TY - JOUR A1 - Mishra, Biswajit A1 - Kumar Singh, Amit A1 - Shankar Mahobia, Girija T1 - Hydrogen reduction studies of low-grade multimetallic magnetite ore pellets N2 - The hydrogen reducibility of pellets made from a low-grade multimetallic magnetite ore (Fe content ∼ 45 %) was investigated in the present study. Pellets were reduced in a horizontal tube furnace at temperatures ranging from 973 K to 1173 K for 1 to 60 min. Pure Hydrogen (H2) gas (99.9 %) at three flow rates of 0.25 L/min, 0.5 L/min, and 1 L/min were blown during the reduction process. A maximum reduction degree of 94.07 %, metallization ratio of 0.925, and H2 gas utilization of 9.01 % were obtained at a temperature and a reduction time of 1173 K and 60 min, respectively. In order to optimize the hydrogen utilization, a reduction temperature of 1173 K, a reduction time of 45 min, and a gas flow rate of 0.25 L/min were selected, resulting in a reduction degree and metallization ratio of 90 % and 0.89, respectively. The cold crushing strength (CCS) of the reduced pellets initially decreased and then increased slightly, exhibiting behavior similar to high-grade ores. Imputities like SiO2, Al2O3, and MgO, present in the low grade ores are found to control the porosity of the pellets, directly affecting the CCS and reducibility of the pellets. KW - Cold Crushing Strength KW - Low-grade iron ores KW - Hydrogen Reduction KW - Metallization ratio KW - Gangue elements PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2024.108823 SN - 0892-6875 VL - 215 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-62539 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - da Silva, Luiza Helena Bueno A1 - Goes, Aryel C. A1 - Rodrigues, Andre A1 - Fourcassié, Vincent A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Haifig, Ives T1 - Social immune response reflects infection progression in a soldierless termite N2 - Social interactions represent a double-edged sword. On one hand, sociality can facilitate sanitary collective behaviours; on the other hand, it creates opportunities for pathogen transmission. In termites, sanitary behaviours can entail a rescuing strategy at early stages of infection, followed by the elimination at later stages. We explored whether the neotropical soldierless species Anoplotermes pacificus employs a progressive approach towards infected nestmates, with different behavioural displays depending on the infection stage. We infected A. pacificus workers with the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and incubated them for 2, 12, 15 and 20 h, corresponding to infection progression and, therefore, severity. Infected termites were placed with naïve nestmates and their behaviours were recorded for 3 h. Fungus-infected termites triggered up to fourfold higher levels of sanitary behaviour than in non-infected termites. Antennation behaviour decreased during the observation period, whereas sanitary behaviour, which we defined as directed behaviour towards the focal termite involving mouthparts, increased in frequency as incubation duration increased. Sanitary behaviour therefore appears to be a strategy for colony disinfection, which varies in intensity according to infection status, ultimately resulting in the immobilisation of infected individuals at later stages of infection. Alarm responses were also up to three times more frequent in treatment than in control groups and did not vary with incubation duration. A. pacificus workers therefore identify, communicate and respond to pathogen-treated individuals in a progressive manner, indicating that collective responses in this species are also significantly shaped by the stage of infection. By progressively modulating their social immune responses, termites may be able to optimize resource allocation within the colony by balancing the risk of individual infection versus protection of the group. KW - Anoplotermes pacificus KW - Isoptera KW - Infection KW - Metarhizium KW - Social immunity PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03556-2 VL - 79 IS - 1 SP - 1 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-62397 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Wittwer, Philipp A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Riedel, Maren A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Kalbe, Ute A1 - Schoknecht, Ute A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Ski Waxes and Snow from Cross-Country Skiing in Germany - Comparative study of Sum Parameter and Target Analysis N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are often environmentally exposed via discharge through human consumer products, such as ski waxes. In our study we analyzed various ski waxes from the 1980s and 2020s, to determine both the sum parameter values total fluorine (TF), extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF), hydrolysable organically bound fluorine (HOF) as well as targeted PFAS analysis. This showed that modern high-performance waxes contain up to 6 % TF, but also PFAS-free labelled ski waxes contain traces of PFAS with EOF/HOF values in the low mg kg-1 range. With the ban of all fluorine-based waxes with the start of the 2023/2024 winter season this will probably change soon. Moreover, we applied our analysis methods to snow samples from a frequently used cross country ski trail (Kammloipe) in the Ore Mountain region in Germany, assessing the potential PFAS entry/discharge through ski waxes. Melted snow samples from different spots were analyzed by the adsorbable organically bound fluorine (AOF) sum parameter and PFAS target analysis and confirmed the abrasion of the ski waxes into the snow. Moreover, on a PFAS hotspot also soil samples were analyzed, which indicate that PFAS from the ski waxes adsorb after snow melting into the soil. KW - Combustion Ion Chromatography KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Consumer Products PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-612760 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100484 VL - 16 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-61276 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Roesch, Philipp A1 - Schinnen, Andrea A1 - Riedel, Maren A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Sawal, G. A1 - Bandow, N. A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Kalbe, Ute A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Investigation of pH-dependent extraction methods for PFAS in (fluoropolymer-based) consumer products: A comparative study between targeted and sum parameter analysis N2 - Here, we report a comparative study of different sum parameter analysis methods for the extraction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from manufactured consumer products, which can be measured by combustion ion chromatography (CIC). Therefore, a hydrolysis-based extraction method was further developed, which accounts for the addition of hydrolyzable covalently bound polyfluoroalkylated side-chain polymers (SFPs) to the extractable organic fluorine portion of the mass balance proposed as "hydrolyzable organically bound fluorine" (HOF). To test this hypothesis, the method was applied to 39 different consumer products containing fluoropolymers or monomeric PFAS taken from four different categories: outdoor textiles, paper packaging, carpeting, and permanent baking sheets. We also evaluated the method's efficiency by extracting four synthesized fluorotelomer polyacrylate reference compounds. The total fluorine (TF) and extractable organically bound fluorine (EOF) values were measured through CIC using established protocols. The TF values ranged from sub-ppb to %-levels, depending on the compound class. All samples showed results for hydrolyzed organofluorine (HOF) between 0.03 and 76.3 μg/g, while most EOF values were lower (0.9 and <0.4 mmol/g for both types of chitosan and activated carbon, respectively). Milled activated carbon proved to be the better adsorption material, considering the fixed volume of the adsorber (>99.9% PFOS adsorbed). Overall, the cross-linking agent concentration in chitosan is a crucial factor influencing its PFOS absorption potential. Our results feature cross-linked chitosan as an effective economic and ecologic alternative for PFOS adsorption in aqueous solutions. KW - Combustion Ion Chromatography KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Remediation PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-618406 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311145 VL - 14 IS - 23 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-61840 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wen, Keqing A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Schwibbert, Karin A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Microfluidic platform with precisely controlled hydrodynamic parameters and integrated features for generation of microvortices to accurately form and monitor biofilms in flow N2 - Microorganisms often live in habitats characterized by fluid flow, and their adhesion to surfaces in industrial systems or clinical settings may lead to pipe clogging, microbially influenced corrosion, material deterioration, food spoilage, infections, and human illness. Here, a novel microfluidic platform was developed to investigate biofilm formation under precisely controlled (i) cell concentration, (ii) temperature, and (iii) flow conditions. The developed platform central unit is a single-channel microfluidic flow cell designed to ensure ultrahomogeneous flow and condition in its central area, where features, e.g., with trapping properties, can be incorporated. In comparison to static and macroflow chamber assays for biofilm studies, microfluidic chips allow in situ monitoring of biofilm formation under various flow regimes and have better environment control and smaller sample requirements. Flow simulations and experiments with fluorescent particles were used to simulate bacteria flow in the platform cell for calculating flow velocity and direction at the microscale level. The combination of flow analysis and fluorescent strain injection in the cell showed that microtraps placed at the center of the channel were efficient in capturing bacteria at determined positions and to study how flow conditions, especially microvortices, can affect biofilm formation. The microfluidic platform exhibited improved performances in terms of homogeneity and robustness for in vitro biofilm formation. We anticipate the presented platform to be suitable for broad, versatile, and high-throughput biofilm studies at the microscale level. KW - Topographical pattern KW - E. coli KW - Fluorescence KW - Bacteria trapping KW - Particle velocimetry PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-610450 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00101 SN - 2373-9878 VL - 10 IS - 7 SP - 4626 EP - 4634 PB - ACS Publ. CY - Washington, DC AN - OPUS4-61045 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - 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 - Sathiyamani, S. A1 - Ngiam, S. A1 - Bonnerot, O. A1 - Jaengsawang, S. A1 - Panarut, P. A1 - Helman-Wazny, Agnieszka A1 - Colini, C. T1 - Material Characterisation of 19–20th Century Manuscripts from Northern Thailand N2 - Material analysis was carried out on four manuscripts from Northern Thailand, which included two palm-leaf manuscripts and two paper manuscripts. The two palm-leaf manuscripts MS 6 and MS 7 were found to have been written in the traditional method, wherein text was incised on the surface of the leaves, and then soot applied to the surfaces, confirmed by the identification of carbon ink. MS 7 additionally showed the presence of trace levels of iron in the ink, either from soot paste or from the stylus used for inscribing. The paper manuscript MS 3 was written in iron-gall ink, with sections written using a methyl-violet based ink while MS 4 was written in carbon ink. The paper used in the case of MS 3 was found to be machine made, while khoi fibres (Streblus asper) were used for making the paper used for MS 4. A combination of traditional and modern pigments, like molybdenum orange, was used for decorating the edges and cover. The results improved our understanding of these manuscripts in particular, and also provided us with insights about the rapid adoption of modern materials and their incorporation into the production of written artefacts from Northern Thailand in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. KW - Materials analysis KW - Paper manuscript KW - Palm-leaf manuscript KW - Writing inks PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652586 DO - https://doi.org/10.1515/res-2023-0028 SN - 0034-5806 VL - 45 IS - 2-3 SP - 117 EP - 140 PB - Walter de Gruyter GmbH AN - OPUS4-65258 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schraut, Katharina A1 - Adamczyk, Burkart A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Stephan, Dietmar A1 - Meng, Birgit A1 - Simon, Sebastian A1 - von Werder, Julia A1 - Hirsch, Tamino A1 - Manninger, Tanja T1 - Effect of gypsum on the hydration of fused cement clinker from basic oxygen furnace slag N2 - Fused cement clinker can be produced from molten basic oxygen furnace slag (BOFS) by way of a reductive thermochemical treatment. During the thermochemical treatment, oxidic iron is reduced to metallic iron and separated. The resulting low-iron slag has a chemical and mineralogical composition similar to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker. In this study, the hydraulic reactivity of the fused clinker from BOFS with and without gypsum was investigated using isothermal calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, in situ X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, a synthetic fused clinker without foreign ions and fused clinker produced by a mixture of both materials was studied. The hydraulic reaction of the fused clinker from BOFS was considerably slower than that of OPC. However, the reaction can be accelerated by adding gypsum as a sulfate carrier. Furthermore, the results showed an increased reaction rate with decreasing content of foreign ions such as Fe, P or Mn. KW - General Materials Science KW - Building and Construction PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1680/jadcr.23.00070 SN - 0951-7197 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Telford AN - OPUS4-59391 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hamann, Christopher A1 - Piehl, Patrick A1 - Weingart, Eric A1 - Stolle, Dirk A1 - Al-Sabbagh, Dominik A1 - Ostermann, Markus A1 - Auer, Gerhard A1 - Adam, Christian T1 - Selective removal of zinc and lead from electric arc furnace dust by chlorination–evaporation reactions N2 - Re-melting of scrap in an electric arc furnace (EAF) results in the accumulation of filter dust from off-gas treatment that predominantly consists of iron and zinc oxides. Filter dust is classified as hazardous waste due to its high contents of potentially toxic or ecotoxic elements such as Pb, Cr, Cd, and As. A promising processing route for this waste is selective chlorination, in which the non-ferrous metal oxides are chlorinated and selectively evaporated in form of their respective chlorides from the remaining solids via the process gas flow. Here, we investigate stepwise thermochemical treatment of EAF dust with either waste iron(II) chloride solution or hydrochloric acid at 650, 800, and 1100 ◦C. The Zn and Pb contents of the thermochemically processed EAF dust could be lowered from 29.9% and 1.63% to 0.09% and 0.004%, respectively. Stepwise heating allowed high separation between zinc chloride at the 650 ◦C step and sodium-, potassium-, and lead-containing chlorides at higher temperatures. Furthermore, the lab-scale results were transferred to the use of an experimental rotary kiln highlighting the possibilities of upscaling the presented process. Selective chlorination of EAF dust with liquid chlorine donors is, therefore, suggested as a potential recycling method for Zn-enriched steelworks dusts. KW - Electric arc furnace dust KW - Zinc KW - Selective Chlorination KW - Hazardous waste KW - Resource Recovery PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133421 SN - 0304-3894 VL - 465 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-59345 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Barkeshli, Mandana A1 - Stephan, Ina A1 - Shevchuk, Ivan A1 - Soltani, Mojtaba T1 - Characteristics of Sizing Materials Used in Persian Medieval Manuscripts: Physical, Optical, Spectral Imaging, and Fungicidal Properties N2 - In this study, we investigated the diverse range of materials used for sizing in Iranian paper manuscripts during the Timurid (fifteenth century) to Safavid (sixteenth century) and Qajar (nineteenth century) periods. Our approach combined historical analysis with scientific examination of reconstructed sizings. We reconstructed 15 sizing materials based on identified Persian historical recipes and analysed their physical, optical, and spectral characteristics. Additionally, we assessed their behaviour against the mould fungus Aspergillus flavus. The results revealed distinctive properties for each sizing material, shedding light on their potential applications in paper preservation. Furthermore, our investigation demonstrated variations in hygroscopicity, thickness, grammage, and ash content post-sizing. The sizing materials also exhibited different effects on paper reflectance properties. Additionally, our study revealed insights into the impact of sizing on burnished papers, indicating that the mechanical process of burnishing did not significantly alter the chemical composition or spectral properties of the paper, with only minor changes in brightness observed in specific cases. All tested sizing materials supported varying levels of mould growth, indicating potential implications for paper conservation. Our findings provide valuable insights into the historical practices of Iranian paper sizing and offer practical considerations for the preservation of paper manuscripts. KW - Paper sizings KW - Persian historical recipes KW - Physical and optical characteristics KW - Fungicidal property KW - Spectral imaging PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2024.2342647 VL - 69 SP - 519 EP - 536 PB - Informa UK Limited AN - OPUS4-60159 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grimmer, Christoph A1 - Richter, Matthias A1 - Neuhaus, T. A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Strzelczyk, Rebecca Skadi A1 - Colakoglu, Irem A1 - Horn, Wolfgang T1 - Towards a multi-VOC emission reference material with temporally constant emission profile for QA/QC of materials emission testing procedures N2 - Emission reference materials (ERMs) are sought after to further control and improve indoor air quality. The impregnation of porous materials with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a promising approach to produce ERMs. Different VOCs were used to impregnate various porous materials (mainly zeolites, activated carbons and a metal organic framework). The influence of different methodological parameters and material properties were studied to optimize the impregnation procedure and to find the best material/VOC combination. The impregnation procedure remains quite irreproducible, nevertheless, very good ERM candidates were identified. Two materials (zeolite 4 and AC 1 impregnated with n-hexadecane) showed a very stable emission over 14 days (<10 % change). Another material (AC 1 impregnated with toluene) showed a declining emission profile but with a very good in-batch reproducibility and a storage stability of up to 12 months. KW - Emission reference material KW - Porous materials KW - Indoor air quality KW - Emission test chamber KW - CO2 assisted impregnation KW - EN 16516 PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-612238 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143437 SN - 1879-1298 VL - 366 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-61223 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jovičević-Klug, Matic A1 - Souza Filho, Isnaldi R. A1 - Springer, Hauke A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Raabe, Dierk T1 - Green steel from red mud through climate-neutral hydrogen plasma reduction N2 - AbstractRed mud is the waste of bauxite refinement into alumina, the feedstock for aluminium production1. With about 180 million tonnes produced per year1, red mud has amassed to one of the largest environmentally hazardous waste products, with the staggering amount of 4 billion tonnes accumulated on a global scale1. Here we present how this red mud can be turned into valuable and sustainable feedstock for ironmaking using fossil-free hydrogen-plasma-based reduction, thus mitigating a part of the steel-related carbon dioxide emissions by making it available for the production of several hundred million tonnes of green steel. The process proceeds through rapid liquid-state reduction, chemical partitioning, as well as density-driven and viscosity-driven separation between metal and oxides. We show the underlying chemical reactions, pH-neutralization processes and phase transformations during this surprisingly simple and fast reduction method. The approach establishes a sustainable toxic-waste treatment from aluminium production through using red mud as feedstock to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from steelmaking. KW - Multidisciplinary PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-594424 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06901-z SN - 0028-0836 VL - 625 IS - 7996 SP - 703 EP - 709 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-59442 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scholz, Philipp A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Brüll, Robert A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Investigation on the Durability of a Polypropylene Geotextile under Artificial Aging Scenarios N2 - Geosynthetics are widely used in various civil engineering applications, such as geotextiles in coastal protection, and display a sustainable alternative to natural mineral materials. However, the full benefits of using geosynthetics can only be gained with a long service lifetime of the products. With the use of added stabilizers to the polymers, service lifetimes can be achieved in the range of 100 years. Therefore, accelerated aging methods are needed for the assessment of the long-term performance of geotextiles. In the present study, the behavior of geosynthetic materials made of polypropylene was investigated under artificial aging conditions involving elevated temperatures ranging from 30 to 80 °C, increased oxygen pressures ranging from 10 to 50 bar in water-filled autoclaves, and UV irradiation under atmospheric conditions. ATR-IR spectroscopy was employed to detect the increase in the carbonyl index over various aging durations, indicating the oxidative degradation of the geotextile. The most pronounced increase was observed in the case of aging through UV irradiation, followed by thermal aging. Elevated pressure, on the other hand, had a lower impact on oxidation. High-temperature size exclusion chromatography was utilized to follow the reduction in molar mass under different degradation conditions, and the results were consistent with those obtained from ATR-IR spectroscopy. In polyolefins such as polypropylene, Hindered Amine Stabilizers (HAS) are used to suppress oxidation caused by UV radiation. The quantitative analysis of HAS was carried out using a UV/Vis method and HPLC. The degradation of UV stabilizers during the aging of geotextiles is responsible for the oxidation and the reduction in the molar mass of polypropylene. From the results, it can be concluded that applications of PP geotextile without soil or sand cover might cause the risk of the formation of microplastic particles. Material selection, design, and maintenance of the construction must follow best practices, including the system’s removal or replacement at end-of-life. Otherwise, a sustainable use of geotextiles in civil engineering is not possible. KW - Geotextiles KW - Microplastic KW - Size exclusion chromatography KW - Accelerated aging PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-599739 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093559 SN - 2071-1050 VL - 16 IS - 9 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI AG CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-59973 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Erdmann, Eileen A. A1 - Brandhorst, Antonia K. M. A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Schumacher, Julia T1 - The Tet‑on system for controllable gene expression in the rock‑inhabiting black fungus Knufia petricola N2 - Knufia petricola is a black fungus that colonizes sun-exposed surfaces as extreme and oligotrophic environments. As ecologically important heterotrophs and biofilm-formers on human-made surfaces, black fungi form one of the most resistant groups of biodeteriorating organisms. Due to its moderate growth rate in axenic culture and available protocols for its transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, K. petricola is used for studying the morpho-physiological adaptations shared by extremophilic and extremotolerant black fungi. In this study, the bacteria-derived tetracycline (TET)-dependent promoter (Tet-on) system was implemented to enable controllable gene expression in K. petricola. The functionality i.e., the dose-dependent inducibility of TET-regulated constructs was investigated by using GFP fluorescence, pigment synthesis(melanin and carotenoids) and restored uracil prototrophy as reporters. The newly generated cloning vectors containing the Tet-on construct, and the validated sites in the K. petricola genome for color-selectable or neutral insertion of expression constructs complete the reverse genetics toolbox. One or multiple genes can be expressed on demand from different genomic loci or from a single construct by using 2A self-cleaving peptides, e.g., for localizing proteins and protein complexes in the K. petricola cell or for using K. petricola as host for the expression of heterologous genes. KW - Microcolonial fungi KW - Inducible promoter KW - Bimolecular fluorescence complementation KW - 2A peptide KW - CRISPR/ Cas9-mediated genome editing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-607672 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-024-01354-2 VL - 28 IS - 38 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-60767 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mrkwitschka, Paul A1 - Rühle, Bastian A1 - Kuchenbecker, Petra A1 - Löhmann, Oliver A1 - Lindemann, Franziska A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan T1 - Embedding and cross-sectioning as a sample preparation procedure for accurate and representative size and shape measurement of nanopowders N2 - Reliable measurement of the size of polydisperse, complex-shaped commercial nanopowders is a difficult but necessary task, e.g., for regulatory requirements and toxicity risk assessment. Suitable methods exist for the accurate characterization of the size of non-aggregated, stabilized, spherical and monodisperse nanoparticles. In contrast, industrial nanoscale powders usually require dedicated sample preparation procedures developed for the analysis method of choice. These nano-powders tend to agglomerate and/or aggregate, a behavior which in combination with an innate broad particle size distribution and irregular shape often significantly alters the achievable accuracy of the measured size parameters. The present study systematically tests two commercially available nanoscale powders using different sample preparation methods for correlative analysis by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller method and differential mobility analysis. One focus was set on the sample preparation by embedding nanoparticles in carbon-based hot-mounting resin. Literature on this topic is scarce and the accuracy of the data extracted from cross sections of these particles is unclearly stated. In this paper systematic simulations on the deviation of the size parameters of well-defined series of nanoparticles with different shapes from the nominal value were carried out and the contributing factors are discussed. KW - Nanopowder KW - Electron microscopy KW - Sample preparation KW - Cross-sectioning KW - Cerium oxide KW - Zinc oxide PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-593289 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-51094-0 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 14 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Springer Nature CY - London AN - OPUS4-59328 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Sobisch, Lydia-Yasmin A1 - Gödt, Annett A1 - Lewerenz, Dominique A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Heterogeneous survival upon disinfection underlies evolution of increased tolerance N2 - Disinfection is important to limit the spread of infections, but failure of disinfection may foster the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Persisters are phenotypically tolerant subpopulations that survive toxic stress longer than susceptible cells, leading to failure in treatments with antimicrobials and facilitating resistance evolution. To date, little is known about persistence in the context of disinfectants. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of persisters on disinfection and to determine the consequences of disinfectant persistence for the evolution of increased tolerance to disinfectants. Disinfection kinetics with high temporal resolution were recorded for Escherichia coli exposed to the following six disinfectants: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), glutaraldehyde (GTA), chlorhexidine (CHX), benzalkonium chloride (BAC), didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), and isopropanol (ISO). A mathematical model was used to infer the presence of persisters from the time–kill data. Time–kill kinetics for BAC, DDAC, and ISO were indicative of persisters, whereas no or weak evidence was found for H2O2, GTA, and CHX. When subjected to comparative experimental evolution under recurring disinfection, E. coli evolved increased tolerance to substances for which persisters were predicted (BAC and ISO), whereas adaptation failed for substances in which no persisters were predicted (GTA and CHX), causing extinction of exposed populations. Our findings have implications for the risk of disinfection failure, highlighting a potential link between persistence to disinfectants and the ability to evolve disinfectant survival mechanisms. IMPORTANCE: Disinfection is key to control the spread of infections. But the application of disinfectants bears the risk to promote the evolution of reduced susceptibility to antimicrobials if bacteria survive the treatment. The ability of individual bacteria to survive disinfection can display considerable heterogeneity within isogenic populations and may be facilitated by tolerant persister subpopulations. Using time–kill kinetics and interpreting the data within a mathematical framework, we quantify heterogeneity and persistence in Escherichia coli when exposed to six different disinfectants. We find that the level of persistence, and with this the risk for disinfection failure, depends on the disinfectant. Importantly, evolution experiments under recurrent disinfection provide evidence that links the presence of persisters to the ability to evolve reduced susceptibility to disinfectants. This study emphasizes the impact of heterogeneity within bacterial populations on disinfection outcomes and the potential consequences for the evolution of antimicrobial resistances. KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Bacteria KW - Standardization KW - Biocides PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-615566 DO - https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03276-22 SN - 2165-0497 VL - 12 IS - 12 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - American Society for Microbiology CY - Birmingham, Ala. AN - OPUS4-61556 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Selina B. I. A1 - Täschner, Tom A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Differential Selection for Survival and for Growth in Adaptive Laboratory Evolution Experiments With Benzalkonium Chloride N2 - Biocides are used to control microorganisms across different applications, but emerging resistance may pose risks for those applications. Resistance to biocides has commonly been studied using adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) experiments with growth at subinhibitory concentrations linked to serial subculturing. It has been shown recently that Escherichia coli adapts to repeated lethal stress imposed by the biocide benzalkonium chloride (BAC) by increased survival (i.e., tolerance) and not by evolving the ability to grow at increased concentrations (i.e., resistance). Here, we investigate the contributions of evolution for tolerance as opposed to resistance for the outcome of ALE experiments with E. coli exposed to BAC. We find that BAC concentrations close to the half maximal effective concentration (EC50, 4.36 μg mL−1) show initial killing (~40%) before the population resumes growth. This indicates that cells face a two‐fold selection pressure: for increased survival and for increased growth. To disentangle the effects of both selection pressures, we conducted two ALE experiments: (i) one with initial killing and continued stress close to the EC50 during growth and (ii) another with initial killing and no stress during growth. Phenotypic characterization of adapted populations showed that growth at higher BAC concentrations was only selected for when BAC was present during growth. Whole genome sequencing revealed distinct differences in mutated genes across treatments. Treatments selecting for survival‐only led to mutations in genes for metabolic regulation (cyaA) and cellular structure (flagella fliJ), while treatments selecting for growth and survival led to mutations in genes related to stress response (hslO and tufA). Our results demonstrate that serial subculture ALE experiments with an antimicrobial at subinhibitory concentrations can select for increased growth and survival. This finding has implications for the design of ALE experiments to assess resistance risks of antimicrobials in different scenarios such as disinfection, preservation, and environmental pollution. KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Bacteria KW - Standardization KW - Biocides PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-615496 DO - https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.70017 VL - 17 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-61549 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - He, Zhiming A1 - Dechesne, Arnaud A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Zhu, Yong-Guan A1 - Larsson, Joakim A1 - Smets, Barth T1 - Understanding Stimulation of Conjugal Gene Transfer by Nonantibiotic Compounds: How Far Are We? N2 - A myriad of nonantibiotic compounds is released into the environment, some of which may contribute to the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance by stimulating conjugation. Here, we analyzed a collection of studies to (i) identify patterns of transfer stimulation across groups and concentrations of chemicals, (ii) evaluate the strength of evidence for the proposed mechanisms behind conjugal stimulation, and (iii) examine the plausibility of alternative mechanisms. We show that stimulatory nonantibiotic compounds act at concentrations from 1/1000 to 1/10 of the minimal inhibitory concentration for the donor strain but that stimulation is always modest (less than 8-fold). The main proposed mechanisms for stimulation via the reactive oxygen species/SOS cascade and/or an increase in cell membrane permeability are not unequivocally supported by the literature. However, we identify the reactive oxygen species/SOS cascade as the most likely mechanism. This remains to be confirmed by firm molecular evidence. Such evidence and more standardized and high-throughput conjugation assays are needed to create technologies and solutions to limit the stimulation of conjugal gene transfer and contribute to mitigating global antibiotic resistance. KW - Antibiotic resistance KW - Horizontal gene transfer KW - Conjugation KW - Chemicals PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06060 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-60105 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grzelec, Małgorzata A1 - Haas, Sylvio A1 - Helman-Ważny, Agnieszka T1 - Application of scanning small-angle X-ray scattering in the identification of sheet formation techniques in historical papers N2 - Among writing substrates produced historically in different regions of the world, paper is one of the most complex materials. Its complexity results not only from a variety of highly processed ingredients, which can be used in its production, but also from a variety of methods in which these materials are combined to form the fibrillar network referred to as paper. While material identification methods are well established in the analysis of historical papers, the identification of manufacturing technologies is still an under-researched topic, that requires the development of appropriate methods and measurement protocols. This paper reports on the results of a research project aimed at the application of synchrotron scanning small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) method in the characterization of paper structure, with emphasis on the assessment of fibrillar orientation as a marker characteristic for different, historical papermaking technologies. The main objective of this study consists of the development of a measurement protocol involving the SAXS technique complemented by other analytical methods in the characterization of the fibrous paper structure. KW - SAXS KW - Paper analysis KW - Papermaking technology KW - Fiber orientation PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-651594 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-024-08157-4 SN - 0947-8396 VL - 131 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65159 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Martin, Nathan A1 - Nota, Kevin A1 - Aumont, Cédric A1 - Marchand, Grégor A1 - Marguerie, Dominique T1 - Anthropic and climatic impacts on biodiversity during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in North-Western France N2 - The Neolithic transition, which began around 10,000 BCE in Western Asia, has significantly impacted the biodiversity dynamics and the hunter-gatherer communities due to the beginning of anthropization and climate fluctuations during this period. Neolithic farmers gradually spread to the Atlantic margins of North-Western Europe during the 6th millennium BCE, arriving later than in other parts of the continent. This systematic review aims to shed a light on the landscape transformations and shifts in the ecological niches that occurred during neolithization in the Armorican Massif, driven by human and climatic influences, through an interdisciplinary examination of palynology, archaeology and palaeogenomics. This Massif is situated in North-Western France which hosted well established Mesolithic and Neolithic societies that have been extensively studied. However, recent research has called into question the coexistence of these two cultural groups in this area, necessitating a reevaluation of the literature in light of these new findings. This systematic review coupled with an analysis of pollen sequences reveals spatial and temporal heterogeneity in vegetation composition, openness, and the gradual introduction of domesticated taxa into the region. This analysis should be seen in the context of the delayed adoption of the agro-pastoral lifestyle in North-Western Europe, attributed to the different climatic conditions encountered, which required time for these societies and their domesticated taxa to adapt. Further investigation is needed to clearly differentiate between anthropogenic and climatic impacts and paleoclimatic reconstruction based on pollen sequences looks promising for addressing this issue. KW - Armorican massif KW - Neolithic transition KW - Anthropization KW - Climate KW - Palynology KW - Biodiversity dynamics PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2024.11.004 SN - 1040-6182 VL - 714 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-65313 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stawski, Tomasz A1 - Karafiludis, Stephanos A1 - Pimentel, Carlos A1 - Montes-Hernández, German A1 - Kochovski, Zdravko A1 - Bienert, Ralf A1 - Weimann, Karin A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Scoppola, Ernesto A1 - Van Driessche, Alexander E.S. T1 - Solution-driven processing of calcium sulfate: The mechanism of the reversible transformation of gypsum to bassanite in brines N2 - Here, we show that calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) can be directly, rapidly and reversibly converted to calcium sulfate hemihydrate (bassanite) in high salinity solutions (brines). The optimum conditions for the efficient production of bassanite in a short time (<5 min) involve the use of brines with c(NaCl) > 4 M and maintaining a temperature, T > 80 °C. When the solution containing bassanite crystals is cooled down to around room temperature, eventually gypsum is formed. When the temperature is raised again to T > 80 °C, bassanite is rapidly re-precipitated. This contrasts with the better-known behaviour of the bassanite phase in low-salt environments. In low-salinity aqueous solutions, bassanite is considered to be metastable with respect to gypsum and anhydrite, and therefore gypsum-to-bassanite conversion does not occur in pure water. Interestingly, the high-salinity transformation of gypsum-to-bassanite has been reported by many authors and used in practice for several decades, although its very occurrence actually contradicts numerical thermodynamic predictions regarding solubility of calcium sulfate phases. By following the evolution of crystalline phases with in situ and time-resolved X-ray diffraction/scattering and Raman spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the phase stability in brines at elevated temperatures was inaccurately represented in the thermodynamic databases. Most notably for c(NaCl) > 4 M, and T > 80 °C gypsum becomes readily more soluble than bassanite, which induces the direct precipitation of the latter from gypsum. The fact that these transformations are controlled by the solution provides extensive opportunities for precise manipulation of crystal formation. Our experiments confirmed that bassanite remained the sole crystalline phase for many hours before reverting into gypsum. This property is extremely advantageous for practical processing and efficient crystal extraction in industrial scenarios. KW - Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering KW - Strategy and Management KW - General Environmental Science KW - Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment KW - Building and Construction KW - Calcium sulfate KW - Gypsum KW - Bassanite KW - Scattering KW - Raman KW - In situ KW - Synchrotron KW - BESSY KW - MySpot PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-594698 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652624004591#appsec1 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141012 SN - 0959-6526 VL - 440 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-59469 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Franz, Mathias A1 - Armitage, Sophie A.O. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Subasi, Bengisu S. A1 - Rafaluk, Charlotte T1 - Trade-offs in virulence evolution: a Hierarchy-of-Hypotheses approach N2 - Understanding the evolution of virulence, that is, the harm pathogens cause their hosts, has major and wide-spread repercussions. A central concept of virulence evolution is the so-called ‘trade-off hypothesis’, a seemingly straightforward relationship between virulence and transmission. However, substantial ambiguity in terminology related to this hypothesis threatens progress in the field. To address this, we apply a Hierarchy-of-Hypotheses approach to provide structured, visual representations of ideas linked to this hypothesis. We illustrate that the trade-off hypothesis is a complex set of many different hypotheses and trade-offs, and we clarify ambiguities and biases in commonly used terminology in the literature. Thereby, we hope to facilitate a more precise understanding of what the trade-off hypothesis means, enabling more targeted and precise hypothesis testing. KW - Pathogen virulence KW - Trade-off KW - Trade-off hypothesis KW - Virulence evolution PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2025.01.006 SN - 1471-5007 VL - 41 IS - 3 SP - 188 EP - 195 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-62620 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Capitain, C. A1 - Schüßler, M. A1 - Bugsel, B. A1 - Zweigle, J. A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Zwiener, C. T1 - Implementation of matrix-matched semiquantification of PFAS in AFFF-contaminated soil N2 - This study presents a novel semiquantification approach for nontarget screening (NTS), combining matrix-matched calibration and ionization class-specific average calibration curves (ACCs) to address the lack of analytical reference standards for most per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Ionization class-specific ACCs for carboxylic and sulfonic acids, sulfonamides, and cationic PFAS result in high accuracy, with median absolute accuracy quotients below 2.27×. The approach was applied to soil impacted by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) contamination. A total of 96 tentatively identified PFAS were semiquantified in addition to 28 quantified compounds based on available standards. Semiquantified concentrations exceeded those of target analytes, demonstrating the critical role of this method in capturing broader PFAS contamination. In this case, validation against extractable organofluorine (EOF) showed a 102% closed mass balance. The innovative approach not only enables comprehensive PFAS contamination assessment in complex matrices but also expands the scope of the NTS for environmental monitoring, remediation, and risk assessment of AFFF-contaminated sites. KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Contaminated soil KW - Non-targeted analysis KW - Combustion ion chromatography PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-629445 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c14255 SN - 1520-5851 VL - 59 IS - 14 SP - 7338 EP - 7347 PB - American Chemical Society (ACS) CY - Columbus, Ohio AN - OPUS4-62944 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hendricks, A. A1 - Phillips, T. K. A1 - Engl, T. A1 - Plarre, Rudy A1 - Martinson, V. G. T1 - The bacterial microbiome in spider beetles and deathwatch beetles N2 - The beetle family Ptinidae contains a number of economically important pests, such as the cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne, the drugstore beetle Stegobium paniceum, and the diverse spider beetles. Many of these species are stored product pests, which target a diverse range of food sources, from dried tobacco to books made with organic materials. Despite the threat that the 2,200 species of Ptinidae beetles pose, fewer than 50 have been surveyed for microbial symbionts, and only a handful have been screened using contemporary genomic methods. In this study, we screen 116 individual specimens that cover most subfamilies of Ptinidae, with outgroup beetles from closely related families Dermestidae, Endecatomidae, and Bostrichidae. We used 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon data to characterize the bacterial microbiomes of these specimens. The majority of these species had never been screened for microbes. We found that, unlike in their sister family, Bostrichidae, that has two mutualistic bacteria seen in most species, there are no consistent bacterial members of ptinid microbiomes. For specimens which had Wolbachia infections, we did additional screening using multilocus sequence typing and showed that our populations have different strains of Wolbachia than noted in previous publications. KW - Sodalis KW - Ptinidae KW - Anobiidae KW - Bostrichidae KW - Dermestidae KW - Bostrichoidea KW - Wolbachia PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-631564 DO - https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01981-24 SN - 2165-0497 VL - 13 IS - 5 SP - 1 EP - 14 AN - OPUS4-63156 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Willms, Thomas A1 - Kryk, Holger A1 - Hampel, Uwe T1 - An improved method for the analysis of the reaction products of the partial isobutane oxidation by gas chromatography using a green solvent N2 - In the present work, an improved GC/MS method for the analysis of the reaction products of the non-catalytic partial oxidation of isobutane at a starting temperature of 25°C has been developed and compared to a previously published method. Two green GC-solvents (dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC)) and several internal standards (hexane, benzene, toluene, DEC) have been tested. The separation of the products at low retention times (methanol, isobutane, isobutene) could be significantly improved. For the liquid main products t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), di-t-butyl peroxide (DTBP), t-butanol (TBA), propanone and most trace products (isopropanol, isobutanal, methyl formate, isopropyl formate, t-butyl formate and some acetates – 24 compounds in total), a coefficient of determination CoD > 0.999 has been achieved. For all weighing and GC/MS measurements uncertainties have been calculated. The peaks of the peak pair t-butyl formate (CoD >0.999) and isobutanol (CoD >0.99), have been simulated and used for calibrations. DEC gave a decomposition of TBHP on the column. With DMC, a problem of peak purity of TBHP appeared but could be resolved. The use of the green solvent DMC, compared to also studied traditional solvents like heptane and toluene, proved to be very beneficial, since it also permitted to determine polar compounds, e. g. carbon dioxide and formic acid. KW - GC/MS KW - Green solvent KW - Method development KW - Peroxide KW - Measurement uncertainties KW - Oxidation products KW - Simulation PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-632026 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2025.465892 SN - 0021-9673 VL - 1753 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-63202 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Song, Jessica X. A1 - Scales, Brittan A1 - Nguyen, Minh A1 - Westberg, Emelie A1 - Witalis, Bartosz A1 - Urban-Malinga, Barbara A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja T1 - Close encounters on a micro scale: microplastic sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their potential effects on associated biofilm communities N2 - Background: Within systems as dynamic as the aquatic environment, it is crucial to address the impacts of an ever-growing network of emerging pollutants at their intersection. With previous research having demonstrated the capacity of microplastics (MPs) to sorb persistent organic pollutants, we ask in our study how different plastic polymers that are found throughout aquatic systems interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and how this intersection of pollutants might impact the bacterial communities that form on MP surfaces. We performed an in situ incubation experiment at different sites along the Baltic Sea coast and through a PAH and 16S amplicon analysis, we investigated the sorption patterns of different substrates and their potential impacts on associated biofilm communities. Results: PAH sorption patterns of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and aquaria stone were found to be dictated predominantly by substrate type and secondly by incubation site. While PE showed a general positive trend of sorption, stone rather leached PAHs into the environment, whereas the PAH levels of PS remained relatively unchanged following incubation. These sorption patterns correlated significantly with the composition of biofilm communities observed on all three substrate types after a 6-week incubation period. Strong correlations between specific PAHs and bacterial taxa indicate a direct relationship between these factors. Elevated levels of specific 3- and 4-ring PAHs on PE and PS coincided with higher proportions of specific taxa reportedly capable of hydrocarbon utilisation as well as a reduced diversity among biofilm communities. Conclusion: The findings in our study highlight the importance of investigating contaminants such as MPs holistically, including any associated substances, to fully understand how they impact surrounding ecological systems as they traverse the different compartments of the aquatic ecosystem. KW - Aquatic biofilms KW - Plastic pollution KW - PAH KW - Microbiome KW - Emerging contaminants PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-636658 DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-025-00747-w SN - 2524-6372 VL - 20 IS - 84 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - BMC Part of Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-63665 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jahnke, Annika A1 - Beck, Aaron J. A1 - Becker, Richard L. A1 - Bedulina, Daria A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Gerdts, Gunnar A1 - Hildebrandt, Lars A1 - Joerss, Hanna A1 - Klein, Ole A1 - Korduan, Janine A1 - Laforsch, Christian A1 - Lannig, Gisela A1 - Leslie, Heather A. A1 - Lips, Stefan A1 - Menger, Frank A1 - Nabi, Deedar A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja A1 - Primpke, Sebastian A1 - Pröfrock, Daniel A1 - Ramsperger, Anja F.R.M. A1 - Römerscheid, Mara A1 - Schmitt-Jansen, Mechthild A1 - Scholz-Böttcher, Barbara M. A1 - Tröppner, Oliver A1 - Wendt-Potthoff, Katrin A1 - Kühnel, Dana T1 - Perspective article: Multisectoral considerations to enable a circular economy for plastics N2 - Plastics are widely used but improper disposal and release lead to increasing global pollution, threatening environmental and human health. To address this issue, we suggest intersectoral collaboration to achieve zero plastic pollution. The outcomes of the project P-LEACH demonstrated the enormous complexity and range of potential toxic effects of plastic-associated chemicals and micro-/nanoplastics released into water from UV-weathered plastics. We initiated an intersectoral dialogue amongst scientists, manufacturers, regulators and representatives of civil society about how to alleviate the negative impacts of plastic pollution. Circular economy offers a framework for selecting non-toxic chemicals, extending product (re)use, and waste reduction, which act to alleviate pollution when applied to plastics. We suggest three measures to advance a circular economy of plastics: 1.) Increase simplicity of chemicals in virgin plastics combined with transparent information on the contents; 2.) Consider recyclability already in plastic material and product design; 3.) Foster communication through intersectoral dialogue. Major cornerstones are the provision of standardized, easy-to-use tools to characterize plastics and plastic leachates chemically and (eco)toxicologically, the enhancement of citizen awareness enabling them to make informed choices, the creation of economic incentives for manufacturers, and sector-specific regulations to provide products that safeguard environmental and human health. KW - Plastics KW - Circular economy KW - Cross-sectoral dialogue KW - Recyclability KW - Plastic-associated chemicals PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-638280 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139326 SN - 0304-3894 VL - 496 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-63828 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Li, Changchao A1 - Jin, Ling N. A1 - Bank, Michael S. A1 - Fan, Chunlan A1 - Gillings, Michael R. A1 - Zhao, Tingting A1 - Han, Yong A1 - Chen, Tian A1 - Gao, Meng A1 - Zhu, Dong A1 - Chen, Qinglin A1 - Zhu, Guibing A1 - Wang, Jie A1 - Wang, Lei A1 - Liu, Jian A1 - Yuan, Xianzheng A1 - Huang, Qishen A1 - Wang, Xiaofei A1 - Jahnke, Annika A1 - Brahney, Janice A1 - Allen, Steve A1 - Arp, Hans Peter H. A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja A1 - Bergmann, Melanie A1 - Pointing, Stephen B. A1 - Zhang, Daizhou A1 - Rillig, Matthias C. T1 - Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere N2 - Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks. KW - Microplastics KW - Microbiome KW - Plastisphere PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645551 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446 SN - 2590-3322 VL - 8 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-64555 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Poelke, B. A1 - Klein, Luise A1 - Hoffmann, H. A1 - Wilke, Olaf A1 - Roloff, A. T1 - Bestimmung von VOC-Emissionen aus Verbraucherprodukten in mikroskaligen Emissionsprüfkammern: Ergebnisse eines Rundversuchs T1 - Determining VOC Emissions from Consumer Products in Micro-Scale Emission Test Chambers: Results of a Round Robin Test N2 - Die Bestimmung der Anfangskonzentrationen flüchtiger organischer Verbindungen, die innerhalb der ersten Stunden des Gebrauchs aus Verbraucherprodukten emittiert werden, wurde in einem Ringversuch getestet, bei dem Mikro-Kammern verwendet wurden. Neun Labore nahmen an dem Ringversuch teil, der sich aus zwei Teilen zusammensetzte: Im ersten Teil wurde die analytische Leistungsfähigkeit beurteilt. Jedes beteiligte Labor erhielt zwei mit Analyten dotierte Tenax® TA Desorptionsröhrchen zur Qualitätskontrolle (QC). Im zweiten Teil führte jedes Labor Emissionsmessungen über einen Zeitraum von 48 Stunden in Mikro-Kammern mit Volumina von 44 oder 114 ml durch. Als Probenmaterial dienten Stücke eines Regenponchos, der Cyclohexanon, Phenol, 2-Ethylhexanol, Naphthalin und Isophoron in signifikanten Konzentrationen emittierte. Für den QC-Test wurden sehr geringe relative Standardabweichungen (9 14 %) erhalten. Die Ergebnisse der Emissionsmessungen waren ebenfalls sehr gut. In der frühen Phase (0,5 4 Stunden) wurden akzeptable z-Scores (|z| ≤ 2,00) von mindestens sieben Laboren erhalten, nach 24 und 48 Stunden erhielten alle Labore akzeptable z-Scores. KW - Emissionsprüfkammer KW - Ringversuch KW - Verbraucherprodukt KW - VOC-Emission PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.37544/0949-8036-2025-03-04-71 VL - 85 IS - 03-04 SP - 71 EP - 76 AN - OPUS4-63561 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frenzel, Olivia A1 - Westphalen, Tanja A1 - Kaminski, Katja A1 - Kluge, Stephanie A1 - Bücker, Michael A1 - Piechotta, Christian T1 - Evaluation and Validation of an Accelerated Weathering Procedure to Characterise the Release of Bisphenol A from Polycarbonate Under Exposure to Simulated Environmental Conditions N2 - Bisphenol A (BPA) has been listed as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) due to its endocrine-disrupting properties according to REACH in 2017. European competent authorities have prepared a REACH restriction proposal to reduce BPA levels in the environment. The proposed limit for the concentration of free BPA and other bisphenols in articles is 10 mg kg−1. If exceeded, migration testing can demonstrate that no more than 0.04 mg L−1 is released from the product or material over its lifetime. German authorities are drafting a new restriction proposal after the original was temporarily withdrawn. The residual and migration limits mentioned above were key requirements from the previous restriction proposal. Numerous national and international standards exist for assessing how environmental factors affect the physical and chemical properties of products and materials—such as notch impact strength and tensile strength—but these standards do not cover the release of pollutants. A standardised procedure that covers all aspects of artificial weathering and monitors the subsequent release of pollutants is necessary, especially in the context of the regulation of these substances. An accelerated weathering procedure was established for non-protected samples. This material was not intended for outdoor applications. The testing procedure applied a typical weathering scenario that represents Central European climate conditions. The procedure was validated and applied to samples under distinct quality assurance aspects. Released BPA is quantified via an organic isotope dilution LC-MS/MS method. In parallel, identical samples were weathered outdoors on a weathering rack. Haze and yellowness index are measured to compare outdoor and weathering chamber results. KW - Artificial weathering KW - Polycarbonate KW - Bisphenol A KW - Simulated environmental conditions PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645020 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/app151910361 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 15 IS - 19 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI AG AN - OPUS4-64502 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Malefioudaki, Mariella A1 - Misra, Archismita A1 - Sbeity, Nadja A1 - Zueco-Vincelle, Juan A1 - Laguna-Bercero, Miguel A. A1 - Koerdt, Andrea A1 - Martín-Rapún, Rafael A1 - Mitchell, Scott G. T1 - Multifunctional polyoxomolybdate ionic liquid coatings for mitigating microbiologically influenced corrosion N2 - Corrosion of metals and other materials in marine environments poses significant economic, operational, safety, and environmental challenges across the oil and gas industry, the renewable energy sector, and maritime infrastructure. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) accounts for a substantial portion of this corrosion, with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea (MA) being key contributors. Conventional methods such as cathodic polarization have proven insufficient in mitigating the colonization of corrosive microbial communities in real marine environments, requiring the development of alternative, broad-spectrum antimicrobial strategies to prevent such biofilm formation. Recently, molybdate has emerged as a potential alternative to traditional biocides and nitrate. Our hypothesis is polyoxometalate-ionic liquids (POM-ILs), which exhibit antimicrobial and anticorrosion properties, could have a broader spectrum of antimicrobial activity than demonstrated until now and could be capable of shielding and protecting sensitive metal surfaces from the extreme acidic environments produced by MIC microorganisms. Here we show how two prototype polyoxomolybdate-based POM-ILs, [(CH3(CH2)6)4N]2[Mo6O19] and [(CH3(CH2)6)4N]4[Mo8O26], demonstrated antimicrobial activity at microgram per millilitre concentrations, prevented biofilm formation on metal surfaces, and provided resistance to corrosive acidic environments. Furthermore, impedance measurements were commensurate with electron microscopy studies showing that POM-IL-coated brass coupons withstood extremely corrosive environments. These proof-of-concept results demonstrate how multi-functional POM-IL coatings represent promising MIC mitigation solutions by providing a hydrophobic acid-resistant and biocidal protective layer that prevents biocolonisation and acidic corrosion by MIC microorganisms. KW - Polyoxometalates KW - Ionic liquid KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion KW - Corrosion KW - Heritage preservation PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-631951 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5mh00373c SN - 2051-6347 VL - 12 IS - 13 SP - 4648 EP - 4661 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-63195 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dimitrijević, Stevan P. A1 - Dimitrijević, Silvana B. A1 - Koerdt, Andrea A1 - Ivanović, Aleksandra A1 - Stefanović, Jelena A1 - Stanković, Tanja A1 - Gerengi, Husnu T1 - Comparison of Corrosion Resistance of Cu and Cu72Zn28 Metals in Apricot Fermentation Liquid N2 - The production of fruit brandies is based on distilling fermented fruit juices. Distillation equipment is usually made of copper. In traditional manufacturing, it consists of a boiler (batch) distiller, a boiler (pot), a steam pipe, and a condenser, all of which are made of pure copper. This study determined the corrosion parameters for copper (Cu) and Cu72Zn28 (in wt%) alloy in fermented apricot juice at room temperature. The fermentation process examined in this research utilized natural strains of yeast and bacteria, supplemented by active dry yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. This research used the following methods: open circuit potential (OCP), linear polarization resistance (LPR), and Tafel extrapolation to identify corrosion parameters. Cu had a 3.8-times-lower value of corrosion current density than brass, and both were within the range of 1–10 μA·cm−2, with an excellent agreement between LRP and Tafel. This study proved that Cu is an adequate material for the distillation of fruit brandies from a corrosion perspective. Despite this, there are occasional reports of corrosion damage from the field. Significant corrosion impacts can arise, as evidenced by laboratory tests discussed in this paper. In the absence of a highly corrosive environment, this study indicates that, to some extent, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) can influence the degradation of the equipment material. KW - MIC KW - Metall KW - Envitonment PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-628911 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061253 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 18 IS - 6 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - MDPI AG AN - OPUS4-62891 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mallikarjun, Jhenkhar A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Kuzyakov, Yakov A1 - Koester, Moritz A1 - Castro, Rodrigo A1 - Yudina, Anna A1 - Abdallah, Khaled A1 - Matus, Francisco J. A1 - Dippold, Michaela A. T1 - Post-fire recovery of temperate and mediterranean ecosystems: An interplay between fire severity, soil nutrients, and vegetation from early-stage to decadal-scale dynamics N2 - Wildfires strongly alter soil properties, which in turn affect ecosystem recovery over extended periods, though long-term impacts are less certain. This study investigated a 14-year post-fire chronosequence in Chile’s mediterranean and temperate humid forests, revealing ecosystem-specific soil properties and nutrient recovery mechanisms. By analysing sites at successional stages, the chronosequence approach assessed temporal changes and ecosystem recovery, revealing long-term wildfire effects on soil dynamics and nutrients recovery. Wildfires raised soil bulk density to 0.9 g cm−3 in humid temperate and 1.2 g cm−3 in mediterranean ecosystems. Mediterranean soils experienced greater compaction from organic matter loss, soil aggregate destruction, ash-clogged pores, and topsoil erosion. Soil texture shifts were ecosystem-dependent: mediterranean soils increased 10–12 % in clay and silt through ash redistribution and aggregation, while temperate soils saw sand content rise by 0.74 % and 0.32 % yearly at 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths from thermal disaggregation and erosion. Ground vegetation recovers quickly, but physical soil properties like bulk density require over 14 years to return to pre-fire conditions. In humid temperate forests, ash input initially increased soil pH (4.8 to 5.8), reducing acidity, mitigating aluminium toxicity, while increasing nutrient availability. Base cation stocks increased in mediterranean woodlands (e.g., Ca: up to 0.41 Mg ha−1 y−1) due to ash retention, lower leaching, and ash infiltration into subsoil. Nutrient stocks in humid forests recovered slowly (Ca: 0.087–0.13 Mg ha−1 y−1) due to rainfall-driven leaching and low subsoil reserves. Carbon and N losses were restricted to the litter horizon in temperate forests, recovering via fire-resistant tree inputs, whereas mediterranean soils suffered severe C and N depletion from vegetation loss, erosion, and low N fixation. Fire effects and recovery are ecosystem-specific, shaped by landscape, geology, hydrology, and vegetation resilience. Understanding how fire regimes affect soil and nutrient recovery is vital for improving projections in fire-prone regions. KW - Historical fire & Wildfire KW - Nutrients Ecosystem recovery & Vegetation succession KW - Chronosequence approach KW - Losses of nutrients & Nutrients stocks KW - Wildfire PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-642918 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2025.109431 SN - 0341-8162 VL - 260 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-64291 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kleinbub, Sherin A1 - Braymer, Joseph J A1 - Pfeiffer, Friedhelm A1 - Dyall-Smith, Mike A1 - Spirgath, Kristin A1 - Alfaro-Espinoza, Gabriela A1 - Koerdt, Andrea T1 - From Genes to Black Rust: Genomic insights into corrosive methanogens N2 - Within the past ten years, genetic evidence has been increasing for the direct role that microbes play in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), also known as biocorrosion or biodeterioration. One prominent example is the correlation between the corrosion of metal and the presence of genes encoding an extracellular [NiFe]-hydrogenase (MIC hydrogenase) in the methanogenic archaeon, Methanococcus maripaludis. In this study, DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were used to classify the MIC hydrogenase as belonging to a core set of genes, the MIC core, found so far in Methanococci and Methanobacteria classes of methanogens. Genetic evidence is provided for the mobilization of the MIC core via multiple mechanisms, including a horizontal gene transfer event from Methanobacteria to Methanococci and a newly described MIC-transposon. A detailed comparison of M. maripaludis genomes further pointed to the relevance that cell wall modifications involving N-glycosylation of S-layer proteins and the MIC hydrogenase likely play in methanogen-induced MIC (Mi-MIC). Microscopic analysis of corrosive methanogens encoding the MIC core indicated that Methanobacterium-affiliated strain IM1 can form extensive biofilms on the surface of corrosion products whereas individual cells of M. maripaludis Mic1c10 were only found localized to crevices in the corrosion layer. An updated model of Mi-MIC involving two modes of action is presented, which predicts that the propensity of cells to adhere to iron surfaces directly influences the rate of corrosion due to the localization of the MIC hydrogenase at the metal-microbe interface. KW - Biocorrosion KW - Hydrogenases KW - Metalloprotein KW - Microbes PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-649425 DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtaf018 SN - 2633-6685 VL - 6 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) AN - OPUS4-64942 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Duarte-Ruiz, D. A1 - Saßnick, H.-D. A1 - Ferreira De Araujo, F. A1 - Gentzmann, Marie A1 - Huthwelker, T. A1 - Cocchi, C T1 - X-ray absorption spectroscopy of scandium oxide polymorphs N2 - Scandium oxide (Sc2O3) is a rare-earth oxide with significant potential in key technological areas, but due to its limited supply a deep understanding of its characteristics in different crystalline phases is still missing. Here, we present a combined experimental and ab initio X-ray absorption spectroscopy investigation of Sc2O3 focusing on excitations from the O K-edge and the Sc L2,3-edge. While measurements are performed on a cubic sample, the most stable phase under ambient conditions, six different polymorphs are computed, including two high-pressure phases with a trigonal and monoclinic lattice in addition to the cubic phase, as well as three computationally predicted structures. Our analysis of the structural and electronic properties reveals significant similarities between the cubic polymorph and the high-pressure trigonal phase, while the monoclinic crystal exhibits distinct features. The spectra simulated for these similar phases from the solution of the Bethe–Salpeter equation show very good agreement with measurements. Additional comparison with results computed in the independent-particle approximation highlights the dominant role of electron–hole correlations in shaping the absorption features, particularly at the O K-edge, where a common pattern with the features of other sesquioxides is identified. Our findings offer new insight into the spectral fingerprints of Sc2O3 polymorphs, aiding in situ characterization and informing sustainable materials management. KW - Scandium PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-650806 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra06446e VL - 15 IS - 56 SP - 47814 EP - 47825 AN - OPUS4-65080 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Poliakova, A. A1 - Ciotti, G. A1 - Helman-Wazny, Agnieszka A1 - Fromm, J. T1 - Phytolith assemblages from palm leaves and palm-leaf manuscripts: what is the difference and what it could mean? N2 - We studied freshly collected, dried and herbarized leaf fragments of two palms, namely Borassus flabellifer L. and Corypha umbraculifera L., most commonly used for palm-leaf manuscript (PLM) production in South (S) and Southeast Asia (SE) in order to reveal differences in their phytolith assemblages. For each of the two palms, 25 leaf samples were taken from the two Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Dried leaf material was obtained from the fresh one by drying the leaves in air. Herbarium samples were obtained from two independent herbaria, specimen origin comprises S and SE Asia with the main focus on South India and Sri Lanka. Additionally, 25 manuscripts made of Borassus flabellifer leaves and 25 manuscripts made of Corypha umbraculifera leaves were investigated for phytoliths. All manuscripts are preliminary dated back to between the 16th and the beginning of the 20th century CE; most of them assumedly were produced in S India (Tamil Nadu and Kerala), Sri Lanka, Burma or Indonesia. Phytolith assemblages significantly differed between fresh, dry and herbarized palm leaves in comparison to PLM material, both qualitatively and quantitatively (mean r2 = - 0.61 ± 9.3 for Borassus samples and r2 = - 0.75 ± 5.3 for Corypha samples, at p &lt; 0.001). Fifty-three phytolith types described for PLM material were not observed in any of the fresh, dry or herbarized palm-leaf samples. Geographical analysis of PLM-specific phytoliths suggests that the combination of those phytoliths could be region-related. In this paper, we prove that the methods of palaeoecological reconstructions based on detailed microscopy of the PLMs surface and phytolith analysis applied in combination with methods of mathematical and computer data analysis can contribute to answer the questions posed by material codicology by revealing lost manuscript production recipes and by studying manuscript provenance in terms of the geographical origin of the artefacts. Our approach can potentially open a new perspective for palaeoecological studies expanding their traditional scope and making them applicable to a new research field. KW - Palm-leaf manuscripts KW - Material codicology KW - Palaeoecology PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652517 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1482790 SN - 1664-462X VL - 15 SP - 1 EP - 29 PB - Frontiers Media SA AN - OPUS4-65251 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stohl, Leonie A1 - Tonon, Chiara A1 - Cook, Jake A1 - Gorbushina, Anna A1 - Dehn, Frank A1 - von Werder, Julia T1 - Understanding bioreceptivity of concrete: realistic and accelerated weathering experiments with model subaerial biofilms N2 - Vertical greening systems are a promising solution to the increasing demand for urban green spaces, improving environmental quality and addressing biodiversity loss. This study facilitates the development microbially greened algal biofilm facades, which offer a low maintenance vertical green space. The study focuses on concrete as a widely used building material and explores how physical surface characteristics impact its bioreceptive properties. Concrete samples, produced from the same mix but differing in surface structure, were subjected to a laboratory weathering experiment to assess their bioreceptivity. A novel inoculation method was employed, involving a single initial inoculation with either alga ( Jaagichlorella sp.) alone, or a model biofilm consisting of a combination of the alga ( Jaagichlorella sp.) with a fungus ( Knufia petricola). The samples underwent four months of weathering in a dynamic laboratory setup irrigated with deionized water to observe subaerial biofilm attachment and growth. The formation of subaerial biofilms was monitored with high resolution surface imaging, colorimetric measurements and Imaging Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometry (Imaging PAM-F), with Imaging PAM-F proving the most effective. Statistical analysis revealed that by impacting surface pH value and water retention capability, surface structures significantly influence microbial growth and that the concrete’s bioreceptivity can be influenced through thoughtful design of the materials surface. The inoculation of algae combined with a fungus facilitated the formation of a stable subaerial biofilm, enabling algae to colonize a surface structure that it could not colonize alone. This finding highlights the importance of modelling synergistic interactions present in natural biofilms. KW - Bioreceptivity KW - Concrete KW - Biofilm PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653105 DO - https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-025-02864-x SN - 1359-5997 VL - 59 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65310 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Walsh, Michael A1 - Schenk, Gerhard A1 - Robinson, Nicole A1 - John, Samuel A1 - Dayananda, Buddhi A1 - Krishnan, Vithya A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Hermann, Ludwig A1 - Schmidt, Susanne T1 - The Circular Phosphorus Economy: Agronomic Performance of Recycled Fertilizers and Target Crops N2 - ABSTRACTBackgroundThe circular phosphorus (P) economy addresses economic and environmental penalties inherent to the current linear P economy. Phosphorus sources recovered from waste steams (recyclates) offer an alternative to conventional fertilizers.AimThis research aimed to assess the agronomic performance of P recyclates derived from wastewater (hazenite, struvite), treated sewage sludge ash (SSA) and compost (FOGO food organics/garden organics) with crops previously characterized for P use efficiency (PUE).MethodsPhosphorus was supplied as granules and benchmarked against conventional fertilizers or mineral solution. Grown in controlled conditions, crops received recyclates individually or as amalgamates, with or without additional water‐soluble P. We quantified P uptake, yield and phytate content, and calculated agronomic performance indicators.ResultsResults revealed that (1) crop genotypes with purportedly lower or higher PUE showed similar performance when grown with limiting P supply and/or less soluble P recyclates, (2) crop performance improved when less soluble P recyclates were combined with water‐soluble P, (3) crops produced similar yield and biomass when supplied with an organo‐mineral formulation, hazenite, or conventional fertilizer, (4) grain accumulated higher levels of the antinutrient phytate with excess soluble P.ConclusionWe conclude that suitably formulated P recyclates can supplement or replace conventional fertilizers, and that fertilizer design should consider the solubility of recyclates and a crop's ability to access less soluble P. This adds to the growing body of evidence that well‐formulated next‐generation fertilizers can efficiently nourish crops. Integrating insights from controlled experiments and field trials is a cost‐effective strategy to actualize the circular P economy. KW - Recycling fertilizer KW - Phosphate recovery KW - Sewage sludge ash KW - Struvite KW - Hazenite PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-627116 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202400299 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-62711 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Leers, K. A1 - Arnold, U. A1 - Herzel, Hannes A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Burkhardt, J. T1 - Thermochemically Treated Sewage Sludge Ash From Pilot-Scale Production as P-Fertilizer for Spring Wheat and Maize in Different Soil Conditions N2 - Background P-fertilizers made from sewage sludge ash (SSA) may be suitable substitutes for rock phosphate (RP)-based fertilizers and contribute to sustainable use of waste. In this context, the thermochemical AshDec treatment of SSA (TC-SSA) has been continuously improved and has emerged as a possible method to produce plant-available and low-pollutant P-fertilizers. Aim Evaluation of the P-fertilizer efficacy of TC-SSA produced in pilot trials in vegetation experiments with different plants, soils, and fertilizer doses. Methods TC-SSA was tested in pot experiments for spring wheat and maize on different soils and at two doses (0.2 and 0.4 g fertilizer P pot−1) and is compared to untreated SSA (USSA), RP, Struvite, triple superphosphate (TSP), and a control without P-fertilization (Zero P). Pot experiments are complemented by an analysis of fertilizer P-solubility. Results P-solubility of SSA with different extraction methods increased due to the thermochemical treatment, whereas the water-insoluble property remained. In contrast to RP or USSA, TC-SSA enriched calcium–acetate–lactate extractable soil P to the same extent as TSP. Plant biomass and P-uptake increased with TC-SSA compared to Zero P, RP, and USSA and were in most cases equal to TSP fertilization under different soil conditions. In contrast, the effects of RP and USSA varied among soils but, mostly, did not exceed plant biomass and P-uptake of the unfertilized control. Conclusion TC-SSA has an increased fertilizer efficacy compared to USSA and is an effective P-fertilizer for spring wheat and maize in different soil conditions. KW - Phosphorus KW - Fertilizer KW - Thermochemical KW - Maize PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-648251 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.70035 SN - 1522-2624 VL - 189 IS - 1 SP - 81 EP - 93 PB - Wiley-VCH AN - OPUS4-64825 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meiers, Emelie A1 - Scholl, Juliane A1 - Droas, Morten A1 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Bagheri, A. A1 - Adam, Christian A1 - Seubert, A. A1 - Koch, Matthias T1 - Development and evaluation of analytical strategies for the monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from lithium-ion battery recycling materials N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are well-known as “forever chemicals” and persistent pollutants released by different anthropogenic sources. The potential release of PFAS from accumulating electronic waste and lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling activities has gained increasing attention in the past years. This creates a need for analytical methods tailored for the determination of PFAS out of environmental matrices related to the named activities or directly out of the concerned materials. In this work, analytical strategies for the monitoring of PFAS in LIB recycling materials were explored for a group of legacy perfluoro sulfonic- and carbonic acids (PFSA and PFCA) and of fluorinated sulfonylimides suspected to be LIB electrolyte ingredients. These analytical strategies comprehend PFAS target approaches with a herein optimized liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method equipped with a HILIC (hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography) column in combination with the TOP (total oxidizable precursor) assay and an adapted sample preparation method for high-matrix LIB recycling materials. The validated target method was applied to a set of LIB recycling materials: end-of-life batteries, black masses from hydrometallurgical recycling, and gas absorption solutions from thermal treatment of black masses as part of the recycling procedure. Investigation results show that the LIB industry can be connected to the release of both “LIB”-PFAS, such as the target sulfonylimides, and “already-legacy” PFAS, like the PFSA and PFCA. Especially, the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as an emerging pollutant in every investigated LIB material type underlines the threat of PFAS emissions from LIB waste and recycling activities. KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Battery PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-647015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-025-06165-8 SN - 1618-2642 VL - 417 SP - 6567 EP - 6583 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-64701 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 - Kupke, Johannes A1 - Brombach, Julian A1 - Fang, Yuwen A1 - Wolf, Silver A. A1 - Thrukonda, Lakshmipriya A1 - Ghazisaeedi, Fereshteh A1 - Kuropka, Benno A1 - Hanke, Dennis A1 - Semmler, Torsten A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Tedin, Karsten A1 - Lübke-Becker, Antina A1 - Steiner, Ulrich K. A1 - Fulde, Marcus T1 - Heteroresistance in Enterobacter cloacae complex caused by variation in transient gene amplification events N2 - Heteroresistance (HR) in bacteria describes a subpopulational phenomenon of antibiotic resistant cells of a generally susceptible population. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms and phenotypic characteristics underlying HR to ceftazidime (CAZ) in a clinical Enterobacter cloacae complex strain (ECC). We identified a plasmid-borne gene duplication-amplification (GDA) event of a region harbouring an ampC gene encoding a β-lactamase bla DHA-1 as the key determinant of HR. Individual colonies exhibited variations in the copy number of the genes resulting in resistance level variation which correlated with growth onset (lag times) and growth rates in the presence of CAZ. GDA copy number heterogeneity occurred within single resistant colonies, demonstrating heterogeneity of GDA on the single-cell level. The interdependence between GDA, lag time and antibiotic treatment and the strong plasticity underlying HR underlines the high risk for misdetection of antimicrobial HR and subsequent treatment failure. KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - Biocides KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Standardization PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-627057 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-025-00082-7 VL - 3 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-62705 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vareschi, Silvia A1 - Jaut, Valerie A1 - Vijay, Srinivasan A1 - Allen, Rosalind J. A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Antimicrobial efflux and biofilms: an interplay leading to emergent resistance evolution N2 - The biofilm mode of growth and drug efflux are both important factors that impede the treatment of bacterial infections with antimicrobials. Decades of work have uncovered the mechanisms involved in both efflux and biofilm-mediated antimicrobial tolerance, but links between these phenomena have only recently been discovered. Novel findings show how efflux impacts global cellular physiology and antibiotic tolerance, underpinned by phenotypic heterogeneity. In addition efflux can mediate cell-to-cell interactions, relevant in biofilms, via mechanisms including efflux of signaling molecules and metabolites, signaling using pump components and the establishment of local antibiotic gradients via pumping. These recent findings suggest that biofilm antibiotic tolerance and efflux are closely coupled, with synergistic effects leading to the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in the biofilm environment. KW - Evolution KW - Efflux KW - Antibiotics KW - Biofilms KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Phenotypic heterogeneity PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-632799 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2025.04.012 SN - 0966-842X SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63279 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lee, Mihyun A1 - Wiesli, Luzia A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Ivask, Angela Ivask A1 - Ren, Qun T1 - Quantitative Assessment of Microbial Transmission onto Environmental Surfaces Using Thermoresponsive Gelatin Hydrogels as a Finger Mimetic under In Situ-Mimicking Conditions N2 - Surface-mediated transmission of pathogens plays a key role in healthcare-associated infections. However, proper techniques for its quantitative analysis are lacking, making it challenging to develop novel antimicrobial and anti-fouling surfaces to reduce pathogen spread via environmental surfaces. This study demonstrates a gelatin hydrogel-based touch transfer test, the HydroTouch test, to evaluate pathogen transmission on high-touch surfaces under semi-dry conditions. The HydroTouch test employs gelatin as a finger mimetic, facilitating testing with pathogenic bacteria under controlled conditions. The thermoresponsive sol–gel transition of gelatin allows easy recovery and quantification of bacteria before and after testing. The HydroTouch test demonstrates that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has a high transmission efficiency of ≈16% onto stainless steel, compared to <3% for Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Polyurethane surfaces exhibit strong resistance to bacterial contamination with a transmission efficiency of ≈0.6%, while polytetrafluoroethylene shows a transmission efficiency approximately four times higher than polyurethane. Additionally, quaternary ammonium-based antimicrobial coatings reduce the transmission efficiency of live bacteria on stainless steel to ≈4% of the original level. The HydroTouch test provides a reliable method for assessing pathogen transmission on various surfaces under semi-dry settings, supporting the development of effective antimicrobial, anti-transmission coatings to reduce healthcare-associated infections. KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - Biocides KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Standardization PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-624566 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202403790 SN - 2192-2659 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-62456 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kanaris, Orestis A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Refuse in order to resist: metabolic bottlenecks reduce antibiotic susceptibility N2 - The growth of pathogenic bacteria in the host is a prerequisite for infectious diseases. Antibiotic drugs are used to impair bacterial growth and thereby treat infections. In turn, growth of bacteria is underpinned by their primary metabolism. Thus,it has long been recognized that the activity of antibiotics is determined by the metabolic state of cells. However, only recently researchers have begun to systematically interrogate the links between metabolism and resistance. In their recent study, Lubrano and colleagues (Lubranoet al, 2025) apply an elegant CRISPR-based approach to the model bacterium Escherichia coli to systematically screen the effect of 15,120 mutations in genes that encode for 346 proteins which are required for growth of E. coli (also referred to as ‘essential proteins’). The authors identified a multitude of mutations that reduce the susceptibility against two antibiotics related to two very distinct chemical classes; the β-lactam antibiotic carbenicillin and the aminoglycoside gentamicin. Strikingly, the majority of the identified mutations are directly linked to primary metabolism. The work highlights the importance of metabolism in order to understand antibiotic resistance mechanisms and the ecology and evolution of antibiotic resistance. In addition, the work provides leads to design metabolism-based intervention strategies to mitigate antibiotic resistance. KW - Metabolism KW - Antibiotic resistance PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626608 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44320-025-00089-2 SN - 1744-4292 VL - 21 IS - 3 SP - 211 EP - 213 AN - OPUS4-62660 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Braetz, S. A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Nerlich, A. A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Tedin, K. A1 - Fulde, M. T1 - TisB enables antibiotic tolerance in Salmonella by preventing prophage induction through ATP depletion N2 - Antibiotic persistence comprises drug-tolerant bacteria that can survive treatment with antibacterial agents, despite lacking classical genetic resistance mechanisms. Therefore, persisters are clinically relevant because they can lead to treatment failures and chronic infections. Additionally, antibiotic persistence facilitates the evolution of resistance through genetic mutations. Persisters are triggered by a lack of nutrients, bacterial toxins, low ATP levels, or other stress responses that shut down bacterial metabolism. However, the involvement of prophages, viruses that integrate into bacterial chromosomes, is less well understood. In this study, we tested a tisAB deletion in Salmonella Typhimurium and examined persister cell formation following treatment with the DNA-damaging drug ciprofloxacin. TisB is a bacterial toxin that increases the influx of protons across the inner bacterial membrane into the cytosol, causing ATP depletion. We demonstrate that the deletion of tisAB increases prophage induction and bacterial killing, leading to a reduced persister cell fraction. The tisAB mutant is unable to down regulate its ATP concentration after exposure to ciprofloxacin, which in turn allows for stronger binding of RecA to single-stranded DNA, the activator of both the SOS response and prophage induction. KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Bacterial survival mechanisms KW - Escherichia coli KW - Salmonella typhimurium PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013498 IS - 9 SP - 1 EP - 23 AN - OPUS4-64642 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), A1 - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), A1 - European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), A1 - European Environment Agency (EEA), A1 - European Medicines Agency (EMA), A1 - European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), T1 - Scientific report - Impact of the use of azole fungicides, other than as human medicines, on the development of azole‐resistant Aspergillus spp. N2 - The use of azoles in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) other than as human medicines has raised concerns about emergence and spread of azole‐resistant Aspergillus species. EU agencies, with the support of JRC, reviewed the evidence and provided conclusions and recommendations on this topic. Although incomplete, data from 2010 to 2021 showed that around 120,000 tonnes of azoles were sold in EU/EEA for uses other than as human medicines. The majority are used as plant protection products (119,000 tonnes), with a stable temporal trend. Evidence supported a link between environmental azole exposure and cross‐resistance selection to medical azoles in Aspergillus species (primarily shown for A. fumigatus). Prevalence of azole‐resistant A. fumigatus in human A. fumigatus infections ranges from 0.7% to 63.6% among different disease presentations and geographic regions; mortality rates range from 36% to 100% for invasive aspergillosis (IA). It was concluded that azole usage outside the human domain is likely or very likely to contribute to selection of azole‐resistant A. fumigatus isolates that could cause severe disease like IA. Environmental hotspots for resistance selection were identified, including stockpiling of agricultural waste and their possible use as soil amendment/fertiliser for certain agricultural crops (for plant protection products) and freshly cut wood (for biocides). Recommendations were formulated on measures to prevent and control selection of azole resistance in A. fumigatus, including implementation of good agricultural/horticultural practices, proper agricultural and wood waste storage and management, and on approval of new azole fungicides or renewal of existing fungicides. Recommendations on topics to be covered by studies provided when submitting applications for the approval of azole fungicides were listed. For the evaluation of such studies within the approval procedure, a preliminary framework for risk assessment was developed and should be further refined. Data gaps and uncertainties were identified, alongside with respective recommendations to address them. KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - Biocides KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Azoles KW - Fungi KW - Wood preservatives PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-652175 DO - https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9200 SN - 1831-4732 VL - 23 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 35 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ AN - OPUS4-65217 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Cong A1 - Aumont, Cédric A1 - Mikhailova, Alina A. A1 - Audisio, Tracy A1 - Hellemans, Simon A1 - Weng, Yi-Ming A1 - He, Shulin A1 - Clitheroe, Crystal A1 - Wang, Zongqing A1 - Haifig, Ives A1 - Sillam-Dussès, David A1 - Buček, Aleš A1 - Tokuda, Gaku A1 - Šobotník, Jan A1 - Harrison, Mark C. A1 - McMahon, Dino P. A1 - Bourguignon, Thomas T1 - Unravelling the evolution of wood-feeding in termites with 47 high-resolution genome assemblies N2 - Termites are a lineage of social cockroaches abundant in tropical ecosystems where they are key decomposers of organic matter. Despite their ecological significance, only a handful of reference-quality termite genomes have been sequenced, which is insufficient to unravel the genetic mechanisms that have contributed to their ecological success. Here, we perform sequencing and hybrid assembly of 45 taxonomically and ecologically diverse termites and two cockroaches, resulting in haplotype-merged genome assemblies of 47 species, 22 of which were near-chromosome level. Next, we examine the link between termite dietary evolution and major genomic events. We find that Termitidae, which include ~80% of described termite species, have larger genomes with more genes and a higher proportion of transposons than other termites. Our analyses identify a gene number expansion early in the evolution of Termitidae, including an expansion of the repertoire of CAZymes, the genes involved in lignocellulose degradation. Notably, this expansion of genomes and gene repertoires coincided with the origin of soil-feeding in Termitidae and remained unchanged in lineages that secondarily reverted to a wood-based diet. Overall, our sequencing effort multiplies the number of available termite genomes by six and provides insights into the genome evolution of an ancient lineage of social insects. KW - Comparative genomics KW - Entomology KW - Genome evolution KW - Phylogenetics PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-651719 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65969-5 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 16 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65171 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Cong A1 - Hellemans, Simon A1 - Weng, Yi-Ming A1 - Mikhailova, Alina A. A1 - Aumont, Cédric A1 - Buček, Aleš A1 - Šobotník, Jan A1 - Harrison, Mark C. A1 - McMahon, Dino P. A1 - Bourguignon, Thomas T1 - Robust termite phylogenies built using transposable element composition and insertion events N2 - Phylogenetic trees are typically reconstructed using conserved sequence alignments. Other genomic elements, such as transposable elements (TEs), make up a large fraction of eukaryotic genomes but are ignored for phylogenetic reconstruction, despite potentially containing phylogenetic information, which could be used to resolve nodes that remain contentious. Here, we reconstructed accurate phylogenetic trees of 45 termites and two cockroaches using two types of characters derived from the TE landscape: (1) genome-wide presence and absence of 37,966 TE families and (2) presence/absence data of 37,966 TE families in the flanking regions of orthologous ultraconserved elements (UCEs), which was a proxy for TE insertions. The topologies of our TE-based phylogenetic trees were largely congruent with phylogenetic trees inferred from alignments of UCEs and single-copy orthologous genes, only differing for a few nodes variably reconstructed in other phylogenetic analyses. Notably, trees based on genome-wide TE family composition were more accurate than trees inferred from mitochondrial genome alignments, and trees based on TE family composition in regions flanking UCEs achieved comparable accuracy with trees inferred from single-copy orthologous gene alignments. Our results demonstrate that the TE landscape is phylogenetically informative, representing an additional set of markers for robust phylogenetic reconstructions, with potential use to resolve ambiguous nodes in the tree of life. KW - Comparative genomics KW - Genome evolution KW - Insects KW - Isoptera KW - Mitogenomes KW - Molecular markers KW - Phylogenomics KW - Transposons PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.10.019 SN - 0960-9822 VL - 35 IS - 22 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier Inc. AN - OPUS4-64737 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kittner, Maria A1 - Coesfeld, Bianca A1 - Schlau, Sven A1 - Werischak, Thomas A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Kalbe, Ute T1 - Simultaneous sampling for microplastics and environmental contaminants from artificial turf: development of a new integrated microplastics eluate lysimeter N2 - To get a better understanding of potentially harmful contaminant emissions from soils or materials into the environment, politics demand practical and holistic sampling concepts for environmental samples such as leachates containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) or heavy metals, and hazardous particulate matter like microplastics (MP). Of particular concern are MP emissions from artificial turf sports pitches. So far, there has been only very limited data on MP mass emissions from artificial turf potentially posing a risk to the groundwater and no sampling device that allowed simultaneous sampling for dissolved and particulate contaminants. In this study, a novel integrative microplastics eluate lysimeter was developed to determine contaminant emissions from three artificial turf systems at different ageing states (fabric-new, artificially aged, real-time aged). For the accelerated ageing, all environmental simulation parameters were based on Central German conditions and simulated outdoor stress during the turf service lifespan of 15 years. MP masses from eluates were analysed using thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, PAH concentrations using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and heavy metals using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. Results showed that no PAH or heavy metal concentrations from the seepage water were above German legal limits for alternative granular construction materials considering soil and groundwater protection. Furthermore, it was found that only minimal MP emissions were released from new turf systems into the seepage water (< 1 mg/m2). Ageing of the artificial turf increased MP formation, especially from rubber infill and grass fibres, which are then carried into the seepage water. The highest total MP emissions over a simulated turf lifespan of 15 years were detected in two real-time aged turf systems ranging from 136.4–252.5 mg/m2. Considerably less total MP emissions were detected in accelerated aged artificial turf systems, one of which contained a synthetic rubber infill (5.4–8.0 mg/m2) and one without rubber infill (0.2–5.3 mg/m2). In summary, it was demonstrated that the newly developed MEL generated reliable and reproducible data and has thus proven itself as an integrated, straightforward and automated sampling device for simultaneous monitoring of particulate and dissolved pollutant emissions from simple soil matrices. KW - Lysimeter KW - Microplastics KW - Artificial turf KW - Thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons KW - PAH KW - Heavy metals KW - Soil samples PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-645301 DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-025-01235-1 SN - 2190-4715 VL - 37 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Springer Open AN - OPUS4-64530 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 - Vogel, Christian A1 - Helfenstein, J. A1 - Massey, M. A1 - Kretzschmar, R. A1 - Schade, U. A1 - Verel, R. A1 - Chadwick, O. A1 - Frossard, E. T1 - Spectroscopic analysis shows crandallite can be a major component of soil phosphorus N2 - Phosphorus (P) bioavailability is crucial for the productivity of natural and agricultural ecosystems, and soil P speciation plays a major role therein. Better understanding of P forms present in soil is thus essential to predict bioavailability. However, P speciation studies are only as powerful as the reference spectra used to interpret them, and most studies rely on a limited set of reference spectra. Most studies on soil P forms differentiate between Ca-bound P (e.g. apatite), organic P, Fe-bound P, and Al-bound P. In our analysis of a Ca, Al, and P rich soil from the Kohala region of Hawaii, we identified the mineral crandallite, CaAl3(PO4)2(OH)5·H2O, a mineral previously not considered to play a significant role in soils. Crandallite was first identified with powder X-ray diffraction. Subsequently reference spectra were collected, and the presence of crandallite was confirmed using micro-focused P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, micro-infrared spectroscopy, and solid-state 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Crandallite XANES spectra were distinct from other common XANES spectra due to the presence of features in the post-edge region of the spectrum. Linear combination fitting of bulk P K-edge XANES spectra allowed the determination of the proportion of crandallite to the total P content, indicating that crandallite comprises up to half, possibly even more of the soil P in the samples. Crandallite is therefore an important and potentially overlooked component of soil P, which pedogenically forms in soils with high P, Al, and Ca contents, where it could play an important role in P bioavailability. KW - Phosphorus KW - XANES spectrosocpy KW - Infrared spectroscopy KW - NMR spectrocopy PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-654968 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117712 SN - 0016-7061 VL - 467 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65496 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liu, Cong A1 - Hellemans, Simon A1 - Kinjo, Yukihiro A1 - Mikhailova, Alina A A1 - Aumont, Cédric A1 - Weng, Yi-Ming A1 - Buček, Aleš A1 - Husnik, Filip A1 - Šobotník, Jan A1 - Harrison, Mark C A1 - McMahon, Dino P A1 - Bourguignon, Thomas T1 - Recurrent horizontal gene transfers across diverse termite genomes N2 - Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the transmission of genetic material across species, is an important innovation source in prokaryotes. In contrast, its significance is unclear in many eukaryotes, including insects. Here, we used high-quality genomes of 45 termites and two cockroaches to investigate HGTs from non-metazoan organisms across blattodean genomes. We identified 289 genes and 2,494 pseudogenes classified into 168 orthologous groups originating from an estimated 281 HGT events. Wolbachia represented the primary HGT source, while termite gut bacteria and the cockroach endosymbiont Blattabacterium did not contribute meaningfully to HGTs. Most horizontally acquired genes descended from recent and species-specific HGTs, experienced frequent duplications and pseudogenizations, and accumulated substitutions faster than synonymous sites of native protein-coding genes. Genes frequently transferred horizontally to termite genomes included mobile genetic elements and genetic information processing genes. Our results indicate that termites continuously acquired genes through HGT, and that most horizontally acquired genes are specific to restricted lineages. Overall, genes acquired by HGT by termites and cockroaches seemed generally non-functional and bound to be lost. KW - Phylogenomics KW - Isoptera KW - Comparative genomics PY - 2026 DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpag003 SN - 0014-3820 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) AN - OPUS4-65418 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kanaris, Orestis A1 - Sobisch, Lydia-Yasmin A1 - Gödt, Annett A1 - Schreiber, Frank A1 - Nordholt, Niclas T1 - Consequences of benzalkonium chloride tolerance for selection dynamics and de novo resistance evolution driven by antibiotics N2 - Biocides are used in large amounts in industrial, medical, and domestic settings. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a commonly used biocide, for which previous research revealed that Escherichia coli can rapidly adapt to tolerate BAC-disinfection, with consequences for antibiotic susceptibility. However, the consequences of BAC tolerance for selection dynamics and resistance evolution to antibiotics remain unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of BAC tolerance in E. coli on its response upon challenge with different antibiotics. Competition assays showed that subinhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin—but not ampicillin, colistin and gentamicin—select for the BAC-tolerant strain over the BAC-sensitive ancestor at a minimal selective concentration of 0.0013–0.0022 µg/mL. In contrast, the BAC-sensitive ancestor was more likely to evolve resistance to ciprofloxacin, colistin and gentamicin than the BAC-tolerant strain when adapted to higher concentrations of antibiotics in a serial transfer laboratory evolution experiment. The observed difference in the evolvability of resistance to ciprofloxacin was partly explained by an epistatic interaction between the mutations conferring BAC tolerance and a knockout mutation in ompF encoding for the outer membrane porin F. Taken together, these findings suggest that BAC tolerance can be stabilized in environments containing low concentrations of ciprofloxacin, while it also constrains evolutionary pathways towards antibiotic resistance. KW - AMR KW - Resistance evolution KW - Resistance selection PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653842 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44259-025-00170-8 SN - 2731-8745 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65384 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwibbert, Karin A1 - de Eulate Pérez, Elisa García A1 - Wen, Keqing A1 - Voss, Heike A1 - Thiele, Dorothea A1 - Richter, Anja M. A1 - Bonse, Jörn T1 - Escherichia coli repellence via laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on titanium: Critical role of biofilm-associated gene expression N2 - The inconsistency in the observed bacteria-repellent effects of laser-induced surface textures remains a subject of scientific debates. With E. coli TG1 as test strain, we performed biofilm formation assays on ultrashort pulse laser textured titanium. Samples covered with low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL) of periods around 750 nm or with high spatial frequency LIPSS (HSFL) featuring smaller periods around 100 nm were processed on polished samples. While LSFL significantly reduce the number of adhering bacteria compared to the polished reference, HSFL do not. Simultaneously, we concentrate our study on bacterial strategies employed for biofilm formation, that is the transcription of the biofilm-associated genes csgB, involved in primary adhesion to a surface, and wza, participating in biofilm maturation. Promoter regions of these genes were cloned into a promotor probe plasmid with the green fluorescent protein GFP+ as reporter and transferred into the test strain. As indicated by the fluorescence intensity of the reporter protein, among the bacteria colonizing LSFL-covered areas, a markedly higher proportion of cells transcribing csgB or wza were detected, compared to the bacterial populations colonizing the polished or HSFL-covered areas. To our knowledge, this is the first study indicating that the antifouling effect of LSFL topographies can be counteracted when bacteria activate biofilm-associated genes. KW - Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) KW - Titanium KW - Biofilm KW - Antifouling KW - Gene expression KW - Fluorescence microscopy PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655572 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.166363 SN - 0169-4332 VL - 730 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -