TY - CONF A1 - Fuentes, Elsa A1 - Prieto, Beatriz A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - Mixed model biofilm: interactions between algae, fungi and cyanobacteria and their effects on granite biodeterioration N2 - Granite, despite being one of the most widely used rocks for building material cultural heritage, is also one of the least studied. Previous works have shown that environmental parameters modulated by climate change will lead to changes in the microbial composition of biofilms grown on stone, but also to changes in the production of EPS, in the composition of pigments and, as a consequence, in the biodeterioration processes that this rock undergoes (Fuentes, 2023). Considering that the colonisation process is highly dynamic, small changes in climatic conditions can lead to the formation of different types of biofilms and diverse interactions between species. Knowing the contribution of the different organisms to the deterioration process is important both to anticipate the consequences that climate change will have on the deterioration of the granite, but also when addressing the processes of recolonization after cleaning, to ensure an improvement of the present situation. So, in order to continue my line of research on granite biodeterioration, the aim of this new project is to study the contribution of each type of organism (green algae, cyanobacteria and fungi) to the process of granite deterioration as well as the specific effect on each mineral, in addition to its role in the resilience and response of biofilms to environmental changes. With this main objective, the effect of the type of substrate on the composition of a model mixed biofilm formed by the fungus Knufia petricola, the algae Jaagichlorella sp. and the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. will be studied. The results obtained on granite will be compared with those obtained with other lithic types such as marble or limestone. Furthermore, it will be observed if the different ratios between organisms lead to changes in the capacity of these organisms to generate biodeterioration and to buffer climatic changes. Finally, the susceptibility of each mineral that makes up the granite - quartz, feldspars, micas - to biodeterioration mediated by each type of organism will be analysed. To address these questions, on the one hand, the response of the mixed biofilms as a whole will be evaluated by means of confocal microscopy, PAM, as well as the quantification of pigments and EPS, and on the other hand, the effect of these organisms on the deterioration of the substrates, through the use of SEM and TEM, which will allow the assessment of both the changes in porosity and the appearance of deterioration in the surface layers of the rock. This research will deepen the knowledge of the processes of granite deterioration, which have been limitedly studied in relation to microorganisms; but also aims to provide the scientific community with a model mixed biofilm to increase the reproducibility between experiments, one of the main limitations of this field of study. T2 - 19th International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Biofilm KW - Stone KW - Algae KW - Fungi KW - Cyanobacteria KW - Cultural heritage PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62272 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gerrits, Ruben T1 - Genetic engineering of a black rock-inhabiting fungus shows its strengths and weaknesses  N2 - Environmental black fungi are known to inhabit anthropogenic habitats like marble monuments, solar panels, indoor walls and even washing machines. These pests are generally assumed to persist and grow in these environments due to their melanin production and oligotrophic lifestyle, respectively. We aimed to confirm these assumptions and to find methods to mitigate their substrate colonisation and deterioration by looking at their ability to produce melanin and take up iron, the latter being a general weakness of aerobes. This was done by means of selecting one species, Knufia petricola, and applying CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing techniques. This showed that K. petricola produces one siderophore; deletion of its encoding gene showing no strong phenotypic effects. Deletion of the other iron uptake mechanism – reductive iron assimilation (RIA) – did however cause a strong growth deficiency at iron depleted conditions. Both together reveal that K. petricola has a weak siderophore and relies on RIA to acquire iron, reflecting a natural habitat free of competition for iron. This comes at a price: K. petricola but also other black fungi isolated from solar panels are extremely sensitive to mediocre iron chelators, offering us a mitigation strategy. Melanin, although adsorbing and reducing iron, did not have an observable effect on iron uptake. The pigment did however affect the fungal ability to withstand desiccation: pigment-deficient mutants were not able to withstand a prolonged incubation in a desiccator. This is a clear advantage in the colonisation of dry subaerial surfaces. T2 - 12th International Mycological Congress (IMC12) CY - Maastricht, Netherlands DA - 12.08.2024 KW - Iron uptake KW - Black fungi KW - Melanin PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62269 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gerrits, Ruben T1 - Genetic engineering of melanised fungi to study the role of melanin in mineral weathering and metal corrosion N2 - Melanins are organic, dark pigments produced by many organisms. Fungi either fix these pigments in their cell wall or secrete them into their environment to protect themselves against an array of physicochemical stresses (e.g., UV irradiation, desiccation, ...). However, melanins can also adsorb metals like iron and therefore might have a role in the fungal capacity to deteriorate iron-containing minerals and metals. To study this, we focus on the fungi Knufia petricola, a rock-inhabiting fungus with melanised cell walls which deteriorates minerals, and Amorphotheca resinae, a soil-borne fungus able to secrete melanin, degrade alkane-containing fuels, and corrode metals. The broader significance of this work lies in the mitigation of climate change via the negative emission technology enhanced rock weathering for the former to the mitigation of corrosion of biofuel infrastructure for the latter. Genes of K. petricola involved in melanin synthesis and iron uptake were deleted and down- and up- regulated to generate strains with a different melanin content and ability to take up iron. These strains and the wild type (WT) were exposed to a growth solution containing the iron-magnesium silicate olivine of which dissolution rates were obtained by measuring aqueous Mg concentrations using ICP-OES. Thus, the specific mineral deterioration mechanisms of melanised fungi were identified. Abiotically, these experiments showed that iron oxidation at the surface inhibits olivine dissolution. K. petricola was able to enhance dissolution when this abiotic inhibition is strongest (at pH 6) but prevented dissolution when this inhibition is weakest (at pH 4). The fungus therefore dissolves olivine by interacting with the oxidised iron at the olivine surface. Its iron uptake pathways do not seem to be involved as mutants deficient in iron uptake dissolved olivine at the same rate as the WT. The higher dissolution rates of a mutant which secretes a melanin precursor and the lower rates of a melanin-deficient mutant, however, indicate that the iron-adsorbing and -reducing capacities of melanin play a key role. This hypothesis is further supported by carbon steel corrosion experiments with six strains of A. resinae isolated from anthropogenic and natural environments. Their varying ability to secrete melanin correlated with their corrosion rates. We now plan to develop CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing techniques for A. resinae to figure out whether this correlation is also a causation. In summary, our data show that the iron-binding capacity of melanins enables fungi to deteriorate iron-containing substrates at a higher rate. T2 - IBBS19 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Black fungi KW - Weathering KW - Corrosion PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61171 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gerrits, Ruben T1 - Quantifying and modelling growth of a subaerial black fungus N2 - Environmental, black fungi are known for their oligotrophic lifestyle and melanin production and are ubiquitous colonisers of natural and anthropogenic subaerial surfaces like marble monuments, washing machine soap dispensers and solar panels. Even though their growth is generally unappreciated, prevention or inhibition thereof is still to be accomplished. We have chosen the genetically amenable, black fungus Knufia petricola as a model species to study these organisms. Our goal is simple: the quantitative description of its growth on various environmental conditions to create a mathematical model using the iDynoMiCS 2.0 platform which could allow the development of a mitigation strategy. The conditions to be tested are the quantity and type of carbon and nitrogen sources, the pH and the presence of neighbouring colonies. First results showed that colonies grown on agar have the highest extension rates at pH 5, 0.01M NO3 or NH4, and 0.1M glucose or sucrose. Interestingly, extension rates but also CO2 production was unaffected by an increase in the concentration of the C-source from 0.01M to 0.1M. On a microscale, we observed that medium containing more C resulted in a higher quantity of branches produced by a single cell and not in a higher single cell growth rate. This rapidly results in a more compact microcolony versus the more extended colonies on C-deficient media. We believe that such deeper knowledge on the growth of black fungi will help mitigate their material colonisation and deterioration. T2 - IMC12 CY - Maastricht, Netherlands DA - 09.08.2024 KW - Black fungi KW - Modelling KW - Carbon and nitrogen limitation PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61170 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Golian, M. J. A1 - Friedman, D. A. A1 - Harrison, M. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Buellesbach, J. T1 - Chemical and transcriptomic diversity do not correlate with ascending levels of social complexity in the insect order Blattodea N2 - AbstractEusocial insects, such as ants and termites, are characterized by high levels of coordinated social organization. This is contrasted by solitary insects that display more limited forms of collective behavior. It has been hypothesized that this gradient in sociobehavioral sophistication is positively correlated with chemical profile complexity, due to a potentially increased demand for diversity in chemical communication mechanisms in insects with higher levels of social complexity. However, this claim has rarely been assessed empirically. Here, we compare different levels of chemical and transcriptomic complexity in selected species of the order Blattodea that represent different levels of social organization, from solitary to eusocial. We primarily focus on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) complexity, since it has repeatedly been demonstrated that CHCs are key signaling molecules conveying a wide variety of chemical information in solitary as well as eusocial insects. We assessed CHC complexity and divergence between our studied taxa of different social complexity levels as well as the differentiation of their respective repertoires of CHC biosynthesis gene transcripts. Surprisingly, we did not find any consistent pattern of chemical complexity correlating with social complexity, nor did the overall chemical divergence or transcriptomic repertoire of CHC biosynthesis genes reflect on the levels of social organization. Our results challenge the assumption that increasing social complexity is generally reflected in more complex chemical profiles and point toward the need for a more cautious and differentiated view on correlating complexity on a chemical, genetic, and social level. KW - Chemical ecology KW - Ecological genetics KW - Entomology KW - Evolutionary ecology PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608260 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70063 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 14 IS - 8 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-60826 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gorbushina, Anna T1 - From rocks to riches: Knufia petricola as model and expression platform N2 - Black fungi belong to different classes of Ascomycota but evolved similar morpho-physiological adaptations such as yeast-like growth and constitutive melanin formation to colonize extreme competition-free environments. They are ubiquitously found on air-exposed surfaces, from ancient marble monuments to modern solar panels. The rock inhabitant Knufia petricola was chosen to become a model for these extremotolerant black fungi. Plasmid-based and ribonucleoprotein-based CRISPR/Cas9 techniques were introduced to precisely introduce one to multiple double strand breaks into the DNA to modify, replace or add sequences to the genome either using the available selection marker systems (hygR, natR, genR, baR, suR) or by marker-free approaches. Multiplexing is very efficient, allowing for four or more simultaneous genome editing events. The newly generated cloning vectors containing the Tet on construct for doxycycline-controlled gene expression, and the validated sites in the K. petricola genome for color-selectable (pks1, phs1, ade2) or neutral insertion (igr1 to 5) of expression constructs complete the reverse genetics toolbox. One or multiple endogenous or heterologous genes can be expressed on demand from different genomic loci or from a single construct by using 2A self-cleaving peptides. We thus can express genes from synthetic clusters in a non-pigmented background (Δpks1/Δphs1). The fact that K. petricola only produces few secondary metabolites (DHN melanin, carotenoids, mycosporines and a siderophore) and plant cell-wall degrading enzymes but is capable to take the burden of acetyl-CoA-consuming metabolism and protein secretion renders K. petricola a promising host for the expression of heterologous genes encoding high-end secondary metabolites and enzymes. T2 - 12th International Mycological Congress (IMC12) CY - Maastricht, Netherlands DA - 11.08.2024 KW - Fungus KW - Genetic engineering KW - Heterologous gene expression KW - Cell factory PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60838 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gordon, Nehemia A1 - Patrick, Andrist A1 - Hahn, Oliver A1 - Vasileiadis, Pavlos D. A1 - Calvillo, Nelson A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Did the Original Scribes Write the Distigmai in Codex Vaticanus B of the Bible (Vat. gr. 1209)? N2 - The fourth-century Greek Bible manuscript Codex Vaticanus B (Vat. gr. 1209) contains pairs of horizontally aligned marginal dots known as distigmai, which correspond to textual variants in other manuscripts. The production of the distigmai has been variously dated to the 4th or 16th centuries. A fourth-century date would prove the early existence of hundreds of textual variants, many of which are otherwise only witnessed by later manuscripts. Near infrared microscope reflectography combined with micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy proved that the distigmai, both those categorized as “apricot” (which are visually similar to the ink of the original main text) and “chocolate” (which are visually similar to the reinking of the main text) were written with ink(s) made from chemically purified vitriol, a process that only became standard in the 16th century. As a result, there is no reasonable chance that the distigmai were written in the fourth century. Horizontal lines that have been hypothesized to function as text-critical obeloi were written in the same ink as the original main text, which differs completely from that of the distigmai. In other words, the distigmai and horizontal lines tested were not produced during the same writing session and are separated by more than 1,000 years, making it impossible for them to have functioned as conjoining text-critical symbols in the 4th century. KW - Bible manuscripts KW - New Testament KW - Paratextual features KW - Textual criticism KW - Obelos KW - Septuagint KW - XRF KW - Greek palaeography PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-622902 DO - https://doi.org/10.1163/27728641-00302005 SN - 2772-8633 VL - 3 IS - 2 SP - 125 EP - 156 PB - Brill CY - Leiden AN - OPUS4-62290 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Grimmer, Christoph T1 - Development, application and measurement uncertainty of emission reference materials N2 - Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by furniture and building materials can cause health issues. For an improvement of indoor air quality low emitting materials should be used. Quality assurance and –control (QA/QC) measures require an emission reference material (ERM) with a predictable emission rate of VOCs. The idea is to use porous materials as ERM, which store the VOCs inside their pores and emit them constantly. T2 - Webinar Metrology for Indoor Air Quality Reference materials for QA/QC of the emission test chamber procedure CY - Online meeting DA - 11.04.2024 KW - Emission reference materials KW - Indoor air quality KW - Materials emissions test KW - VOC PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-59963 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Hellemans, S. A1 - Rocha, M. M. A1 - Wang, M. A1 - Romero Arias, J. A1 - Aanen, D. K. A1 - Bagnères, A.-G. A1 - Buček, A. A1 - Carrijo, T. F. A1 - Chouvenc, T. A1 - Cuezzo, C. A1 - Constantini, J. P. A1 - Constantino, R. A1 - Dedeine, F. A1 - Deligne, J. A1 - Eggleton, P. A1 - Evans, T. A. A1 - Hanus, R. A1 - Harrison, Mark C. A1 - Harry, M. A1 - Josens, G. A1 - Jouault, C. A1 - Kalleshwaraswamy, C. M. A1 - Kaymak, E. A1 - Korb, J. A1 - Lee, C.-Y. A1 - Legendre, F. A1 - Li, H.-F. A1 - Lo, N. A1 - Lu, T. A1 - Matsuura, K. A1 - Maekawa, K. A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter A1 - Mizumoto, N. A1 - Oliveira, D. E. A1 - Poulsen, M. A1 - Sillam-Dussès, D. A1 - Su, N.-Y. A1 - Tokuda, G. A1 - Vargo, E. L. A1 - Ware, J. L. A1 - Šobotník, J. A1 - Scheffrahn, R. H. A1 - Cancello, E. A1 - Roisin, Y. A1 - Engel, M. S. A1 - Bourguignon, T. T1 - Genomic data provide insights into the classification of extant termites N2 - The higher classification of termites requires substantial revision as the Neoisoptera, the most diverse termite lineage, comprise many paraphyletic and polyphyletic higher taxa. Here, we produce an updated termite classification using genomic-scale analyses. We reconstruct phylogenies under diverse substitution models with ultraconserved elements analyzed as concatenated matrices or within the multi-species coalescence framework. Our classification is further supported by analyses controlling for rogue loci and taxa, and topological tests. We show that the Neoisoptera are composed of seven family-level monophyletic lineages, including the Heterotermitidae Froggatt, Psammotermitidae Holmgren, and Termitogetonidae Holmgren, raised from subfamilial rank. The species-rich Termitidae are composed of 18 subfamily-level monophyletic lineages, including the new subfamilies Crepititermitinae, Cylindrotermitinae, Forficulitermitinae, Neocapritermitinae, Protohamitermitinae, and Promirotermitinae; and the revived Amitermitinae Kemner, Microcerotermitinae Holmgren, and Mirocapritermitinae Kemner. Building an updated taxonomic classification on the foundation of unambiguously supported monophyletic lineages makes it highly resilient to potential destabilization caused by the future availability of novel phylogenetic markers and methods. The taxonomic stability is further guaranteed by the modularity of the new termite classification, designed to accommodate as-yet undescribed species with uncertain affinities to the herein delimited monophyletic lineages in the form of new families or subfamilies. KW - Termite KW - Taxonomy KW - Evolution PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608276 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51028-y VL - 15 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-60827 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Horn, Wolfgang T1 - VOC-Sampling inside display cases with focus on BEMMA evaluation N2 - Museum display cases aim to protect art and cultural goods not only from theft and vandalism, but also from dirt and dust. An often-heard argument within a call for tender of new display cases is that there should be no emission inside of the display case. This is nearly impossible for new ones especially when they must also fulfill the requirement of an air change rate of less than 0.1 per day. For example, constructions or decorations in exhibition spaces, storage containers in depot rooms, and exhibition display cases release volatile substances that might lead to irreversible changes or, under certain circumstances, damage to the stored or displayed objects. In Germany beneath the well-established Oddy-test also the BEMMA procedure is used to evaluate the construction materials. For larger amounts of display cases control measurements of VOCs at the end of construction or buildup is quite common. However, what is necessary to measure the air inside of display cases. What are the circumstances when the display cases were closed before the test period? Is it possible to organize a clean environment for reliable measurements. How comparable are the resulting VOCs with results from BEMMA test and control measurement at the end. The BEMMA procedure should include a further VOC-test at 60 °C. What are the benefits of this enlargement. Mainly materials that have a high potential to store VOCs inside of the material in combination with a less permeable surface should be evaluated stricter than others. T2 - IAQ 2024 The International Conference on Indoor Air Quality in Heritage and Historic Environments CY - New York, USA DA - 18.11.2024 KW - Emission KW - Air quality KW - Display cases KW - VOC PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61967 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Jaut, Valerie T1 - Antibiotic tolerance of biofilms emerging from multicellular effects of antibiotic efflux N2 - Biofilms are multicellular assemblies of bacteria living in a self-produced extracellular matrix. One characteristic of biofilms is that they are difficult to kill. Different mechanisms, like the development of persister cells or efflux pumps which pump some antimicrobials out of the cell, make them tolerant. Our central hypothesis is that efflux pump activity causes emergent antimicrobial tolerance of multicellular bacterial populations, through the interplay of efflux-mediated spatial interactions and efflux-linked persistence. To verify the hypothesis, we combine computational modelling with information gained from 3 types of multicellular assemblies. We are currently generating strains that differ in their levels of efflux activity, mixes are then cultivated together in the 3 model systems. In colonies the link between structure and spatial patterns of gene expression will be characterized. Using a microfluidic device, the interactions range of efflux as a response to different antimicrobials will be determined. In a flow chamber a 3D biofilm will be generated, to investigate the biofilm development over time and persister cell formation. All results will be compared with model predictions. T2 - EuroBioFilms2024 CY - Copenhagen, Denmark DA - 25.06.2024 KW - Antibiotic KW - Biofilm KW - Tolerance KW - Efflux PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61277 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Jaut, Valerie T1 - Antibiotic tolerance of biofilms emerging from multicellular effects of antibiotic efflux N2 - Biofilms are multicellular assemblies of bacteria living in a self-produced extracellular matrix. One characteristic of biofilms is that they are difficult to kill. Different mechanisms, like the development of persister cells or efflux pumps which pump some antimicrobials out of the cell, make them tolerant. Our central hypothesis is that efflux pump activity causes emergent antimicrobial tolerance of multicellular bacterial populations, through the interplay of efflux-mediated spatial interactions and efflux-linked persistence. To verify the hypothesis, we combine computational modelling with information gained from 3 types of multicellular assemblies. We are currently generating strains that differ in their levels of efflux activity, mixes are then cultivated together in the 3 model systems. In colonies the link between structure and spatial patterns of gene expression will be characterized. Using a microfluidic device, the interactions range of efflux as a response to different antimicrobials will be determined. In a flow chamber a 3D biofilm will be generated, to investigate the biofilm development over time and persister cell formation. All results will be compared with model predictions. T2 - UNA Workshop CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 29.01.2024 KW - Antibiotic KW - Biofilm KW - Tolerance KW - Efflux PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61280 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 - CONF A1 - Julseth, Mara Jean T1 - Chromosome chains in termite evolution N2 - Termites, the oldest eusocial insect group, display important divergent features compared to the eusocial Hymenoptera, including diploidy and an XY sex differentiation system. Termite males have frequently been shown to generate multivalent chromosome chains and rings during meiosis. This intriguing phenomenon could act on multiple evolutionary scales. Firstly, chain formation creates a higher probability of large-scale chromosomal translocations, which could play an important role in chromosome evolution across deep evolutionary time. Secondly, chains occurring in meiosis I should suppress recombination, leading to accumulation of genetic divergence in corresponding chromosomal regions, with potential consequences for speciation dynamics. Suppressed recombination may also represent a mechanism to maintain genetic heterozygosity, thereby theoretically mitigating against the negative effects of inbreeding. A high tolerance for inbreeding could have played a prominent role during the evolution of termite eusociality through its potential impact on inclusive fitness. Using newly sequenced near-chromosome-level reference genomes of native European Reticulitermes species, we will compare chromosomal translocations against other termite species as well as solitary relatives from Blattodea. Additionally, combining a large-scale population genomic data set with high resolution karyotypying across the southern European range, we aim to test the hypotheses that the occurrence and extent of chromosomal rings or chains i) are positively correlated with inbreeding, and ii) contribute to species divergence via the accumulation and fixation of genetic differences. In summary, this project seeks to identify the diverse roles that chain and ring chromosomes have played and continue to play in termite evolution. T2 - IUSSI 2024 CY - Lausanne, Switzerland DA - 07.07.2024 KW - Termites KW - Chromosomes KW - Evolution PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61254 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Julseth, Mara Jean T1 - Chromosome evolution in Reticulitermes of europe - dynamics of chain formation N2 - Termites, the oldest eusocial insect group, display important divergent features compared to the eusocial Hymenoptera, including diploidy and an XY sex differentiation system. Termite males have frequently been shown to generate multivalent chromosome chains and rings during meiosis. This intriguing phenomenon could act on multiple evolutionary scales. Firstly, chain formation creates a higher probability of large-scale chromosomal translocations, which could play an important role in chromosome evolution across deep evolutionary time. Secondly, chains occurring in meiosis I should suppress recombination, leading to accumulation of genetic divergence in corresponding chromosomal regions, with potential consequences for speciation dynamics. Suppressed recombination may also represent a mechanism to maintain genetic heterozygosity, thereby theoretically mitigating against the negative effects of inbreeding. A high tolerance for inbreeding could have played a prominent role during the evolution of termite eusociality through its potential impact on inclusive fitness. Using newly sequenced near-chromosome-level reference genomes of native European Reticulitermes species, we will compare chromosomal translocations against other termite species as well as solitary relatives from Blattodea. Additionally, combining a large-scale population genomic data set with high resolution karyotypying across the southern European range, we aim to test the hypotheses that the occurrence and extent of chromosomal rings or chains i) are positively correlated with inbreeding, and ii) contribute to species divergence via the accumulation and fixation of genetic differences. In summary, this project seeks to identify the diverse roles that chain and ring chromosomes have played and continue to play in termite evolution. T2 - SPP Meeting Gevol CY - Frankfurt am Main, Germany DA - 30.09.2024 KW - Termites KW - Chromosomes KW - Evolution PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61255 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kalbe, Ute T1 - Utilization of recycling materials in Germany - Regulations, assessment framework and leaching tools N2 - Der Vortrag wurde im Rahmen des 9th Geoenvironmental Assessment Seminars gehalten der auf Leaching- und Adsorptionstests fokussiert war. Der Vortrag enthielt einen Überblick über die Standardisierung von Leachingverfahren in DIN, CEN und ISO. Die Vorgehensweise der Bewertung des Schadstofftransfers bei der Wiederverwertung von Bodenmaterialien und der Verwertung mineralischer Ersatzbaustoffe in Deutschland wurde hinsichtlich der neuen rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen dargestellt. Spezielle Herausforderungen bei der Untersuchung von PFAS mit Elutionsverfahren wurden aufgezeigt. T2 - 9th Geoenvironmental Assessment Seminar AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) CY - Tsukuba, Japan DA - 25.03.2024 KW - Recycling of mineral waste KW - Contaminant transfer KW - Leaching KW - Assessment KW - Legislation KW - PFAS PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62057 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kalbe, Ute A1 - Piechotta, Christian A1 - Bandow, Nicole T1 - Comparing PFAS analysis in batch leaching and column leaching tests N2 - Laboratory leaching tests are tools to assess the mobility of environmental contaminants released from granular materials. Comparative leaching tests were performed using four PFAS-contaminated soils whose concentration patterns of 10 selected perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) differed due to the two types of contamination sources. This study aimed to evaluate the equivalence of two usual laboratory-scale leaching test procedures, batch and column percolation tests, at liquid-to-solid ratios (L/S) of 2 l/kg, which is the current practice within the German assessment framework, and 10 l/kg (relevant for some EU regulations such as the landfill directive). The differences between the replicates of leaching tests investigating PFAS were smaller for column percolation tests than for batch tests, probably mainly due to the greater sample size and the better representativeness of the sample portion analyzed. It was observed that batch tests overestimate the release of shorter-chain PFAS, whereby the effect was greater with carboxylic than with sulfonic acids. Currently, the limits of detection of analyses given by the DIN standard with regard to PFCA and PFSA in soils are partly not sufficient to detect very low contents, whereas the detection of selected PFCA and PFSA in eluates is more sensitive, in accordance with the available standards. This results in limitations when calculating mass balances. KW - PFAS KW - Leaching KW - Column percolation test KW - Batch test KW - Soil PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-618187 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35510-0 SN - 1614-7499 VL - 31 IS - 57 SP - 65233 EP - 65251 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-61818 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kanaris, Orestis T1 - Metabolic niches and persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment N2 - Background and Aim: Wastewater treatment plants are considered as hotspots for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) can persist in the environment for long periods of time, despite metabolic fitness costs that can arise with resistance. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms, which allow ARB to persist in the environment. More specifically, we want to identify metabolic niches that can select for resistant bacteria. Procedure/Method: 62 E. coli strains isolated from different WWTPs in Norway were used. The isolates have different levels of resistance to 14 antibiotics. The susceptibility of the isolates to 3 disinfectants was determined. In addition, genome scale metabolic models (GEMs) were constructed and the growth of the strains was simulated in the presence of 198 different carbon sources. Furthermore, the growth rates of the isolates were measured in the presence of 3 carbon sources. Findings/Results: Many of the isolates have high resistance to multiple antibiotics but only few of the isolates have higher minimum inhibitory concentrations to the disinfectants, compared to an E. coli laboratory strain. With the GEMs, we identified 40 carbon sources that can be utilized for growth only by a portion of all the isolates. The prediction accuracy of the GEMs was 93% in the case of D-Malate. A group of 10 isolates was identified of which 5 isolates are resistant to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tetracycline and can grow on Sucrose but not on D-Malate and the other 5 isolates are susceptible to the same 3 antibiotics but can grow on D-Malate and not on Sucrose. Implications/Applications: Our data suggest that changing the available carbon source could shift the selection advantage between resistant and susceptible bacterial strains. If this strategy is confirmed experimentally, it could be applied to reduce the number of ARB in environments like wastewater. T2 - Conference on the Environmental dimentions of antimicrobial resistance 7 CY - Montreal, Canada DA - 26.05.2024 KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Wastewater PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61410 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kanaris, Orestis T1 - Metabolic niches and persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment N2 - Background and Aim: Wastewater treatment plants are considered as hotspots for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) can persist in the environment for long periods of time, despite metabolic fitness costs that can arise with resistance. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms, which allow ARB to persist in the environment. More specifically, we want to identify metabolic niches that can select for resistant bacteria. Procedure/Method: 62 E. coli strains isolated from different WWTPs in Norway were used. The isolates have different levels of resistance to 14 antibiotics. The susceptibility of the isolates to 3 disinfectants was determined. In addition, genome scale metabolic models (GEMs) were constructed and the growth of the strains was simulated in the presence of 198 different carbon sources. Furthermore, the growth rates of the isolates were measured in the presence of 3 carbon sources. Findings/Results: Many of the isolates have high resistance to multiple antibiotics but only few of the isolates have higher minimum inhibitory concentrations to the disinfectants, compared to an E. coli laboratory strain. With the GEMs, we identified 40 carbon sources that can be utilized for growth only by a portion of all the isolates. The prediction accuracy of the GEMs was 93% in the case of D-Malate. A group of 10 isolates was identified of which 5 isolates are resistant to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tetracycline and can grow on Sucrose but not on D-Malate and the other 5 isolates are susceptible to the same 3 antibiotics but can grow on D-Malate and not on Sucrose. Implications/Applications: Our data suggest that changing the available carbon source could shift the selection advantage between resistant and susceptible bacterial strains. If this strategy is confirmed experimentally, it could be applied to reduce the number of ARB in environments such as wastewater. T2 - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium 19 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Antimicrobial resistance KW - Wastewater PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61412 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Keshmiri, Hamid A1 - Cikes, Domagoj A1 - Samalova, Marketa A1 - Schindler, Lukas A1 - Appel, Lisa-Marie A1 - Urbanek, Michal A1 - Yudushkin, Ivan A1 - Slade, Dea A1 - Weninger, Wolfgang J. A1 - Peaucelle, Alexis A1 - Penninger, Josef A1 - Elsayad, Kareem T1 - Brillouin light scattering anisotropy microscopy for imaging the viscoelastic anisotropy in living cells N2 - Maintaining and modulating mechanical anisotropy is essential for biological processes. However, how this is achieved at the microscopic scale in living soft matter is not always clear. Although Brillouin light scattering (BLS) spectroscopy can probe the mechanical properties of materials, spatiotemporal mapping of mechanical anisotropies in living matter with BLS microscopy has been complicated by the need for sequential measurements with tilted excitation and detection angles. Here we introduce Brillouin light scattering anisotropy microscopy (BLAM) for mapping high-frequency viscoelastic anisotropy inside living cells. BLAM employs a radial virtually imaged phased array that enables the collection of angle-resolved dispersion in a single shot, thus enabling us to probe phonon modes in living matter along different directions simultaneously. We demonstrate a precision of 10 MHz in the determination of the Brillouin frequency shift, at a spatial resolution of 2 µm. Following proof-of-principle experiments on muscle myofibres, we apply BLAM to the study of two fundamental biological processes. In plant cell walls, we observe a switch from anisotropic to isotropic wall properties that may lead to asymmetric growth. In mammalian cell nuclei, we uncover a spatiotemporally oscillating elastic anisotropy correlated to chromatin condensation. Our results highlight the role that high-frequency mechanics can play in the regulation of diverse fundamental processes in biological systems. We expect BLAM to find diverse applications in biomedical imaging and material characterization. KW - Optical and magnetic materials KW - Atomic and molecular physics and optics KW - Electronic PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-595125 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01368-w SN - 1749-4885 SN - 1749-4893 VL - 18 IS - 3 SP - 276 EP - 285 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London AN - OPUS4-59512 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kilic, Özge T1 - Tracking collective behavioural responses of termites with machine learning pose estimation software N2 - Termites, as eusocial insects, exhibit complex social behaviors critical to their ecological roles. This study employs cutting-edge machine learning techniques, specifically SLEAP pose estimation software, to investigate the interactions of *Reticulitermes flavipes* within controlled environments. By leveraging advanced tracking methods, this research addresses challenges such as track breaks in movement data and uses custom coding solutions to ensure accurate reconnections, preserving the continuity and reliability of individual and group behavior analyses. Custom-designed 3D-printed habitats facilitate controlled observations, while machine learning enables the annotation and tracking of key body segments (mandible, thorax, and abdomen). This approach provides granular insights into colony dynamics, highlighting task differentiation and social clustering. Future applications include the development of automated, continuous recording setups and expanded experiments to examine the impact of varying environmental conditions. This interdisciplinary work, combining biology and data science, advances our understanding of termite social systems and paves the way for predictive simulations of their activity. Such insights contribute to ecological management strategies and deepen our knowledge of collective animal behaviors. T2 - ASAB 2024 CY - Exeter, United Kingdom DA - 21.04.2024 KW - Machine learning KW - Artifical Intelligent KW - Social behaviour KW - 3D Printing KW - Pose estimation KW - Tracking PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61830 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Assessment of Microplastic Emissions from Artificial Turf Sports Pitches N2 - Following the recommendation of the European Chemicals Agency, on 25 September 2023 the European Commission passed a comprehensive new regulation to reduce emissions of microplastics (MP) into the environment, which includes the sale and use of intentionally added MP.1,2 This also applies to the application of synthetic rubber granulate infill in artificial turf systems and will ultimately have an impact on recreational sports. In Germany, rubber granulate made of ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber (EPDM) is currently predominantly used. So far, there is no sufficient database for estimating MP emissions from artificial turf pitches into the environment and thus their relevance as a source of MP pollution.3 This topic is controversially discussed due to the complexity of sampling and analytics. To close this research gap, this project has the goal to determine mass balances for the emissions of MP from artificial turf pitches to allow an estimation of the amount of MP released per artificial turf pitch and year. Within this study, MP emissions of three artificial turf scenarios at different time states (unaged, artificially aged and real-time aged) are compared: the past (old turf: fossil based, synthetic infill), present (most commonly installed in Europe: fossil based, EPDM infill), and the future (turf with recycled gras fibres, no synthetic infill). To simulate the outdoor weathering during the lifespan of an artificial turf of approx. 15 years, brand-new artificial turf and EPDM rubber granulate were accelerated aged by means of UV weathering and mechanical stress. Potential MP emissions into surface and groundwater are simulated by lysimeter and shake experiments. MP mass contents are subsequently determined by Thermal Extraction Desorption Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Using special microfilter crucibles allows the estimation of the particle sizes of the emitted MP, which is a fundamental requirement for an assessment of potential health hazards for humans. T2 - SETAC 2024 CY - Seville, Spain DA - 05.05.2024 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Lysimeter KW - PAK KW - Schwermetalle PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60014 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Development of a new Lysimeter System to assess Microplastic, PAH & Heavy Metal Emissions from Artificial Turf Sports Pitches N2 - Since September 2023, the European Commission introduced a new regulation to reduce emissions of microplastics (MP) into the environment, including the sale and use of intentionally added MP. Therein, the use of synthetic rubber granules in artificial turf is explicitly mentioned and banned for future use. Additionally, abrasions of grass fibres and other turf components are also considered as MP sources. Artificial turf pitches are multi component systems: e. g. grass fibres made of polyethylene (PE), synthetic infill made of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), carpet backing of polypropylene (PP) glued with polyurethane (PU), winding yarn of polyethylene terephthalate or elastic layer of Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) bound with PU. While the ban has great impact on recreational sports, there is so far no sufficient data to estimate the MP emissions from artificial turf sports pitches into the environment and thus their relevance as a source of MP pollution. To close this gap, three artificial turf scenarios in different ageing states (unaged, artificially aged and aged in real time) were analysed in this study: the past (old turf: fossil based, synthetic infill), present (most commonly installed in Germany: fossil based, synthetic infill) and future (turf with recycled grass fibres, no synthetic infill). To simulate outdoor weathering during the service life of approx. 15 years, accelerated ageing by UV weathering and mechanical stress was carried out. The newly developed and in-house manufactured Microplastic Eluate Lysimeter (MEL) simulates contaminant transfer into the groundwater and allows the simultaneous sampling for MP and dissolved contaminants, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) or heavy metals (HM). MP mass contents were analysed using smart microfilter crucibles (mesh size: 5 µm) and Thermal Extraction Desorption Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and PAH and HM concentrations were determined using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry or Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, respectively. T2 - MICRO2024: Plastic Pollution from Micro to Nano CY - Arrecife, Spain DA - 23.09.2024 KW - Microplastics Eluate Lysimeter KW - Microplastics KW - Heavy Metals KW - PAH KW - TED-GC/MS PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61160 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Contaminant Emissions from Artificial Turf Sports Pitches - Simultaneous sampling for Microplastics, PAH and Heavy Metals N2 - In September 2023, the European Commission introduced a new regulation to reduce microplastic (MP) emissions into the environment, including the sale and use of intentionally added (large) MP < 5 mm (ISO/TR 21960: 2020). This explicitly applies to the use of synthetic rubber granulate infill in artificial turf installations, which are complex multi-component systems consisting of multiple synthetic polymers (Fig. 1). In addition, abrasions of synthetic grass fibres and other turf components are also considered as MP sources. Although this has a major impact on public recreational sports, there is so far no sufficient data to estimate the MP emissions from artificial turf sports pitches into the environment and thus their relevance as a source of MP pollution. To close this gap, this study compared environmental contaminant emissions of three artificial turf scenarios at different ageing states (unaged, artificially and real-time aged): the past (old turf: fossil based, synthetic infill), present (most commonly installed in Germany: fossil based, EPDM infill) and future (turf with recycled grass fibres, no synthetic infill). Accelerated ageing by UV weathering and mechanical stress was carried out to simulate the outdoor weathering during the lifespan of approx. 15 years. MP emissions and released environmentally relevant contaminants posing a risk to the groundwater were simultaneously sampled using the newly developed Microplastic Eluate Lysimeter manufactured at BAM (Fig. 2). MP contents were analysed using smart microfilter crucibles (mesh size: 5 μm) with subsequent MP detection by TED-GC/MS. Additionally, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined using GC/MS and heavy metals using ICP-AES. T2 - 22nd European Symposium on Polymer Spectroscopy (ESOPS) CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 08.09.2024 KW - Microplastics Eluate Lysimeter KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Heavy Metals KW - PAH PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61013 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Klein, Luise T1 - Miniaturization Options in VOC Emissions Assessments of Consumer Products: Comparison of Test Chambers and Dynamic Headspace Extraction Systems N2 - Different emission testing devices were compared to measure reliable initial indoor air concen-trations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitting from consumer products. Compared to conventional medium- or large-scale test chambers, smaller devices including micro chambers and dynamic headspace extraction systems offer options for increased sample throughput, automation as well as reduced costs, which could facilitate their application in routine analysis of consumer product-related VOC emissions. T2 - Indoor Air 2024 CY - Honolulu, Hawaii, USA DA - 07.07.2024 KW - VOC KW - Emissions KW - Consumer product KW - Indoor air PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-62098 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koerdt, Andrea A1 - Gerengi, Husnu A1 - Kaya, Ertugrul A1 - M. Solomon, Moses A1 - Snape, Matthew T1 - Advances in the Mitigation of Microbiologically Influenced Concrete Corrosion: A Snapshot N2 - Concrete, a versatile construction material, faces pervasive deterioration due to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in various applications, including sewer systems, marine engineering, and buildings. MIC is initiated by microbial activities such as involving sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB), etc., producing corrosive substances like sulfuric acid. This process significantly impacts structures, causing economic losses and environmental concerns. Despite over a century of research, MIC remains a debated issue, lacking standardized assessment methods. Microorganisms contribute to concrete degradation through physical and chemical means. In the oil and gas industry, SRB and SOB activities may adversely affect concrete in offshore platforms. MIC challenges also arise in cooling water systems and civil infrastructures, impacting concrete surfaces. Sewer systems experience biogenic corrosion, primarily driven by SRB activities, leading to concrete deterioration. Mitigation traditionally involves the use of biocides and surface coatings, but their long-term effectiveness and environmental impact are questionable. Nowadays, it is important to design more eco-friendly mitigation products. The microbial-influenced carbonate precipitation is one of the green techniques and involves incorporating beneficial bacteria with antibacterial activity into cementitious materials to prevent the growth and the formation of a community that contains species that are pathogenic or may be responsible for MIC. These innovative strategies present promising avenues for addressing MIC challenges and preserving the integrity of concrete structures. This review provides a snapshot of the MIC in various areas and mitigation measures, excluding underlying mechanisms and broader influencing factors. KW - MIC KW - Corrosion KW - Concrete KW - Environment PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-619218 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17235846 VL - 17 IS - 23 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-61921 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kromer, Charlotte A1 - Katz, Aaron A1 - Feldmann, Ines A1 - Laux, Peter A1 - Luch, Andreas A1 - Tschiche, Harald R. T1 - A targeted fluorescent nanosensor for ratiometric pH sensing at the cell surface N2 - AbstractThe correlation between altered extracellular pH and various pathological conditions, including cancer, inflammation and metabolic disorders, is well known. Bulk pH measurements cannot report the extracellular pH value at the cell surface. However, there is a limited number of suitable tools for measuring the extracellular pH of cells with high spatial resolution, and none of them are commonly used in laboratories around the world. In this study, a versatile ratiometric nanosensor for the measurement of extracellular pH was developed. The nanosensor consists of biocompatible polystyrene nanoparticles loaded with the pH-inert reference dye Nile red and is surface functionalized with a pH-responsive fluorescein dye. Equipped with a targeting moiety, the nanosensor can adhere to cell membranes, allowing direct measurement of extracellular pH at the cell surface. The nanosensor exhibits a sensitive ratiometric pH response within the range of 5.5–9.0, with a calculated pKa of 7.47. This range optimally covers the extracellular pH (pHe) of most healthy cells and cells in which the pHe is abnormal, such as cancer cells. In combination with the nanosensors ability to target cell membranes, its high robustness, reversibility and its biocompatibility, the pHe nanosensor proves to be well suited for in-situ measurement of extracellular pH, even over extended time periods. This pH nanosensor has the potential to advance biomedical research by improving our understanding of cellular microenvironments, where extracellular pH plays an important role. KW - pH sensor KW - pH KW - Targeting, Nanoparticles KW - pHe KW - Nanosensor KW - Extracellular pH PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-604339 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-62976-2 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-60433 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Leube, Peter T1 - Quantification of ultrashort per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water samples via headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) - a method development N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were classified as a group of highly concerning chemicals over the last decades. Because of the high persistence of PFAS, their previous use led to contamination of the environment and human population. Due to ongoing use and incomplete remediation or destruction methods, the PFAS background in the environment is growing continuously. The presence of ultrashort PFAS (with ≤3 carbon atoms) in the environment is often overlooked despite their contributions to PFAS levels. These compounds may directly contaminate the environment and arise from degradation of polyfluorinated compounds as well as incomplete PFAS destruction in certain industrial processes. Nonetheless, few approaches for targeted analysis of ultrashort PFASs have been developed, except for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Beside liquid (LC-MS/MS), supercritical fluid (SFC-MS/MS), and ion chromatography (IC-MS)-based systems, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a promising method for detection and quantification of ultrashort PFAS. The goal of this study was to develop a simple headspace GC-MS method for the quantification of ultrashort perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and polyfluorinated alcohols (PFOHs) in water samples. In contrast to PFOHs, functionalization of PFCAs was required for quantification. This was done by esterification with methanol at 80 °C, which can be carried out directly in the headspace GC-MS system. Moreover, several parameters were optimized to achieve a low limit of quantification (LOQ) for the analytes used: i) The ratio of the aqueous solution, methanol, and available gas phase within the analysis vessel, ii) the concentration of additional acid in esterification mixtures of PFCAs, iii) shaking frequency and iv) shaking time before analysis. After optimizing the procedure, we were able to quantify ultrashort PFCAs and PFOHs. Thus, our developed headspace GC-MS method has the potential to be used as an alternative target analysis for ultrashort-chain PFCAs and PFOHs in various water samples (groundwater, wastewater). T2 - SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting CY - Seville, Spain DA - 05.05.2024 KW - Ultrashort PFAS KW - Headspace GC-MS KW - Perfluorocarboxylic acid (PFCA) KW - Polyfluorinated alcohol (PFOH) PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60042 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Leube, Peter T1 - Quantification of ultrashort per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water samples via headspace gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) - a method development N2 - Ultrashort PFAS (≤ 3 carbon atoms) were overlooked for a long time in analytical monitoring. Beside through the use of these substances, they contribute to the PFAS background in the environment through (environmental/ bio-) degradation and incomplete destruction3 of PFAS with longer carbon chains or other fluorinated compounds. As part of the German-Israeli Cooperation in Water Technology Research project „Detection, quantification, and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater“ (DEFEAT-PFAS), we are developing an as simple as possible direct headspace (HS-)GC-MS method to detect trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and perfluoropropanioc acid (PFPrA), as well as trifluoroethanol (TFEtOH), pentafluoropropanol(PFPrOH) and hexafluoroiospropanol (HFIP) in water samples. Here we present the results of the PFAS mentioned in spiked ultrapure water solutions. T2 - German Israeli Water Technology Status Seminar CY - Koblenz, Germany DA - 18.06.2024 KW - Ground water KW - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60330 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Loose, Florian T1 - Carbon Fibers as Secondary Resource - Safety during application in pyrometallurgy N2 - Transformation technologies rely on lightweight construction based on carbon fibers (CF). Therefore, carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) make an important contribution to climate protection and resource efficiency. Nevertheless, the waste stream of approximately 62 kt/a poses a major challenge. Because the energy intensive production of CF is predominantly based on fossil raw materials, sustainable recycling solutions are pushed forward. The currently predominating role mechanical recycling loses attractiveness and the market share of processes recovering the high value fibers by pyrolysis or solvolysis raise in importance. Nevertheless, fibers that are to short to continue circulating, analogous to paper fibers, demand for a safe treatment. Because energetic is not feasible due to an incomplete conversion in conventional waste treatment facilities. To circumvent the chemical limitations of the conversion, new reaction pathways need to be opened. Therefore, the CF Pyro project investigates the application of CF containing waste streams as a secondary raw material in pyrometallurgy, replacing fossil coal. It places particular emphasis on the reactivity of CF, process stability and the avoidance of emissions of harmful WHO fibers. Finally, a technology assessment based on the experimental results and developed in dialog with experts from industry, science and politics is presented. T2 - Workshop on releases of critical fibres CY - Dortmund, Germany DA - 13.09.2024 KW - Cabon Fibers KW - Recycling KW - Waste Treatment KW - Secondary Resource KW - Pyrometallurgy PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61278 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 - Maulas, Kryzzyl M. A1 - Paredes, Charla S. A1 - Tabelin, Carlito Baltazar A1 - Jose, Mark Anthony A1 - Opiso, Einstine M. A1 - Arima, Takahiko A1 - Park, Ilhwan A1 - Mufalo, Walubita A1 - Ito, Mayumi A1 - Igarashi, Toshifumi A1 - Phengsaart, Theerayut A1 - Villas, Edrhea A1 - Dagondon, Sheila L. A1 - Metillo, Ephrime B. A1 - Uy, Mylene M. A1 - Manua, Al James A. A1 - Villacorte-Tabelin, Mylah T1 - Isolation and Characterization of Indigenous Ureolytic Bacteria from Mindanao, Philippines: Prospects for Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) N2 - Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), a widespread phenomenon in nature, is gaining attention as a low-carbon alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in geotechnical engineering and the construction industry for sustainable development. In the Philippines, however, very few works have been conducted to isolate and identify indigenous, urease-producing (ureolytic) bacteria suitable for MICP. In this study, we isolated seven, ureolytic and potentially useful bacteria for MICP from marine sediments in Iligan City. DNA barcoding using 16s rDNA identified six of them as Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes, Bacillus paralicheniformis, Bacillus altitudinis, Bacillus aryabhattai, and Stutzerimonas stutzeri but the seventh was not identified since it was a bacterial consortium. Bio-cementation assay experiments showed negligible precipitation in the control (without bacteria) at pH 7, 8, and 9. However, precipitates were formed in all seven bacterial isolates, especially between pH 7 and 8 (0.7–4 g). Among the six identified bacterial species, more extensive precipitation (2.3–4 g) and higher final pH were observed in S. stutzeri, and B. aryabhattai, which indicate better urease production and decomposition, higher CO2 generation, and more favorable CaCO3 formation. Characterization of the precipitates by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) confirmed the formation of three carbonate minerals: calcite, aragonite, and vaterite. Based on these results, all six identified indigenous, ureolytic bacterial species from Iligan City are suitable for MICP provided that the pH is controlled between 7 and 8. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the urease-producing ability and potential for MICP of P. stutzeri, P. pseudoalcaligenes, S. stutzeri, and B. aryabhattai. KW - Calcium carbonate KW - Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) KW - Ureolytic bacteria PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-600888 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/min14040339 VL - 14 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-60088 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter T1 - Evolutionary genomics of termite sociality N2 - Termite sociality is thought to have evolved around 150 million years ago and is therefore ancient. Reconstructing the transitions that led to the evolution of this group of ecologically dominant insect societies is challenging. We sought to address this by sequencing near-chromosome-quality genomes from the major solitary, subsocial and social lineages of termites and their nearest blattodean relatives. We present findings from a comparative analysis of the sequenced genomes, where we explore the molecular underpinnings of termite sociality, and seek to understand the evolutionary origins of termite castes. At a broader scale, we test the extent to which a two-step process involving an initial expansion of genomic elements in cockroaches followed by extensive genome rearrangements in termites, may have acted as an important mechanism of evolutionary change. We then ask whether specific genomic processes may have facilitated evolutionary novelty, for example, through the analysis of transposon-host gene associations across the social gradient. We also report on findings that combine genomes with brain transcriptomics to explore the mechanistic basis of termite phenotypic plasticity, thereby enabling a first large-scale comparative genomic analysis of the evolutionary origins of termite sociality. T2 - International Congress of Entomology (ICE) 2024 CY - Kyoto, Japan DA - 25.08.2024 KW - Termite KW - Reference genome KW - Genomics PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61648 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - 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 - CONF A1 - Misra, Archismita T1 - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquids (POM-ILs) as Protective Coatings for CulturalHeritage against Acid Corrosion and Biodeterioration N2 - Corrosion of stone by acid rain anddeterioration from microbial biofilmsare challenges pertinent worldwide forindustrial or residential buildings as wellas cultural heritage artefacts, like statuesor historic buildings. One mitigationoption might be the use of thintransparent films of polyoxometalate-based ionic liquids (POM-ILs). In thisregard, different limestone samples werecoated with hydrophobic, acid resistantPOM-ILs which also have biocidalproperties.1 Exposure of the samples tosimulated acid rain showed negligiblecorrosion compared to the significantdeterioration of unprotected samples(Fig 1. Left). In addition, the biocidalproperties of the POM-ILs suppress theformation of biofilms on coated stoneslabs. The coating is mechanically stableand is not removed even by harshmechanical and chemical treatment.Following studies successfully exploredthe effectiveness of the coating againstlampenflora growing in the PommeryChampagne cellar 2 (Fig 1. Right); andthe long-term performance of POM-ILsunder outdoor environmental conditions3. So, POM-ILs are already proven topossess remarkable anticorrosion andantimicrobial properties against aerobicmicroorganisms and being water-insoluble, they don’t get leached intoaquatic ecosystem, which is extremelybeneficial from an environmentalsustainability and toxicological point ofview. The current project aims tocontinue the journey on protecting thecultural heritage, shifting focus fromstones to metals and employ functionalPOM-IL nanocoatings to prevent MIC(Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion)of cultural heritage artefacts made ofmetal or metal alloy like carbon steel,brass, cast iron or bronze. Performanceof both the coating materials and coatingtechniques via optimization of theadhesion of the nanocoating on themetallic surface on the corrosion rateand corrosion products in the MICcaused by anaerobic microorganismslike methanogenic archaea or SulphateReducing Bacteria (SRB) would betested. The objective is to establishPOM-ILs as efficient environmentallysustainable nanocoating materialsagainst biocorrosion citing the already published success stories; and sketch theongoing endeavours and prospects ofthese very efficient candidates in thecontext of MIC mitigation. T2 - Mitigation of Microbiologically InfluencedCorrosion: Towards Scientific &Industrial Standardization (MIC-STAND) CY - Lisbon, Portugal DA - 24.07.2024 KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) KW - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquid KW - Nanocoating KW - Cultural heritage PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-64575 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Misra, Archismita T1 - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquids (POMILs) as Protective Coatings for Cultural Heritage Against Acid Corrosion and Biodeterioration N2 - Corrosion of stone by acid rain anddeterioration from microbial biofilms are challenges worldwide present forindustrial or residential buildings as wellas cultural heritage, like statues orhistoric buildings. One option is the useof thin transparent films ofpolyoxometalate-based ionic liquids(POM-ILs). Stone samples were coatedwith hydrophobic, acid resistant POM-ILs which also have biocidal properties.1Exposure of the samples to simulatedacid rain showed negligible corrosioncompared to the significant deteriorationof unprotected samples (Fig 1. Left). Inaddition, the biocidal properties of thePOM-ILs suppress the formation ofbiofilms on coated stone slabs. Thecoating is mechanically stable and is notremoved even by harsh mechanical andchemical treatment. Following studiessuccessfully explored the effectiveness ofthe coating against lampenflora growingin the Pommery Champagne cellar 2 (Fig1. Right); and the long-termperformance of POM-ILs under outdoorenvironmental conditions 3. So, POM-ILs are already proven to possessremarkable anticorrosion andantimicrobial properties against aerobicmicroorganisms and being water-insoluble, they don’t get leached intoaquatic ecosystem, which is extremelybeneficial from an environmentalsustainability and toxicological point ofview. The current project aims tocontinue the journey on protecting thecultural heritage, shifting focus fromstones to metals and employ functionalPOM-IL nanocoatings to prevent MIC(Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion)of cultural heritage artefacts made ofmetal or metal alloy like carbon steel,brass, cast iron or bronze. Performanceof both the coating materials and coatingtechniques via optimization of theadhesion of the nanocoating on themetallic surface on the corrosion rateand corrosion products in the MICcaused by anaerobic microorganismslike methanogenic archaea or SulphateReducing Bacteria (SRB) would betested. The objective would be toestablish POM-ILs as efficientenvironmentally sustainablenanocoating materials againstbiocorrosion citing the already publishedsuccess stories; and sketch the ongoingendeavours and prospects of these veryefficient candidates in the context ofbiocorrosion T2 - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) KW - Polyoxometalate Ionic Liquid KW - Nanocoating KW - Cultural heritage PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-64576 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 - Musyanovych, A. A1 - Grimmer, Christoph A1 - Sadak, A. E. A1 - Heßling, L. A1 - Lüdicke, M. A1 - Bilsel, M. A1 - Horn, Wolfgang A1 - Richter, Matthias T1 - Polymer Capsules with Volatile Organic Compounds as Reference Materials for Controlled Emission N2 - Encapsulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could evaporate at a defined rate is of immense interest for application in emission reference materials (ERMs). Polyurethane/polyurea microcapsules with various VOC active ingredients (limonene, pinene, and toluene) were successfully produced by interfacial polymerization with Shirasu porous glass membrane emulsification in a size range between 10 and 50 μm. The effect of surfactant, VOC, monomer(s) type, and ratio has a great effect on the formulation process and morphology of capsules. The type of VOC played a significant role in the encapsulation efficiency. Due to the difference in vapor pressure and VOC/water interfacial tension, the formulation for encapsulation was optimized for each individual VOC. Furthermore, to achieve effective stability of the large droplets/capsules, a combination of ionic and nonionic surfactants was used. Optical and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to characterize the optimized microcapsules. The results showed that the obtained microcapsules exhibited a spherical shape and core–shell morphology and featured characteristic urethane-urea bonds. The amount of encapsulated VOC ranges between 54 and 7 wt %. The emission tests were performed with the help of the emission test chamber procedure (EN 16516). The limonene-loaded polyurethane/polyurea microcapsules show a change in emission rate of less than 10% within 14 days and can be considered as a potential candidate for use as an ERM. KW - Polymer microcapsules KW - Membrane emulsification KW - Polyaddition KW - Volatile organic compound (VOC) KW - Emission testing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-619227 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c12826 SN - 1944-8252 VL - 16 IS - 50 SP - 69999 EP - 70009 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-61922 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nordholt, Niclas T1 - The interplay between biocides, phenotypic heterogeneity and resistance evolution N2 - An overview of the interplay between biocides, phenotypic heterogeneity and resistance evolution presented at the University Wroclaw. T2 - Invited seminar at the Department of Molecular Microbiology CY - Wroclaw, Poland DA - 08.04.2024 KW - Disinfectants KW - Biocide resistance KW - Phenotypic heterogeneity KW - Evolution PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61173 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nordholt, Niclas T1 - Biocides and phenotypic heterogeneity N2 - An overview of our findings regarding the interplay between phenotypic heterogeneity in bacteria and biocides. T2 - One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 29.01.2024 KW - Biocides KW - Phenotypic heterogeneity KW - Biocide resistance PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61174 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nordholt, Niclas T1 - ALEE-AMC: Bacterial resistance evolution towards antimicrobial surfaces and development of a standardized test N2 - Background: Antimicrobial surfaces and coatings (AMCs) are important to protect man-made structures from biodeterioration and biodegradation. Advances in nano-structuring methods hold the promise of a new generation of AMCs. However, the evolution and selection of bacterial resistance to AMCs may threaten their efficacy in the long term. Therefore, according to the EU Biocidal Products Regulation, the risk of resistance development upon exposure to AMCs must be evaluated during product authorization. The same applies to the development of cross-resistances to other substances, for instance biocides and antibiotics. However, no standardized method exists to assess the risk of resistance and cross-resistance development upon exposure to AMCs during the authorization process. Objectives: • To develop a standardizable adaptive laboratory evolution experiment to be performed on AMCs (ALEE-AMC) • To assess performance and robustness of ALEE-AMC in a round robin test, using a copper AMC as reference • To uncover the mechanisms underlying evolution of resistance to copper AMC Materials & Methods: ALEE-AMC was developed based on an approved standard to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial surfaces (ISO 22196). ALEE-MC was performed on an antimicrobial copper surface as reference material and Escherichia coli as model organism. A round robin test was conducted with six participants to evaluate the reproducibility and applicability of ALEE-AMC. Evolved E. coli populations from the round robin partners were collected and subjected to phenotypic (antimicrobial susceptibility testing, ISO 22196) and genotypic (whole genome sequencing) characterization at BAM. Results: The results of the ALEE-AMC round robin test indicate that repeated exposure to copper can select for reduced copper susceptibility. However, failure of individual E. coli lineages to adapt to the copper surfaces was also observed. Evolved E. coli exhibited increased survival upon exposure to copper surfaces. Adaptation to copper did not induce cross-resistance to antibiotics. Whole genome sequencing of the evolved E. coli revealed high diversity of mutations among individual evolved strains, indicating the existence of multiple, underexplored evolutionary pathways towards increased survival of antimicrobial copper surfaces. Conclusion & Significance: ALEE-AMC offers a standardizable platform to assess the risk of resistance development towards novel and existing AMCs. Specifically, using ALEE-AMC in a round robin test, insights into evolvable survival mechanisms to copper AMCs have been gained. These mechanistic insights may be exploited to prevent the evolution against copper AMCs. In future steps, criteria need to be defined to provide guidelines for the authorization of AMCs based on the outcomes of ALEE-AMC T2 - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium, Berlin, Germany CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 09.09.2024 KW - Biocides KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - Resistance KW - Evolution KW - Standardized test PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61176 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nordholt, Niclas T1 - NBD-DDA: a tool to study biocide & disinfectant resistance mechanisms N2 - Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used as active agents in disinfectants, antiseptics, and preservatives. Despite being in use since the 1940s, there remain multiple open questions regarding their detailed mode-of-action and the mechanisms that can make bacteria less susceptible to QACs, including phenotypic heterogeneity. Goals To develop a fluorescent quaternary ammonium compound and to use it to investigate the mechanisms underlying QAC susceptibility in bacteria. Material & Methods A fluorescent quaternary ammonium compound, N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-[2-[(4-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-7-yl)amino]ethyl] azanium-iodide (NBD-DDA), was synthesized. Chemical structure and purity of NBD-DDA was confirmed by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli was assessed by determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations and time-kill assays. Uptake, heterogeneity and efflux of NBD-DDA in wild-type and efflux-deficient mutants (ΔtolC) were determined, using flow cytometry and fluorometry. Sub-cellular localization of NBD-DDA was determined using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results NBD-DDA was readily detected by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy with standard GFP/FITC-settings. NBD-DDA retained antimicrobial activity comparable to the structurally similar, widely used QAC benzalkonium chloride (BAC). Characteristic time-kill kinetics and increased tolerance of a BAC tolerant E. coli strain against NBD-DDA suggest that the mode of action of NBD-DDA is similar to that of BAC. NBD-DDA was preferentially localized to the cell envelope, which is a primary target of BAC and other QACs. Leveraging NBD-DDA‘s fluorescent properties, it was demonstrated that reduced cellular accumulation underlies BAC tolerance in a BAC tolerant E. coli strain and that NBD-DDA is subject to efflux mediated by TolC. Summary Overall, NBD-DDA’s antimicrobial activity, its fluorescent properties, and its ease of detection render it a powerful tool to study mechanisms of QAC susceptibility and mode-of-action in bacteria, both on the level of populations and single-cells. T2 - VAAM - Jahrestagung 2024 CY - Würzburg, Germany DA - 02.06.2024 KW - Biocides KW - Phenotypic heterogeneity PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61177 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nordholt, Niclas T1 - Progress on STOP-project WP5 and WP6 at BAM N2 - An overview of the progress that has been made on testing of antimicrobial efficacy and method development in the STOP project at BAM. T2 - STOP project meeting 09/2024 CY - Bukarest, Romania DA - 18.09.2024 KW - Antimicrobial surfaces KW - ISO22196 PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61178 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nordholt, Niclas A1 - Kanaris, Orestis A1 - Lewerenz, Dominique A1 - Gödt, Annett A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Evolutionary implications of heterogeneous disinfectant tolerance N2 - Introduction: Effective disinfection is crucial to maintain hygiene and to prevent the spread of infections. Phenotypic heterogeneity in disinfection survival (i.e. tolerance) may result in failure of disinfection, which in turn may foster the evolution of resistance to both disinfectants and antibiotics. However, the consequences of phenotypic heterogeneity for disinfection outcome and resistance evolution are not well understood. Goal: This study investigates the impact of phenotypic heterogeneity on the survival and evolution of Escherichia coli during disinfection with six commonly used substances. Furthermore, the consequences of evolved disinfectant tolerance for antibiotic resistance evolution are studied. Materials & Methods: The extent of population heterogeneity during disinfection is derived by determining time-kill kinetics and analysis with mathematical modelling. The link between population heterogeneity and evolvability of disinfectant tolerance was assessed by laboratory evolution experiments under periodic disinfection. The ability of disinfectant tolerant strains to evolve antibiotic resistance is assessed by serial transfer experiments with increasing concentrations of different antibiotics and by whole genome sequencing. Results: Multi-modal time-kill kinetics in three of the six disinfectants suggest the presence of disinfectant-tolerant subpopulations (i.e. persister cells). Importantly, the ability and extent to evolve population-wide tolerance under periodic disinfection is related with the presence of persister cells and the level of phenotypic heterogeneity during disinfection. Interestingly, the probability of high-level resistance evolution to certain antibiotics is attenuated in disinfectant tolerant strains as compared to the sensitive ancestor. Whole-genome sequencing reveals epistatic interactions between disinfectant tolerance and antibiotic resistance mutations, preventing access to canonical evolutionary paths to resistance. Summary: Our findings suggest that phenotypic heterogeneity can facilitate disinfection survival and the evolution of population wide tolerance, which can impact future antibiotic resistance evolution. T2 - Vereinigung Allgemeiner und Angewandter Mikrobiobiologie Jahreskongress 2023 CY - Würzburg, Germany DA - 02.06.2024 KW - Biocide KW - Resistance KW - Persistence KW - Evolution KW - Herteogeneous phenotypes PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60244 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 - CONF A1 - Oberbeckmann, Sonja T1 - The Microplastic Microbiome N2 - Microplastics represent man-made and newly emerging surfaces in our ecosystems, where they interact with microorganisms. The ecosystem in focus of this presentation will be the aquatic environment. It will be portrayed, which microorganisms use microplastics as a habitat, how environmental factors shape this colonization, and why the biodegradation of plastics in the ocean is an overall unlikely process. We will also discuss whether potentially pathogenic microorganisms use microplastics as a raft. Finally, possible adaptation mechanisms of plastic-colonizing microorganisms will be presented, such as the production of photoreactive molecules. The microplastic microbiome has a large potential to harbor so far unknown species with curious traits, representing an exciting research topic for the future. T2 - Geomicrobiological and Geochemical Colloquium, GFZ CY - Potsdam, Germany DA - 20.02.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Microbiome KW - Biofilm PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60203 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -