TY - JOUR A1 - Catanzaro, Ilaria A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Onofri, Silvano A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - 1,8‐Dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin provides unequal protection to black fungi Knufia petricola and Cryomyces antarcticus from UV‐B radiation N2 - Black fungi on rock surfaces endure a spectrum of abiotic stresses, including UV radiation. Their ability to tolerate extreme conditions is attributed to the convergent evolution of adaptive traits, primarily highly melanized cell walls. However, studies on fungal melanins have not provided univocal results on their photoprotective functions. Here, we investigated whether the black fungi Knufia petricola and Cryomyces antarcticus only use DHN melanin or may employ alternative mechanisms to counteract UV‐induced damage. For this, melanized wild types and non‐melanized Δpks1 mutants were exposed to different doses of UV‐B (312 nm) followed by incubation in constant darkness or in light–dark cycles to allow light‐dependent DNA repair by photolyases (photoreactivation). C. antarcticus could tolerate higher UV‐B doses but was sensitive to white light, whereas K. petricola showed the opposite trend. DHN melanin provided UV‐B protection in C. antarcticus, whereas the same pigment or even carotenoids proved ineffective in K. petricola. Both fungi demonstrated functional photoreactivation in agreement with the presence of photolyase‐encoding genes. Our findings reveal that although the adaptive trait of DHN melanization commonly occurs across black fungi, it is not equally functional and that there are species‐specific adaptations towards either UV‐induced lesion avoidance or repair strategies. KW - Rock-inhabiting Ascomycetes KW - Pigment KW - Photoprotection KW - Photolyase KW - Disinfection PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-616859 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.70043 VL - 16 IS - 6 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-61685 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tavasolyzadeh, Zeynab A1 - Tang, Peng A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin A1 - Hweidi, Gada A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Haag, Rainer A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Topolniak, Ievgeniia T1 - 2D and 3D Micropatterning of Mussel‐Inspired Functional Materials by Direct Laser Writing N2 - AbstractThis work addresses the critical need for multifunctional materials and substrate‐independent high‐precision surface modification techniques that are essential for advancing microdevices and sensing elements. To overcome existing limitations, the versatility of mussel‐inspired materials (MIMs) is combined with state‐of‐the‐art multiphoton direct laser writing (DLW) microfabrication. In this way, 2D and 3D MIM microstructures of complex designs are demonstrated with sub‐micron to micron resolution and extensive post‐functionalization capabilities. This study includes polydopamine (PDA), mussel‐inspired linear, and dendritic polyglycerols (MI‐lPG and MI‐dPG), allowing their direct microstructure on the substrate of choice with the option to tailor the patterned topography and morphology in a controllable manner. The functionality potential of MIMs is demonstrated by successfully immobilizing and detecting single‐stranded DNA on MIM micropattern and nanoarray surfaces. In addition, easy modification of MIM microstructure with silver nanoparticles without the need of any reducing agent is shown. The methodology developed here enables the integration of MIMs in advanced applications where precise surface functionalization is essential. KW - Direct laser writing KW - Mussel-inspired materials KW - Polyglycerol KW - Polydopamine KW - Micropatterning PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-588778 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202309394 SN - 1613-6829 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-58877 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gerrits, Ruben A1 - Stepec, Biwen An A1 - Bäßler, Ralph A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Dimper, Matthias A1 - Feldmann, Ines A1 - Goff, Kira L. A1 - Günster, Jens A1 - Hofmann, Andrea A1 - Hesse, René A1 - Kirstein, Sarah A1 - Klein, Ulrich A1 - Mauch, Tatjana A1 - Neumann-Schaal, Meina A1 - Özcan Sandikcioglu, Özlem A1 - Taylor, Nicole M. A1 - Schumacher, Julia A1 - Shen, Yin A1 - Strehlau, Heike A1 - Weise, Matthias A1 - Wolf, Jacqueline A1 - Yurkov, Andrey A1 - Gieg, Lisa M. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - A 30-year-old diesel tank: Fungal-dominated biofilms cause local corrosion of galvanised steel N2 - The increased use of biodiesel is expected to lead to more microbial corrosion, fouling and fuel degradation issues. In this context, we have analysed the metal, fuel and microbiology of a fouled diesel tank which had been in service for over 30 years. The fuel itself, a B7 biodiesel blend, was not degraded, and—although no free water phase was visible—contained a water content of ~60 ppm. The microbial community was dominated by the fungus Amorphotheca resinae, which formed thick, patchy biofilms on the tank bottom and walls. The tank sheets, composed of galvanised carbon steel, were locally corroded underneath the biofilms, up to a depth of a third of the sheet thickness. On the biofilm-free surfaces, Zn coatings could still be observed. Taken together, A. resinae was shown to thrive in these water-poor conditions, likely enhancing corrosion through the removal of the protective Zn coatings. KW - Fungal biofilms KW - Biodiesel degradation mechanisms PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-025-00731-2 SN - 2397-2106 VL - 10 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65501 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schulze-Makuch, D. A1 - Haque, S. A1 - Beckles, D. A1 - Schmitt-Kopplin, P. A1 - Harir, M. A1 - Schneider, Beate A1 - Stumpp, C. A1 - Wagner, D. T1 - A chemical and microbial characterization of selected mud volcanoes in Trinidad reveals pathogens introduced by surface water and rain water N2 - Terrestrial mud volcanoes are unique structures driven by tectonic pressure and fluids from the deep subsurface. These structures are mainly found in active tectonic zones, such as the area near the Los Bajos Fault in Trinidad. Here we report a chemical and microbiological characterization of three mud volcanoes, which included analyses of multiple liquid and solid samples from the mud volcanoes. Our study confirms previous suggestions that at least some of the mud volcano fluids are a mixture of deeper salt-rich water and surficial/precipitation water. No apparent water quality differences were found between sampling sites north and south of a major geological fault line. Microbiological analyses revealed diverse communities, both aerobic and anaerobic, including sulfate reducers, methanogens, carbon dioxide fixing and denitrifying bacteria. Several identified species were halophilic and likely derived from the deeper salt-rich subsurface water, while we also cultivated pathogenic species from the Vibrionaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Shewanellaceae, and Clostridiaceae. These microorganisms were likely introduced into the mud volcano fluids both from surface water or shallow ground-water, and perhaps to a more minor degree by rain water. The identified pathogens are a major health concern that needs to be addressed. KW - Water stable isotope analysis KW - Mud volcanoe fluids KW - Metabolomics PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136087 VL - 707 SP - 136087 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50499 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Simon, Fabian A1 - Gehrenkemper, Lennart A1 - von der Au, Marcus A1 - Wittwer, Phillip A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Pfeifer, Jens A1 - Cossmer, Antje A1 - Meermann, Björn T1 - A fast and simple PFAS extraction method utilizing HR–CS–GFMAS for soil samples N2 - Here, we describe an optimized fast and simple extraction method for the determination of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in soils utilizing high resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR–CS–GFMAS). To omit the bias of the solid phase extraction (SPE) step commonly used during the analysis of extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) we optimized a fast and simple SPE-free extraction method. The developed extraction method consists of a liquid-solid extraction using acidified methanol without any additional SPE. Four extraction steps were representative to determine a high proportion of the EOF (>80% of eight extractions). Comparison of the optimized method with and without an additional SPE clean-up step revealed a drastic underestimation of EOF concentrations using SPE. Differences of up to 94% were observed which were not explainable by coextracted inorganic fluoride. Therefore, not only a more accurate but also a more economic as well as ecologic method (bypassing of unnecessary SPE) was developed. The procedural limit of quantification (LOQ) of the developed method was 10.30 μg/kg which was sufficient for quantifying EOF concentrations in all tested samples. For future PFAS monitoring and potential regulative decisions the herein presented optimized extraction method can offer a valuable contribution. KW - Per- and polyfluorinated alkly substances (PFASs) KW - High resolution-continuum source-graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS-GFMAS) KW - Soils KW - Solid phase extraction (SPE) KW - Extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) KW - Solid-liquid extraction PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133922 VL - 295 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-54359 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - O'Hara, Kate A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Blaskovich, M. A1 - Rühle, Bastian A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - A fluorescently labelled quaternary ammonium compound (NBD-DDA) to study resistance mechanisms in bacteria N2 - Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used as active agents in disinfectants, antiseptics, and preservatives. Despite being in use since the 1940s, there remain multiple open questions regarding their detailed mode-of-action and the mechanisms, including phenotypic heterogeneity, that can make bacteria less susceptible to QACs. To facilitate studies on resistance mechanisms towards QACs, we synthesized a fluorescent quaternary ammonium compound, namely N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-[2-[(4-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-7-yl)amino]ethyl]azanium-iodide (NBD-DDA). NBD-DDA is readily detected by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy with standard GFP/FITC-settings, making it suitable for molecular and single-cell studies. As a proof-of-concept, NBD-DDA was then used to investigate resistance mechanisms which can be heterogeneous among individual bacterial cells. Our results reveal that the antimicrobial activity of NBD-DDA against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is comparable to that of benzalkonium chloride (BAC), a widely used QAC, and benzyl-dimethyl-dodecylammonium chloride (BAC12), a mono-constituent BAC with alkyl-chain length of 12 and high structural similarity to NBD-DDA. Characteristic time-kill kinetics and increased tolerance of a BAC tolerant E. coli strain against NBD-DDA suggest that the mode of action of NBD-DDA is similar to that of BAC. As revealed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), NBD-DDA is preferentially localized to the cell envelope of E. coli, which is a primary target of BAC and other QACs. Leveraging these findings and NBD-DDA‘s fluorescent properties, we show that reduced cellular accumulation is responsible for the evolved BAC tolerance in the BAC tolerant E. coli strain and that NBD-DDA is subject to efflux mediated by TolC. Overall, NBD-DDA’s antimicrobial activity, its fluorescent properties, and its ease of detection render it a powerful tool to study resistance mechanisms of QACs in bacteria and highlight its potential to gain detailed insights into its mode-of-action. KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Bacteria KW - Disinfection KW - Biocides PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-563811 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023326 SN - 1664-302X IS - 13 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne AN - OPUS4-56381 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shafiey, Hassan A1 - Gogol-Döring, Andreas A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Doublet, Vincent A1 - Disayathanoowat, Terd A1 - Paxton, Robert J. T1 - A new variant of slow bee paralysis virus revealed by transcriptome analysis N2 - Using NGS data from an RNA-seq library, we reveal a novel variant of slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) in a pooled sample of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera) collected in southwest Germany. We provide its sequence (NCBI Accession No. PP100271) and demonstrate that it is infective for adult honey bees by feeding. KW - SBPV KW - Apis mellifera KW - +ss RNA virus KW - Iflaviridae KW - Transmission KW - NGS PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-620900 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2425912 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Taylor & Francis AN - OPUS4-62090 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shafiey, H. A1 - Gogol-Döring, A. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Doublet, V. A1 - Disayathanoowat, T. A1 - Paxton, R. J. T1 - A new variant of slow bee paralysis virus revealed by transcriptome analysis N2 - Using NGS data from an RNA-seq library, we reveal a novel variant of slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV) in a pooled sample of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera) collected in southwest Germany. We provide its sequence (NCBI Accession No. PP100271) and demonstrate that it is infective for adult honey bees by feeding. KW - SBPV KW - Apis mellifera KW - +ss RNA virus KW - Iflaviridae KW - Transmission PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645577 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2425912 VL - 64 IS - 1 SP - 56 EP - 59 PB - Taylor & Francis AN - OPUS4-64557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abis, M. A1 - Bruno, M. A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg A1 - Grönholm, R. A1 - Hoppe, M. A1 - Kuchta, K. A1 - Fiore, S. T1 - A Novel Dry Treatment for Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash for the Reduction of Salts and Potential Toxic Elements N2 - The main obstacle to bottom ash (BA) being used as a recycling aggregate is the content of salts and potential toxic elements (PTEs), concentrated in a layer that coats BA particles. This work presents a dry treatment for the removal of salts and PTEs from BA particles. Two pilotscale abrasion units (with/without the removal of the fine particles) were fed with different BA samples. The performance of the abrasion tests was assessed through the analyses of particle size and moisture, and that of the column leaching tests at solid-to-liquid ratios between 0.3 and 4. The results were: the particle-size distribution of the treated materials was homogeneous (25 wt % had dimensions <6.3 mm) and their moisture halved, as well as the electrical conductivity of the leachates. A significant decrease was observed in the leachates of the treated BA for sulphates (44%), chlorides (26%), and PTEs (53% Cr, 60% Cu and 8% Mo). The statistical analysis revealed good correlations between chloride and sulphate concentrations in the leachates with Ba, Cu, Mo, and Sr, illustrating the consistent behavior of the major and minor components of the layer surrounding BA particles. In conclusion, the tested process could be considered as promising for the improvement of BA valorization. KW - Bottom ash KW - Dry treatment KW - Potential toxic elements KW - Salts PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-527963 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14113133 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 14 IS - 11 SP - 3133 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-52796 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kromer, Charlotte A1 - Katz, Aaron A1 - Feldmann, Ines A1 - Laux, Peter A1 - Luch, Andreas A1 - Tschiche, Harald R. T1 - A targeted fluorescent nanosensor for ratiometric pH sensing at the cell surface N2 - AbstractThe correlation between altered extracellular pH and various pathological conditions, including cancer, inflammation and metabolic disorders, is well known. Bulk pH measurements cannot report the extracellular pH value at the cell surface. However, there is a limited number of suitable tools for measuring the extracellular pH of cells with high spatial resolution, and none of them are commonly used in laboratories around the world. In this study, a versatile ratiometric nanosensor for the measurement of extracellular pH was developed. The nanosensor consists of biocompatible polystyrene nanoparticles loaded with the pH-inert reference dye Nile red and is surface functionalized with a pH-responsive fluorescein dye. Equipped with a targeting moiety, the nanosensor can adhere to cell membranes, allowing direct measurement of extracellular pH at the cell surface. The nanosensor exhibits a sensitive ratiometric pH response within the range of 5.5–9.0, with a calculated pKa of 7.47. This range optimally covers the extracellular pH (pHe) of most healthy cells and cells in which the pHe is abnormal, such as cancer cells. In combination with the nanosensors ability to target cell membranes, its high robustness, reversibility and its biocompatibility, the pHe nanosensor proves to be well suited for in-situ measurement of extracellular pH, even over extended time periods. This pH nanosensor has the potential to advance biomedical research by improving our understanding of cellular microenvironments, where extracellular pH plays an important role. KW - pH sensor KW - pH KW - Targeting, Nanoparticles KW - pHe KW - Nanosensor KW - Extracellular pH PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-604339 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62976-2 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-60433 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -