Frequent freeze-thaw cycles yield diminished yet resistant and responsive microbial communities in two temperate soils: a laboratory experiment

Few studies have been conducted on adaptations of microbial communities to low and fluctuating temperatures using environmentally relevant conditions. In this study, six Himalayan and two temperate soils were selected as candidates for low-temperature/freeze-thaw (FT)-adapted and susceptible soils, respectively. Redundancy analysis with forward selection was used to create a model of environmental parameters explaining variability in the initial microbial abundance and 4 °C activities. The best predictor was soil carbon, explaining more than 74% of data variability (P=0.002), despite significant differences in the soil characteristics and environmental history. We tested the hypothesis that…

Quantitative Detection of the nosZ Gene, Encoding Nitrous Oxide Reductase, and Comparison of the Abundances of 16S rRNA, narG , nirK , and nosZ Genes in Soils

ABSTRACT Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is an important greenhouse gas in the troposphere controlling ozone concentration in the stratosphere through nitric oxide production. In order to quantify bacteria capable of N 2 O reduction, we developed a SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting the nosZ gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the nitrous oxide reductase. Two independent sets of nosZ primers flanking the nosZ fragment previously used in diversity studies were designed and tested (K. Kloos, A. Mergel, C. Rösch, and H. Bothe, Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 28:991-998, 2001). The utility of these real-time PCR assays was demonstrated by quantifying the nosZ gene present in six different …

Microbial communities of the kanchenjunga mountains, nepal himalaya: factors affecting abundance, culturability and activity of the high-altitude cold-tolerant microbes

An Early Stage Researcher's Primer on Systems Medicine Terminology

Background: Systems Medicine is a novel approach to medicine, that is, an interdisciplinary field that considers the human body as a system, composed of multiple parts and of complex relationships at multiple levels, and further integrated into an environment. Exploring Systems Medicine implies understanding and combining concepts coming from diametral different fields, including medicine, biology, statistics, modeling and simulation, and data science. Such heterogeneity leads to semantic issues, which may slow down implementation and fruitful interaction between these highly diverse fields. Methods: In this review, we collect and explain more than100 terms related to Systems Medicine. Thes…

Mechanistic Modeling and Multiscale Applications for Precision Medicine: Theory and Practice

Drug research, therapy development, and other areas of pharmacology and medicine can benefit from simula- tions and optimization of mathematical models that contain a mathematical description of interactions between systems elements at the cellular, tissue, organ, body, and population level. This approach is the foundation of systems medicine and precision medicine. Here, simulated experiments are performed with computers (in silico) first, and they are then replicated through lab experiments (in vivo or in vitro) or clinical studies. In turn, these experiments and studies can be used to validate or improve the models. This iterative loop of dry and wet lab work is successful when biomedica…