6^th International conference on Environmental Microbiology & Soil Microbiology September 18-20 , 2017 Toronto, Canada

Biography:

Saveetha Kandasamy graduated with her Doctoral Degree from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India in 2010, Specialized in Plant Microbe Interactions and Biological control. Moved to Canada in May, 2010 with Post-Doctoral appointment at Dalhousie University, worked 4 years and continued her research in Agriculture Canada, as NSERC-Visiting Fellow for another year. Subsequently, she joined as Research Scientist at A&L Biologicals, where she is leading 5-year Agricultural Innovation Program research focusing on plant and soil health from ecological perspectives. Saveetha Kandasamy has published about 25 research papers in refereed scientific journals and 3 book chapters. She is a winner of Dr. M. J. Narasimhan Academic Merit Award for the year 2009 (which is given every year to a young Plant Pathologist in India at the national level), developed a commercial microbial bioformulation. She has participated and presented in several national and international conferences, won some best paper and travel grant awards.

Abstract:

The definition for soil health as intended for agriculture may be best described as a soil that provides the optimal productivity to a primary crop over an extended time while having the minimum impact on plant, animal, and human health. However, we require a much better understanding of what is a healthy soil agroecosystem, how to identify it, and how to repair damaged sites for optimal crop productivity. Our studies focus on identifying the key drivers associated with soil health at sites where high and poor yields of corn occur within an agroecosystem. The initial project examined the same corn variety grown at a site developed by Mr. Dean Glenney where strips of corn and soybeans are alternated yearly under no till conditions. The yields continued to increase at this site over its twenty plus years of production. Using this site and a farm using conventional corn production and planting the same seed lot, we examined numerous input factors with a focus on identifying the phytobiomes associated with various tissues of corn plants sampled from the two locations. The objectives were to identify when to look, where to look, and how to look. Molecular analysis using TRFLP provided rapid and low cost means of separating the microbial profiles among samples. Both bacterial and fungal microbiomes were found to be similar on comparable tissues at the two sites in the early phases of growth. However, the microbiome found on the roots differed from that of the sap collected from the stems. By the V10 stage there were very significant differences in the microbial profiles of stem sap and leaf tissue from corn collected from the two sites but the microbiomes of the roots were more similar. The differences found at V10 stage became less apparent as the plants aged and became senescent. The changes in the plants microbiology and their relationship to yield will be discussed.

Biography:

Shimaila Ali graduated with her doctorate from the University of  Waterloo. Her research was based on the isolation and characterization of new plant growthpromoting bacterial endophytes. She has worked on identifying how endophytic bacteria impact plant growth and development using both physiological approaches as well as bioinformatics. Dr. Ali has developed identified a small number of proteins predicted to be key elements of endophytic colonization of plants by bacteria. She joined A & L Biologicals in 2014 as NSERC post-doctoral research scientist, where she is leading a part of a research project on functional metagenomic analysis of corn microbiome for identifying main drivers responsible for improved corn yields and other plant productivity.

Abstract:

Determination of functional genetics of corn microbial community can lead us to find the factors involved in higher corn productivity. Functions imparted to host plants by the microbial community include disease control by production of antibiotics, lytic enzymes, and siderophores and stimulation of host defenses. Many microorganisms can modulate plant hormonal levels by production of indoleacetic acid, ethylene, cytokinins, gibberellins, etc. We developed and standardized protocols for the quantitation of seven different functions in corn microbial community, which include nitrogen fixation (nif), phosphate solubilization (pqqC), antibiotic production (srffA and fenD mainly from Bacilus sp., phlD and phzF mainly from Pseudomonas sp.), and production of hydrogen cyanide (hcnAB). The functional genes were quantified in microbial community DNA extracted from roots, stem, and rhizospheric soil of corn grown in fields selected by aerial infrared photography and identified as having high or average productivity within the same fields. In almost all samples, the abundance of functional genes was directly related to high corn productivity. However, the richness in functional gene(s) in the microbial population associated with corn was not the only factor that correlated with productivity.

Biography:

Fernanda Matias has completed her Ph.D in biotechnology from Sao Paulo University and post-doctoral studies from Sao Paulo University (Chemistry) and Porto Alegre Health Sciences Federal University (Pathology). She is a professor at UFERSA, School of Biotechnology, and is founding the first company in the university. She has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals.

Abstract:

When we think of semiarid we always associate with the lack of water, food, agriculture and livestock that end up generating little local development and, in consequence, poverty. However, little is exploring local biodiversity and adapted to that situation. In Brazil, we have a vast area of territory with hot semi-arid climate and only from mid-2010 began to be exploited as the local
biodiversity. Microbiological part is even more incipient. In 2014, a previous analysis of microbiome at different times of the year showed a significant difference of 16S rDNA size amplified in the same environment. This year we will start a microbiome work to understand what happens in these environments in different periods of drought. In 2016, lipolytic bacteria from hot springs were isolated. Lipases showed greater activity above 158oF and pH between 10 and 12. Later this year, we began an isolation of phosphate solubilizing, nitrogen fixers and auxin producing bacteria. By the time we succeeded in isolating more than 100 strains, among them was a symbiotic of Adenium obesum (desert rose) that is being considered for use as an agricultural inoculant. Furthermore, we developed a mead production method that reduced the months of fermentation timeout to 15 days which enables the industrial production of this beverage and will be the first start-up of the region. These findings suggest that semiarid is really rich in microbial biodiversity.

Biography:

Lars Mogren has a background in horticulture and produce quality. His main focus has been the role of pre-harvest factors on post-harvest quality of field grown vegetables. He is Coordinator of a four year research project called safe salad which includes field and greenhouse trials, laboratory analyses, intervention studies and risk assessments.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Vegetables are an essential component of a healthy diet. During the last decades, outbreaks of foodborne illnesses have increasingly been linked to fresh and/or minimally processed vegetables. Shigatoxin producing E. coli, causing EHEC infections, has been the causal agent for major outbreaks both in Sweden and abroad with leafy vegetables and sprouts. This pathogen is particularly severe due to its severe symptoms and low infectious dosis. The major source for contamination is associated with animal or human feces. Contamination can occur in the entire farm-to-fork chain and failure during preharvest may not be counteracted by processing. This project focus on the whole chain from production to consumer regarding baby leaf crops.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A four year project is called “Safe Salad”. It is including several research groups and applies a novel and unique approach, as it focuses on the vector, namely the plant and its microflora. It uses a comprehensive approach from farm to fork. Studies include interactions between cropping and processing environment and the leaf microflora and the prevalence of EHEC are used as a basis for risk assessment and identification of risk factors before harvest and of vegetables at risk. The impact of nitrogen supply to the crop is highlighted. Explanatory models for adhesion on the leaf via the existing biofilm and the significance of the leaf microflora for disease development is studied in animal trials.

Conclusion & Significance: The main conclusion is that there are no single way to prevent and exclude E. coli reaching the farm to fork chain but there are several methods to reduce the risks at critical stages.

Biography:

Kumudini M Meepagala has been working in USDA-ARS for over 15 years. She is working on isolation of natural products from plants and fungi that can be used
as agrochemicals. She is also involved in synthesis and structure modification of natural products to develop mosquito repellents and larvicidal.

Abstract:

Phytopathogenic fungi produce secondary metabolites that are toxic to host plants. These fungi have evolved to survive in the ecological niche by producing secondary metabolites to compete with other fungi, plants and insects. Thus, these toxins can have various biological activities. As part of ongoing research efforts at USDA, we have investigated some plant pathogenic fungi in search of natural products that can be used as pesticides or can be used as lead compounds in designing such compounds. Phomalactone isolated from Nigrospora spherica, a plant pathogenic fungus isolated from Zinnia elegans and Hydrangea macrophylla, was found to be phytotoxic and mosquitocidal. From the culture medium of Curvularia intermedia, αβ-dehydrocurvularin was isolated as a phytotoxin. Pyricularia grisea is a fungus selective to monocots. From the culture broth of this fungus, pyrichalasin was isolated as the phytotoxin. A colony of three fungi was isolated from necrotic leaves of Basella alba, commonly known as Malabar Spinach. Diaporthe eres was isolated from infected Hedera helix leaves. An isocoumarins was isolated from the culture broth of this fungus and found to have phytotoxic and mosquito larvicidal activities. Based on this molecule, several analogs of isocoumarins were synthesized with higher phytotoxic activity. Isolation of active metabolites and synthesis of analogs will be discussed.

Biography:

Elena S Gusareva has evolved to be a researcher with a broad knowledge and experience in different aspects of biomedical science and biostatistics. Since joining the team of Prof. Schuster in 2016, she has been involved in a relatively new research field and project on the air microbiome aiming to study microbial diversity and ecology of urban air. So far, the results of the research efforts are remarkable and will certainly generate a series of downstream benefits, including improvements to public health, building design and management.

Abstract:

Our understanding of airborne microbial communities including their sources, functions, microbial interplay and ecology is limited despite its relevance for human health, environmental and ecosystems functioning. Few attempts have been made to study air microbial ecosystems to date. Tropical environments, distinct from temperate northern hemisphere systems studied so far, have specific physical/chemical features that impact the structure, function and ecology of the microbial components of their air ecosystems. Moreover, a highly urbanized ecosystem with its unique built environment and extensively processed indoor air, as encountered in Singapore, likely harbors defined yet unknown microbial communities.

To comprehensively describe air-borne microbial ecosystem of Singapore, triplicates air samples were collected within 24 hours for 5 consecutive days in four independent experiments. We used filter-based high volume air sampling instruments to generate samples used for subsequent DNA extraction. A cultivation-free metagenomics next generation sequencing (NGS) was adopted to identify microbial taxa to species level. The air-borne microbial community was found to be remarkably stable with recurrence intervals of high microbial abundance in the dark hours and relatively low abundance in the light hours. Air samples were dominated by DNA of basidiomycota fungi and less frequently of Ascomycota fungi phylum. The microbial air ecosystem was mostly modulated by day/ night Biorhythms, temperature fluctuations and rain events. This is one of the highest-resolution researches currently undertaken on
any air microbiome and its ecology, worldwide.

Biography:

Yongxiang Zhang is a biologist from National Microbiology Laboratory of public health agency of Canada. He has experience in studying the evolution and virulence of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and the shiga toxin-encoding phage.

Abstract:

In 2011, a novel shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O104:H4 strain was associated with a large foodborne disease outbreak centered in Germany. The outbreak was characterized by a much higher rate of the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) than typically occurs following STEC O157:H7 infections. Interestingly, this O104:H4 strain produced much lower levels of Stx2a than an STEC O157:H7 outbreak strain in the laboratory. Because the amount of Stx2a produced by O157:H7 strains is correlated with the development of severe clinical illness, such as STEC-associated HUS in humans, we wished to see if Stx2a-encoding phages released by these two STEC strains would increase toxin production by infecting commensal E. coli. In this study, we examined the role of commensal non-STEC in amplifying Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a) production by the toxin-encoding phage released spontaneously from STEC. Co-incubation of E. coli K-12 C600 with the STEC O104:H4 strain ON-2011 and O157:H7 strain EDL933 resulted in 21-and 8-fold increases in shiga toxin production, respectively. However, among commensal non-STEC, only isolates of serotypes OR:H19 and O46:H31 from two of ten human fecal samples significantly increased Stx2a production following co-incubation with ON-2011, and no increase was observed following co-incubation of commensal E. coli with EDL933. While stable Stx2a phage ΦON-2011 and 933W E. coli C600 lysogens were readily isolated following co-culture with these two pathogens, only ΦON-2011 lysogens were isolated following co-incubation with the commensal E. coli. Two genes encoding putative phage receptor-binding determinants were present in the ΦON-2011 genome but not that of 933W. While further study is required, it seems likely that differences in 933w and ΦON2011 commensal E. coli host range may result in variability in the levels of Stx2a produced in certain individuals during the course of infection which could contribute to differences in the severity of STEC-associated disease.

Biography:

Mohidus Samad Khan is an assistant professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He completed his BSc in chemical engineering (2004) from BUET, and Ph.D (2006-10) in bio-surface and biotechnology from Monash University, Australia. He worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Canada to continue his research work on bio-surface engineering (2010-13). Since 2013, He is working as an assistant professor at BUET. He also served as a visiting professor (2015) at McGill University, Canada, and as a visiting research scholar (2016-17) at Texas A&M University, USA.

Abstract:

 In Bangladesh, the demand of fossil fuel has been consistently increasing with the development of its industrial and agriculture sectors. The annual demand of petroleum products in Bangladesh is met primarily by refining imported crude oils from overseas. To meet the future energy demand and to save foreign exchange, it is essential to look for domestically produced renewable fuel sources. Bioethanol from biomass and biodiesel from microalgae could be potential alternate fuels for Bangladesh. Bioethanol, which is generally obtained from the conversion of carbon-based feedstock, is a quasi-renewable energy source. Although Bangladesh does not commercially produce bioethanol till date, there are few initiatives at the private sector in this regard, and therefore, it is important to understand the fuel properties of bioethanol. This study analyzes different fuel properties, namely, specific gravity & API gravity, viscosity, Reid vapor pressure, calorific value, ASTM color, ASTM distillation, copper strip corrosion and water sedimentation, of bioethanol and 5 and 10 percent bioethanol blended with petrol and octane. To make biofuel production from microalgae economically viable and sustainable, it is important to identify microalgae strains with high lipid content and to find an optimized mass culture technique for local condition. This study presents the growth kinetics of microalga Chlorella vulgaris grown in Bangladesh, in the parameters of cell count, optical density and dry cell weight cultured in 4 different media, namely CH, BB (Bold’s Basal), MLA and CHU (modified). The growth curves obtained from algal growth in all the media were compared with lipid productivity. The extracted lipid was trans-esterified to produce biodiesel and the algal biomass left after lipid extraction was analyzed to quantify protein and other nutrients. This study will be highly useful, providing the baseline properties of locally produced bioethanol and biodiesel as potential alternate fuels for Bangladesh.

Biography:

Julio César de Souza has expertise in animal production and conservation and sustainability. Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences - Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (1986); degree in Animal Science - Federal University of Paraná (2008); a Master's Degree in Genetics and Animal Breeding from the UNESP State University (1992); and Ph.D in Biology (Genetics) at the UNESP (1997). Have two Post Doctoral, one in Animal Science, Missouri University, USA (2006/2007); and other in Florida Atlantic University – USA, in Genetics and Animal Conservation (2012/2013); He is a Full Professor in a UFMS; Has experience in Animal Science, with emphasis on Genetics and improvement of domestic animals, breeding and management of domestic animals, animal production, animal conservation, interaction domestic animals x wild animals, sustainability (buffaloes, horse, beef cattle).

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: The Pantaneira plain is a true sanctuary with strong conservation of fauna and flora. Most of the areas are private and used for livestock production. The objective was geo referencing points where the Jaguar has slaughtered domestic animals; How far away is that in relation to the house of the farm workers; development management suggest actions for the conservation of wild species. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The work was carried out at the Bodoquena Farm which is prized for the conservation of wild animals. The cattle are found in pastures located between reserved of forest and river with protected border. When a characterized carcass killed by jaguar is found, the GPS coordinates were taken and the cameras trails was put there. The research occurs on the period of 12/2015 to 05/2017. Findings: It was geo referenced 91 points with carcasses. Bovine animals appear to be easier prey than wild animals (tapirs, deer, capybara, peccary, greater rhea, alligators, spotted paca, etc.). When the Jaguar goes out in search of food (natural prey) they first found cattle, for the facility and opportunity of attack, they end up preying the domestic animals. Possibly this jaguar’s generations that learned to feed cattle. Many of the wild animals preyed on by the Jaguar now live together cattle or near human homes where they find protection. Recently, cattle were killed by Jaguar within 61m of the residence of a cowboy. There is no record of Jaguar's attack on humans on this farm, however, they are approaching closer to the residences, although to get cattle or capybaras. Conclusion & Significance: On the region need create ecological areas, a fauna management project with the purpose of conservation and sustainable. For avoiding the approach of the jaguar near the residences and a possible human accident Brazil public power need to take steps to create ecological reserves and conservation areas to do the fauna in this region. It is important one fauna management program predation control of cattle by Jaguar.

Biography:

Greg B Gloor is a professor of biochemistry with broad experience in molecular biology, genetics and genomics. Most recently, he has developed tools to investigate fundamentals of molecular evolution, microbial ecology and meta-transcriptomics. He is currently working on developing and adapting principled methods to characterize correlation and differential abundance in sparse, high throughput sequencing data as generated in 16S rRNA gene sequencing surveys, meta-genomics and metatranscriptomics. He is the developer and maintainer of the ALDEx2 R package on Bioconductor.

Abstract:

We will demonstrate that the microbiome and transcriptome datasets should be analyzed by a combination of Bayesian estimation and compositional data approaches to examine the ratios between features giving robust insights into the structure of high throughput sequencing datasets. Traditional methods of analyzing microbiome or RNA-seq datasets can be misleading, and not use all the available information. This results in many analyses being dominated by either the most abundant, or the rarest features. Data collected using high throughput sequencing (HTS) methods are sequence reads mapped to genomic intervals, and are commonly analyzed as either 'normalized count data’ or 'relative abundance data’. One reason for these normalizations is to attempt to compensate for the problem that the sequencing instrument imposes an upper bound on the number of sequence reads. Positive data with an arbitrary bound are 'compositional data' and are subject to the problem of spurious correlation. Thus ordination, clustering and network analysis become unreliable. A second problem is that the data are sparse: i.e., contain many 0 values. A third problem is that the largest measurement error is at the low count margins in these datasets. These issues are all addressed using our approach.