Gemma Reguera 🌎

If the postdoc had intellectual contribution to the work, they merit authorship. How critical the contribution is to getting the paper published also matters. Quality of the contribution regardless of the number of authors.

Our faculty write a reflective essay that frames accomplishments to show intellectual and scholarly growth. The letter from the chair is also important to provide disciplinary context. The key is a multi-factorial evaluation and a holistic assessment of disciplinary excellence.

What matters is the intellectual contribution of the author to the work. We have many faculty working in large collaborative projects that only have multi-author publications. We look for an explanation of their role to assess intellectual merit and leadership.

The Berniebéu 😂

Chlorobaculum tepidum outer membrane vesicles may transport biogenic elemental sulfur | Applied and Environmental Microbiology All living cells must exchange material with their environment while maintaining cellular integrity. This is a particular challenge for materials that are not water-soluble; however, many bacteria utilize insoluble materials for energy conservation and as ...

Really proud tthat my group's recent #AppEnvMicro paper is a Spotlight article. Great recognition of work by two group members with outstanding support from @udelaware.bsky.social core facilities. 🦠🔬🧪
@asm.org @microgem.bsky.social @stephdagostino.bsky.social
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Most passengers with their carry-on luggage during their evacuation… 😬

Fantastic picture of the Svalbard valley glaciers (Svalbard, High Arctic) in the cover of the July issue of American Society for Microbiology Applied and Environmental (#AEM) journal. | Gemma Reguera Fantastic picture of the Svalbard valley glaciers (Svalbard, High Arctic) in the cover of the July issue of American Society for Microbiology Applied and Environmental (#AEM) journal. Perfect introd...

The July issue of #AppliedAndEnvironmentalMicrobiology (#AEM) is out and with it a terrific cover and spotlight articles. See my post in LinkedIn for a description.
www.linkedin.com/posts/gemma-...

#Microgem #20

“I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.
—James Baldwin

#Microgem #19

"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
—Simon Sinek

Impact of the Human Microbiome in Forensic Sciences: a Systematic Review | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Numerous studies relate differences in microbial communities to human health and disease; however, little is known about microbial changes that occur postmortem or the possible applications of microbi...

#AppliedAndEnvironmentalMicrobiology #AEM journal celebrates #WorldMicrobiomeDay in style!

Let’s start by reviewing the impact of the human microbiome in Forensic Sciences 🔬

doi.org/10.1128/AEM....

Too poor to science: how wealth determines who succeeds in STEM

Thought-provoking read, especially in these times of questioning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
🧪

Mobilizable shuttle vectors with fluorescent markers functional across different species of bacteria | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Chromophore-containing proteins (CCPs), including both fluorescent proteins and pigment-producing (non-fluorescent) chromoproteins, have become invaluable tools for microbial research. However, their successful implementation in understudied bacterial ...

SHUTTLE VECTORS LIGHTING THE WAY
Armstrong et al. constructed a large inventory of chromophore-expressing shuttle vectors to advance genetic studies in several non-model, Gram-negative bacteria. Don’t miss this great resource! doi.org/10.1128/aem....

SynCom GOES ANAEROBIC
Synthetic communities (SynComs) facilitate the study of complex microbiomes. This article in the Anaerobic Microbiology Special Series reviews the SynCom design principles and their utility to enhance anaerobic waste treatment. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Escherichia coli resistant to the highest priority critically important fluoroquinolone or 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporin antibiotics persist in pigsties | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a global threat to human and animal health, with animals considered a reservoir for transmission of AMR to humans. Because antimicrobial usage is a driver for resistance, one approach to decrease the AMR burden is ...

PERSISTENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN DRUG-FREE LIVESTOCK FARMS
Certain resistant strains of Escherichia coli can persist in pig farms long after restricting antibiotic usage. Targeted action is needed against those specific strains. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Optimizing experimental conditions: the role of buffered environments in microbial isolation, physiological studies, and taxonomic characterization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology An ecosystem is a community of living organisms that coexist and interact with each other, as well as with their surrounding physical environment. Earth’s ecosystem is generally classified as terrestr...

TO BUFFER OR NOT TO BUFFER
This minireview by Prakash et al. warns about detrimental impacts of buffering systems on microbial cultivation and discusses the benefits of unbuffered media formulations in applied and environmental research. A must read! doi.org/10.1128/aem....

An obligate symbiont of Haematomyzus elephantis with a strongly reduced genome resembles symbiotic bacteria in sucking lice | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Rhynchophthirina is a unique small group of permanent ectoparasites that is closely related to both sucking and chewing lice. These two groups of lice differ in their morphology, ecology, and feeding strategies. As a consequence of their different dietary ...

A GENOMIC VIEW OF SYMBIOSIS IN SUCKING LICE
The metagenome of the understudied Rhynchophthirina lice identified a symbiont with a severely reduced genome yet retention of functional pathways for the synthesis of vitamins needed by blood-feeding insects. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

The human phageome: niche-specific distribution of bacteriophages and their clinical implications | Applied and Environmental Microbiology In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in interest in human microbiome studies. The great part of this study area is covered by bacteria; however, bacteriophages (phages, viruses able t...

THE COMING OF AGE OF THE HUMAN PHAGEOME
Rybicka and Kaźmierczak review the intricate interactions between phages, bacteria, and the human host which can be harnessed as diagnostic or therapeutic tools.

doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Articles of Significant Interest in This Issue | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Perturbations of the human phageome serve as early indicators of gut dysbiosis and other disorders. Rybicka and Kaźmierczak (e01788-24) review the intricate interactions between phages, bacteria, and ...

And the June issue of #AppliedAndEnvironmentalMicrobiology #AEM is out‼️

Great slate of articles covering the latest in applied and environmental microbiology.

See our editorial picks for this month in the Spotlight section. A 🧵…

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

#Microgem #18

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."
—Thomas Edison

And what exactly did she vote for? 🤔

Any expert in conflict resolution will tell you to prioritize conflict prevention. If not possible, then deescalation and, as a last resort resolution. You NEVER escalate.

a cartoon of peter griffin talking on a cell phone with the words but i have very particular lack of skills Alt: a cartoon of peter griffin talking on a cell phone with the words but i have very particular lack of skills

Reading about DOGE reminds us that AI tools require competent, trained thinkers the same way cars require competent, trained drivers.

Why Organizations Should Retain Top Talent In Times Of Crisis Know who your top talent are, and value what they bring to your team, particularly when you need to ensure results.

If the pandemic taught us one thing, it was the importance of workforce talent retention in a crisis. Many universities seem to have forgotten that and it will cost us all dearly.

www.forbes.com/councils/for...

I was paid less than the men I was managing. Here’s what happened next. In the U.S., the gender pay gap has hardly budged in 20 years. Financial journalist, Josie Cox, shares how to close the gap for good in her book, “Women Money Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equa...

Women remain underpaid. And there is a simple solution 👇

“We often think that if we fight hard enough, we have the power to change the system. But it’s going to take more than that. Women have done their fair share of fixing. It’s time for everyone else to pitch in.”

www.msnbc.com/know-your-va...

Advancing transcriptomic profiling of airborne bacteria | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Airborne microorganisms are found all around us, indoors and out. Airborne microbes and non-living biological particles (bioaerosols) are central to environmental health and climate processes (1). Atmospheric bioaerosols can spread allergens, toxigenic agents, and infectious disease, act as cloud condensation and ice nuclei (2, 3), and may impact carbon speciation within clouds (4, 5). Within the built environment, bioaerosol inhalation is a primary route of microbial exposures, in addition to those associated with surface fomites and water sources (6). Although treated water and fomites have been extensively studied as routes of microbial exposure for humans, bioaerosols are a relatively understudied route of great potential importance to environmental health (6). Within indoor environments, studies have examined the microbial composition and viability of aerosolized organisms (6), sources and relative fluxes of bioaerosols (7), their genomic functional capabilities, and transcriptional activity interpreted from DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing. With the growing body of bioaerosol dynamics research, the metabolic activities employed by airborne organisms to survive within an aerosol are gaining increased attention. Compiling and deciphering mechanistic responses underpinning microbial survival in air are indispensable toward understanding their persistence in an airborne state, indoors or out, and may assist in designing better engineering interventions that can selectively inactivate live bioaerosols in relevant scenarios.

💦 AEROBIOLOGY UNDER REVIEW
Much-needed review of the methods and improvements in profiling bioaerosol activity to better understand the ecophysiology of the aerobiome and control of live bioaerosols. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Oil spill surface washing agents and chemical herders drive microbial community structure impacting biodegradation | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Spill treating agents offer oil spill responders alternative measures to reduce the overall impact of oil in the environment. Although the environmental implications of chemical dispersant use have been exhaustively studied under various conditions, this ...

🧪 BIODEGRADATION GETS OILY
Chemicals commonly used to treat oil spills enrich for microbial taxa that mineralize the oil dispersants into CO2. This finding informs oil spill responders of treatment options that are both effective and sustainable. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Exploring sub-species variation in food microbiomes: a roadmap to reveal hidden diversity and functional potential | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Different strains belonging to the same species can vary drastically in their functional potential, resistances, and pathogenicity. In microbial communities, within-species variations can contribute to the distinct function and properties of entire microbiomes. In food systems, such within-species variation therefore conveys unique characteristics and influences the quality and safety of a product (1–5). The resulting properties can be unique to an extent that it allows for the authentication of protected designation of origin and protected geographical indication products by tracking distinct associated strains (6, 7). Furthermore, strain tracking plays a crucial role in monitoring and mitigating disease outbreaks and contamination in food production facilities (8). Hence, as these effects are particularly easily observable, literally tastable, fermented foods and food systems are an ideal model for studying within-species diversity. Additionally, their wide availability, greater number of culturable species, and relatively simpler microbial consortia enhance their suitability as study systems (9). But how can these complex microbial communities and their variation within be efficiently and comprehensively studied? Here, we give examples for the effect of within-species diversity in food systems, review state-of-the-art methodologies, and showcase their applications.

🍲 A SUBSPECIES VIEW OF FOOD SAFETY
This minireview examines subspecies variation in food microbiomes and the need for strain-level characterization when assessing food quality and safety. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

CrAssphage distribution analysis in an Amazonian river based on metagenomic sequencing data and georeferencing | Applied and Environmental Microbiology The Amazon biome is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and contains the most vast river network; however, the continuous advance of urban centers toward aquatic bodies exacerbates the discharge of pollutants into these water bodies. Fecal ...

💩 CrAssphages AS FECAL BIOMARKERS
Bacteroidetes bacteriophages named CrAssphages are uniquely abundant in human feces. Their detection in an Amazonian river showcases their utility as biomarkers for human fecal pollution in aquatic systems. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Approaches for inactivating highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 cattle isolate for safe containment level 2 laboratory practices | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Historically, human infections from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have occurred from contact with infected birds, with estimated mortality rates of 52%. Recently, this virus has spilled over into many mammalian species and has rapidly spread ...

🐮 A SAFE APPROACH TO STUDY AVIAN INFLUENZA SPILLOVER INTO CATTLE
Inactivation of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 from cattle allows for safe transfer of the virus to lower containment laboratory settings for downstream analyses. doi.org/10.1128/aem....

Organ structure and bacterial microbiogeography in a reproductive organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid reveal dimensions of a defensive symbiosis | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Sequence-based microbiome studies have revealed much about how hosts interact with communities of symbiotic microbiota but often lack a spatial understanding of how microbes relate to each other and the host in which they reside. This study uses a ...

🦑 STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF SYMBIOTIC DEFENSE
The structure of the reproductive organ in the female bobtail squid controls colonization by beneficial bacteria and deploys them for egg defense. doi.org/10.1128/aem....