty acids were the branched-chain saturated acids iso-C16:0 and iso-C15:0. Galactose was detected as diagnostic sugar. Based on these chemotaxonomic results, 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and DNA–DNA hybridization between strain CF5/2T and the type strains of Geodermatophilus saharensis, Geodermatophilus arenarius, Geodermatophilus nigrescens, Geodermatophilus telluris and Geodermatophilus siccatus, the isolates CF5/2T, CF5/1 and CF7/1 are proposed to represent a novel species, Geodermatophilus tzadiensis, with type strain CF5/2T = DSM 45416 = MTCC 11411 and two reference strains, CF5/1 (DSM 45415) and CF7/1 (DSM 45420). KW - Geodermatophilaceae KW - Actinomycetes KW - Taxonomy KW - Radiation-resistant PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2012.12.005 SN - 0723-2020 VL - 36 IS - 3 SP - 177 EP - 182 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-28261 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Biofilms in transition: from unwanted layer to material actor N2 - Biofilms on material surfaces have long been regarded as unwanted biological layers and deposits — a kind of living patina. As our knowledge of them is growing, their role is currently undergoing transformation, revealing surprising capacities for problem-solving and material alteration and design. Together, we can explore new perspectives on the interplay between vitality, materiality, and design, challenging conventional boundaries between nature, technology, and aesthetics. T2 - https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/17716/materials-and-materialities-critical-conversations-across-the-humanities-and-sciences CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 16.10.2025 KW - Reference organisms KW - Reproducible experiments KW - Model biofilms PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64495 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Giongo, A. A1 - Favet, J. A1 - Lapanje, A. A1 - Gano, K.A. A1 - Kennedy, S. A1 - Davis-Richardson, A.G. A1 - Brown, C. A1 - Beck, A. A1 - Farmerie, W.G. A1 - Cattaneo, A. A1 - Crabb, D.B. A1 - Aung, Y.-Y. A1 - Kort, R. A1 - Brumsack, H.-J. A1 - Schnetger, B. A1 - Broughton, William J. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Triplett, E.W. T1 - Microbial hitchhikers on intercontinental dust: high-throughput sequencing to catalogue microbes in small sand samples N2 - Microbiological studies on the intercontinental transport of dust are confounded by the difficulty of obtaining sufficient material for analysis. Axenic samples of dust collected at high altitudes or historic specimens in museums are often so small and precious that the material can only be sacrificed when positive results are assured. With this in mind, we evaluated current methods and developed new ones in an attempt to catalogue all microbes present in small dust or sand samples. The methods used included classical microbiological approaches in which sand extracts were plated out on a variety of different media, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based amplification of 16S/18S rRNA sequences followed by construction of clone libraries, PCR amplification of 16S rRNA sequences followed by high-throughput sequencing (HtS) of the products and direct HtS of DNA extracted from the sand. A representative sand sample collected at Bahaï Wadi in the desert of the Republic of Chad was used. HtS with or without amplification showed the most promise and can be performed on ≤100 ng DNA. Since living microbes are often required, current best practices would involve geochemical and microscopic characterisation of the sample, followed by DNA isolation and direct HtS. Once the microbial content of the sample has been deciphered, growth conditions (including media) can be tailored to isolate the micro-organisms of interest. KW - Chad KW - Deserts KW - Eukaryota KW - 16S amplicons KW - Metagenomics PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-012-9264-0 SN - 0393-5965 SN - 1573-3025 VL - 29 IS - 1 SP - 71 EP - 84 PB - Springer Science + Business Media B.V. CY - Dordrecht [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-27687 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Noack-Schönmann, Steffi A1 - Spagin, Olga A1 - Gründer, Klaus-Peter A1 - Breithaupt, Mathias A1 - Günther, Achim A1 - Muschik, Bernd A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Sub-aerial biofilms as blockers of solar radiation: spectral properties as tools to charcterise material-relevant microbial growth N2 - Sub-aerial biofilms (SABs) are ubiquitous microbial communities that develop at the interface between hard surfaces and the atmosphere. Inherent SAB 'core-settlers' include phototrophic algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria and microcolonial fungi (MCF). SABs do not simply cover hard surfaces; they interact with them in myriads of ways and bind to the underlying substrate. Secretion of extracellular mucilage aids adhesion, while organic acids and acidic polysaccharides weather the surface. As protection against solar radiation, many members of the SAB consortia produce shielding pigments while the phototrophic inhabitants are laden with photosynthetic pigments. All absorb light of many wavelengths and in addition, the cells themselves scatter light. Both effects change the spectra of incoming radiation (including wavelengths that are converted to electricity by photovoltaic cells) and decrease its intensity. To quantify these effects on SABs as complex entities of organisms and pigments, we measured the spectral properties of model and natural biofilms transferred to glass. Here we show that SABs growing on solar panels and other substrates scatter incident radiation between 250 nm up to 1800 nm and block up to 70% of its transmission. Model biofilms have the advantage that their microbial components can be 'tuned' to resemble natural ones of different compositions thus providing a novel materials-testing tool. KW - Material-colonising microorganisms KW - Microcolonial fungi KW - Glass biodeterioration KW - Solar panels KW - Biofilm-impaired transmittance of radiation PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2013.09.020 SN - 0964-8305 VL - 86 SP - 286 EP - 293 PB - Elsevier CY - Barking AN - OPUS4-30128 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Landsberger, Petra A1 - Boenke, Viola A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Rodenacker, K. A1 - Pierce, B.F. A1 - Kratz, K. A1 - Lendlein, A. T1 - Bacterial attachment on poly[acrylonitrile-co-(2-methyl-2-propene-1-sulfonic acid)] surfaces N2 - The influence of material properties on bacterial attachment to surfaces needs to be understood when applying polymer-based biomaterials. Positively charged materials can kill adhered bacteria when the charge density is sufficiently high but such materials initially increase the adherence of some bacteria such as Escherichia coli. On the other hand, negatively charged materials have been shown to inhibit initial bacterial adhesion, but this effect has only been demonstrated in relatively few biomaterial classes and needs to be evaluated using additional systems. Gradients in surface charge can impact bacterial adhesion and this was tested in our experimental setup. Moreover, the evaluation of bacterial adhesion to biomaterials is required to assess their potential for biological applications. Here, we studied the bacterial adhesion of E. coli and Bacillus subtilis on the surfaces of acrylonitrile-based copolymer samples with different amounts of 2-methyl-2-propene-1-sulfonic acid sodium salt (NaMAS) comonomer. The content related to NaMAS based repeating units nNaMAS varied in the range from 0.9 to 1.5 mol%. We found a reduced colonized area of E. coli for NaMAS containing copolymers in comparison to pure PAN materials, whereby the bacterial colonization was similar for copolymers with different nNaMAS amounts. A different adhesion behavior was obtained for the second tested organism B. subtilis, where the implementation of negative charges into PAN did not change the overall adhesion pattern. Furthermore, it was observed that B. subtilis adhesion was significantly increased on copolymer samples that exhibited a more irregular surface roughness. T2 - MRS Spring meeting 2013 CY - San Francisco, CA, USA DA - 01.04.2013 KW - Biomaterial KW - Biological KW - Polymer PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2013.832 VL - 1569 IS - MRSS13-1569-NN15-13.R1 SP - 1 EP - 6 AN - OPUS4-30161 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Wachsender Faktor der Energiewende: Biofilme auf Photovoltaikmodulen T2 - Vortrag, Universität Oldenburg CY - Oldenburg, Germany DA - 2014-04-29 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-30870 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Rock-inhabiting fungi and phototrophs on bare rock surfaces - laboratory model systems in geomicrobiology T2 - Institutskolloquium CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 2012-09-11 PY - 2012 AN - OPUS4-26467 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Montero-Calasanz, M.d.C. A1 - Göker, M. A1 - Pötter, G. A1 - Rohde, M. A1 - Spröer, C. A1 - Schumann, P. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Klenk, H.-P. T1 - Geodermatophilus normandii sp. nov., isolated from Saharan desert sand N2 - A novel Gram-reaction-positive actinobacterial strain, designated CF5/3T, was isolated from a sand sample obtained in the Sahara Desert, Chad. The greenish-black-pigmented isolate was aerobic and exhibited optimal growth from 25–40 °C at pH 6.0–10.0 with 0–1 % (w/v) NaCl. Chemotaxonomic and molecular characteristics of the isolate matched those described for members of the genus Geodermatophilus. The DNA G+C content of the genome of the novel strain was 75.5 mol%. The peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as diagnostic diamino acid. The main phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and a minor fraction of phosphatidylglycerol. MK-9(H4) was the dominant menaquinone, and galactose was detected as a diagnostic sugar. The major cellular fatty acids were branched-chain saturated acids: iso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed 95.6–98.8 % pairwise sequence identity with the members of the genus Geodermatophilus. Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties, as well as phylogenetic distinctiveness, the isolate represents a novel species, Geodermatophilus normandii, with the type strain CF5/3T (=DSM 45417T=CCUG 62814T=MTCC 11412T). PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.051201-0 SN - 1466-5026 SN - 1466-5034 VL - 63 IS - 9 SP - 3437 EP - 3443 PB - SGM CY - Reading AN - OPUS4-30220 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Materials conservation for a sustainable development T2 - Workshop + Lehrveranstaltung: "Science and Past: Materials conservation for a sustainable development" CY - Zaragoza, Spain DA - 2012-11-13 PY - 2012 AN - OPUS4-27109 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Microbial ecology of material surfaces and their biofilms: deserts at your doorstep N2 - Introduction. Throughout a remarkably long period land colonisation on Earth has been proceeding by biofilm growth on bare rock surfaces. This very long history of sub-aerial biofilm development resulted in a high degree of their specialisation in challenging environments including desert rocks and high mountain altitudes. Presently the solid substrate/atmosphere interface habitat is frequently anthropogenic and includes e.g. building surfaces as well as industrial energy-producing facilities like solar plants. Those can be looked upon as pseudodeserts inhabited by complex microbial communities metabolising under limited water availability and high sun irradiation. Aim. We intended to compare microbial settlers from sub-aerial biofilms that grow on photovoltaic panels and painted building facades surfaces to the known database of the rock-inhabiting fungi. Materials and methods. Characteristic organisms' that dominate specific rock-inhabiting as well as buildings' facades- and photovoltaic panel-dwelling communities were isolated, identified, and characterized by microbiological and molecular biological methods. Results. Melanised meristematic ascomycetes are the most enduring and numerous dwellers on sub-aerial rock, facade and solar panel surfaces. Obviously, environmental changes perturb sub-aerial biofilm development but over a number of seasons, these changes result in relatively stable microbial communities peculiar to this particular environmental niche. Conclusions. A broad selection of melanised meristematic ascomycetes is indicative of sub-aerial biofilm on all atmosphere-exposed surfaces and can thus be referred to as "reference organisms" for these habitats. Our experimental evidence confirms that colonization of such substrates is facilitated by a symbiosis between a photosynthesizing organism and a fungus that are equipped to cope with the stress associated with sub-aerial existence. Melanised ascomycetes possess a very special stress-tolerant life style that arises under the influence of atmosphere and the solid support. It should be pointed out, that (1) these biofilm communities cannot be considered as "primitive" ones regarding the very long history of their development and high degree of their specialization; and (2) symbiotically competent but free-living bacterial/fungal biofilms cannot be compared to lichen communities, evolving much later than biofilm ecosystems. A genetically tractable laboratory system that includes the key participants of sub-aerial biofilm ecosystems is currently used for the development of standard test procedures in material sciences. Keywords. Sub-aerial biofilms, rock-inhabiting melanised fungi, reference organisms, solar panels biofilms T2 - XVI. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium; International Biodeterioation & Biodegradation Society CY - Lodz, Poland DA - 2014-09-03 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-31922 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Hauswand als Wüstenlandschaft: mikrobielle Besiedlung von luft-exponierten Oberflächen T2 - 2. Photokatalyse-Kolloqium; Fachverband angewandte Photokatalyse CY - Frankfurt am Main; Deutschland DA - 2014-10-02 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-31923 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Biofilme auf Photovoltaikanlagen T2 - 10. Workshop Photovoltaik-Modultechnik; TÜV Rheinland CY - Cologne, Germany DA - 2013-11-28 PY - 2013 AN - OPUS4-30636 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Leben auf Materialien: von Grundlagen der Biofilmbildung zu angewandter Forschung und neuen Werkstofftests T2 - DECHEMA Frühjahrstagung der Biotechnologen 2014 CY - Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland DA - 2014-03-11 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-32262 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seiffert, Franz A1 - Bandow, Nicole A1 - Bouchez, J. A1 - Von Blanckenburg, F. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Microbial colonization of bare rocks: laboratory biofilm enhances mineral weathering N2 - A laboratory biofilm consisting of the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola CBS 726.95 was tested for its mineral weathering potential. Minerals with different grain sizes and mineralogy were incubated with and without biofilm in batch and in flow-through column experiments. After incubation, the mineral dissolution was quantified analysing (i) leachate chemistry via ICP-OES/MS (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry) and (ii) the residual grains as thin polished sections via SEM/TEM-EDX (scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry). Mineral dissolution was enhanced in biotic experiments as compared to abiotic ones, for both batch culture and flow-through approaches. Analyses of thin polished sections confirmed the leaching of these elements near the surface of the mineral grains. These results clearly indicate a biotic effect on the weathering of minerals produced by the laboratory biofilm. KW - Biotic weathering KW - Flow-through cell KW - Albite KW - Forsterite KW - Olivine PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeps.2014.08.042 SN - 1878-5220 VL - 10 SP - 123 EP - 129 PB - Curran CY - Red Hook, NY, USA AN - OPUS4-32739 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Rock-weathering fungi: a simple genetically tractable model system to study organism-material interactions T2 - 28th Fungal Genetics Conference CY - Pacific Grove, California, USA DA - 2015-03-17 PY - 2015 AN - OPUS4-33056 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Knabe, Nicole A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Life on the rocks or deserts at your doorstep T2 - Seminar Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 2015-04-15 PY - 2015 AN - OPUS4-33101 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gerrits, Ruben A1 - Wirth, R. A1 - Schreiber, A. A1 - Feldmann, Ines A1 - Knabe, Nicole A1 - Schott, J, A1 - Benning, L.G. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - High-resolution imaging of fungal biofilm-induced olivine weathering N2 - Many microorganisms including free-living and symbiotic fungi weather minerals through the formation of biofilms on their surface. Weathering thus proceeds not only according to the mineral’s chemistry and the environmental conditions but also according to the local biofilm chemistry. These processes can be dissected in experiments with defined environmental settings and by employing genetic tools to modify traits of the fungal biofilm. Biofilms of the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia petricola strain A95 (wild-type, WT) and its melanin-deficient mutant (ΔKppks) were grown on polished olivine sections in subaerial (air-exposed) and subaquatic (submerged) conditions. After seven months of interaction at pH 6 and 25°C, the fungus-mineral interface and abiotic olivine surface were compared using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The abiotic, subaquatic olivine section showed a 25 nm thick, continuous amorphous layer, enriched in Fe and depleted in Si compared to the underlying crystalline olivine. This amorphous layer formed either through a coupled interfacial dissolution reprecipitation mechanism or through the adsorption of silicic acid on precipitated ferric hydroxides. Its thickness was likely enhanced by mechanical stresses of polishing. Directly underneath a fungal biofilm (WT and mutant alike), the surface remained mostly crystalline and was strongly etched and weathered, indicating enhanced olivine dissolution. The correlation between enhanced olivine dissolution and the absence of a continuous amorphous layer is a strong indication of the dissolution-inhibiting qualities of the latter. We propose that the fungal biofilm sequesters significant amounts of Fe, preventing formation of the amorphous layer and driving olivine dissolution onwards. The seemingly similar olivine surface underneath both WT and mutant biofilms illustrates the comparably insignificant role of specific biofilm traits in the weathering of olivine once biofilm attachment is imposed. Under subaerial conditions, the absence of water on the abiotic surface prohibited olivine dissolution. This was overcome by the water retention capacities of both the WT and mutant biofilm: the olivine surface underneath subaerial fungal biofilms was as weathered as the corresponding subaquatic olivine surface. Under the studied environmental settings, the effect of fungal biofilms on olivine weathering seems to be universal, independent of the production of melanin, the composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) or air-exposure. KW - Bio-weathering KW - Forsterite KW - Extracellular polymeric substances KW - Melanin KW - Black fungi PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119902 VL - 559 SP - 119902 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-51403 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sanchez-Martin, Pedro A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Toepel, J. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - An improved test for the evaluation of hydrocarbon degradation capacities of diesel-contaminating microorganisms N2 - The development of a test to evaluate the degradation of semi-volatile fuels as diesel by microorganisms is presented. This method is based on the principles described in the CEC-L-103 Standard procedure that is exclusively meant for testing the biodegradability of non-volatile lubricants. Therefore, significant modifications involve aseptic conditions for testing specific microorganisms and conducting the test in closed vessels avoiding evaporation losses, while fuel quantification using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) is retained. It is suggested that the modified procedure should enable routine application for semi-volatile hydrocarbon-based fuels. GC-FID provides additionally valuable information on the alteration of fuel component patterns during biodegradation. The procedure was successfully tested using two bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Sphingomonas sp.) and two yeasts (Moesziomyces sp. and Candida sp.) isolated from real diesel contamination cases. All tested microorganisms caused a significant degradation of diesel fuel achieving hydrocarbon degradation percentages ranging from 23% to 35%. Specific aspects on the test modification and prospects for further modification regarding targeted investigations in the field of fuel contamination by microorganisms are briefly discussed. KW - Biofouling KW - Bacteria KW - Fungi KW - CEC-L-103 KW - GC-FID KW - Reference organisms PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2018.01.009 SN - 0964-8305 VL - 129 SP - 89 EP - 94 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-44524 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nai, Corrado A1 - Wong, Helen A1 - Pannenbecker, A. A1 - Broughton, William J. A1 - Benoit, I. A1 - De Vries, R.P. A1 - Gueidan, C. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Nutritional physiology of a rock-inhabiting, model microcolonial fungus from an ancestral lineage of the chaetothyriales (ascomycetes) N2 - Rock-inhabiting black fungi [also microcolonial or meristematic fungi (MCF)] are a phylogenetically diverse group of melanised ascomycetes with distinctive morphological features that confer extensive stress tolerance and permit survival in hostile environments. The MCF strain A95 Knufia petricola (syn. Sarcinomyces petricola) belongs to an ancestral lineage of the order Chaetothyriales (class Eurotiomycetes). K. petricola strain A95 is a rock-inhabiting MCF and its growth requirements were studied using the 96-well plate-based Biolog™ System under ~1070 different conditions (osmotic stress, pH growth optima, growth factor requirements and nutrient catabolism). A95 is an osmotolerant, oligotrophic MCF that grows best around pH 5. Remarkably, A95 shows metabolic activity in the absence of added nitrogen, phosphorus or sulphur. Correlations could be drawn between the known nutrient requirements of A95 and what probably is available in sub-aerial systems (rock and other material surfaces). Detailed knowledge of A95's metabolic requirements allowed formulation of a synthetic medium that supports strong fungal growth. KW - Knufia petricola (syn. Sarcinomyces petricola) KW - A95 KW - Chaetothyriales (Eurotiomycetes) KW - Microcolonial fungi KW - Melanised rock-inhabiting fungi KW - Biolog™ system KW - Physiological characterisation PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2013.04.001 SN - 1087-1845 SN - 0147-5975 SN - 1096-0937 VL - 56 SP - 54 EP - 66 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-28865 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Montero-Calasanz, M.C. A1 - Göker, M. A1 - Pötter, G. A1 - Rohde, M. A1 - Spröer, C. A1 - Schumann, P. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Klenk, H.P. T1 - Geodermatophilus saharensis sp. nov., isolated from sand of the Saharan desert in Chad N2 - A novel Gram-positive, aerobic, actinobacterial strain, CF5/5, was isolated from soil in the Sahara desert, Chad. It grew best at 20–35 °C and at pH 6.0–8.0 and with 0–4 % (w/v) NaCl, forming black-colored colonies. Chemotaxonomic and molecular characteristics of the isolate matched those described for members of the genus Geodermatophilus. The DNA G + C content was 75.9 mol%. The peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid; galactose and xylose were detected as diagnostic sugars. The main phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol; MK-9(H4) was the dominant menaquinone. The major cellular fatty acids were: iso-C16:0 and iso-C15:0. The 16S rRNA gene showed 95.6–98.3 % sequence similarity with the other named members of the genus Geodermatophilus. Based on the polyphasic taxonomy data, the isolate is proposed to represent a novel species, Geodermatophilus saharensis with the type strain CF5/5T = DSM 45423 = CCUG 62813 = MTCC 11416. KW - Actinomycetes KW - Geodermatophilaceae KW - Taxonomy KW - Sahara desert KW - Phenotype microarray PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-012-0860-8 SN - 0302-8933 SN - 1432-072X IS - Dezember SP - 1 EP - 7(?) PB - Springer CY - Berlin ; Heidelberg AN - OPUS4-27630 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -