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Burkholderia pseudomallei soil isolates from northeast Thailand are genotyped using multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). MLVA identified 19 genotypes within three clades, while MLST revealed two genotypes.

A novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) method which was developed for reproducibly measuring the cohesive energy levels of moist 1-day biofilms is presented.

The gamma hypothesis is used to investigate the time of growth of Aeromonas hydrophila challenged with pH, NaN[O.sub.2] and salt combinations. The results have shown that pH, NaN[H.sub.2] and salt have acted independently on the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila.

The elimination of the levels of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dry fermented sausages by at least 5 [log.sub.10] units with microencapsulated allyl isothiocyanate (AIT) and the acceptability of uncontaminated AIT-treated products to consumers are evaluated. Sausages containing 500 ppm AIT are considered acceptable although slightly spicy by panelists during sensory evaluation.

A carbazole (CA) dioxygenase gene was introduced into the excellent dibenzothiophene (DBT) degrader Rhodococcus erythropolis XP, which could desulfurize DBT through a 4S pathway. The report obtained is a significant step toward the development of a bioprocess for removing recalcitrant nitrogen and sulfur compounds from petroleum.

The tracing experiments were carried out to identify volatile and nonvolatile L-methionine degradation intermediates and end products in the yeast Geotrichum candidum and in the bacterium Brevibacterium linens. The results showed that L-methionine catabolism was initiated by an aminotransferase in Geotrichum candidum and the transmination product 4-methylthio-2-oxobutyric acid was subsequently degraded to methanethiol and alpha-KB.

A study was conducted to identify the genes and pathway for 4-chloronitrobenzene (4-CNB) degradation by previously isolated Comamonas sp. strain CNB-1. The result proposed that 2-amino-5-chloromuconic acid (2A5CM) deaminase (CnbH) might represent a novel type of deaminase and be involved in a novel partial reductive pathway for chloronitrobenzene of nitrobenzene degradation.

Two real-time PCR assays are developed to enumerate the total and nonoenococcal, lactic acid bacterial populations in wine. These assays can be used to assess the spoilage risk of juice or wine from lactic acid bacteria.

The genome-probing microarray (GPM) is used to monitor the population dynamics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during the fermentation of kimchi, a traditional food in Korea. The results of GPM hybridization with fluorescently labeled bulk community DNA have indicated the practicality and applicability of this new quantitative tool for the estimation of cultivatable bacteria from different environments.

The complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM is analyzed in order to identify genes involved in adhesion and open reading frames (ORFs) similar to genes implicated previously in adhesion are targeted for insertional inactivation. This study has shown that multiple cell surface proteins in L. acidophilus NCFM can individually contribute to the organism's ability to attach to intestinal cells in vitro.

The role of different mediators of adherence in the ability of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to bind alfalfa sprouts and seed coats is investigated and is attempted to correlate differences in adherence to plant surfaces with those observed on Caco-2 intestinal cells and during the formation of biofilms on plastic in vitro. The results have shown that binding to the three types of surfaces were mediated by overlapping but distinct sets of genes and the only gene that appeared to be irreplaceable for binding the plant surfaces was ompA.

The diversity and structure of bacterial chemolithotrophic communities obtained from two sites in a Georgia agroecosystem and an unmanaged pine stand are investigated. The results indicate that lithotrophic populations respond differentially to plant type and land use and the paucity of clone sequences attributed to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria shows that even though ammonia oxidation occurs in the various soils, the relevant populations are small compared to those of facultative lithotrophs.

Bacteriodales 16S rRNA gene sequences from the feces of eight hosts were analyzed. The purpose of this study was to examine host distribution patterns among fecal bacteria in the order Bacteroidales, with the goal of using endemic sequences as markers for fecal source identification in aquatic environments.

Sphingomonas sp. strain TTNP3 degrades 4(3',5'-dimethyl-3'-heptyl)-phenol and unidentified metabolites are described. The finding indicates that the nonylphenol metabolism of this bacterium involves unconventional degradation pathways where an NIH shift mechanism occurs.

The bacterial ultrastructural alterations that occur in response to exposure of bacterial cells to aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite are discussed. The exposure of Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica to aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite at concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 m resulted in high mortality.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesized by Alceligenes eutrophus using glucose recovered by enzymatic hydrolysis of pulp fiber sludge as a carbon source is discussed. The volumetric yield of cells based on the void volume of the packed bed is comparable with the batch culture yield even though biofilm formation in the packed-bed reactor is limited.

The enzymes involved in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation inthechrysene-degrading organism Sphingomonas sp-strain CH4-1 investigated is discussed. Results suggest that PhnI might be capable of oxidizing methylpiaphthalene like the related enzyme from cycloclasticus.

The diversity of the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial population in the Seine River was investigated by identifying autochthonous bacteria from upstream and/or allochthonous ammonia-oxidizing bacterial from the wastewater treatment plant effluents. The study identified the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria introduced by the effluents.

The Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937 endogenous osmolytes were analyzed and showed that the bacterium does not synthesize glutamine and alpha-glucosylglycerate in enterobacteria. The study showed that it is not true only halophilic organisms and its counterpart glucosylglycerol accumulate that glucosylglycerate by nonhalophilic ones.

A quantitative model was used to test the relative importance of geographic separation, host specificity, and environment in influencing the identity of Ceanothus Frankia symbionts as determined by ribosomal DNA sequence data. It was concluded that the identity of Frankia strains inhibiting Ceanothus nodules might involve interactions between host species specificity and geographic isolation.

The general fitness properties of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and commensal E. coli strains were compared. Inspite of differences between the two groups of E. coli strains, the 0157:H7 strains did not appear to possess traits that would confer advantages in the bovine or extraintestinal environment.

The ability of Brevibacterium linens BL2 to produce fatty acids from amino acids and alpha-keto acids and determine the occurrence of the likely genes in the draft genome sequence is discussed. Results show that Brevibacteria have the ability to produce fatty acids from amino and alpha-keto acids and that carbon metabolism is important in regulating the event.

The 16S-23S ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer region was used as a target for the development of a reliable restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) diagnostic algorithm and for the design of species-specific primers that are useful for discriminating all of the species of Carnobacterium in a sensitive, easy-to-perform PCR protocol.

The bacterial and viral abundances were measured in 24 lakes with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranging from 3 to 19 mg of C liter(super -1). The results indicate that the way viruses control bacterial assemblages in humic lakes is different from the mechanism in clear water systems.

The cell appendages that mediate the adhesion of Acinetobacter sp. strain Tol 5 to a solid surface are described. The anchor found on the strongly adhesive bacterium Acinetobacter sp. strain Tol 5 has a striking morphology and directly mediates a long-distance interaction between the cell and the substratum.

The efficacy of mononucleotide repeats (MNR) in phylogentic studies and strain identification in Escherichia coli is examined. MNR loci facilitates in determining the phylogenetic relationships, provides higher sequence variation and can be used in diagnostics, epidemiology and evolutionary study of bacteria.

The molecular understanding of the symbiotic relationships that exists between sponge and bacteria is studied in relation to the oxygen-controlled bacterial growth in the sponge Suberites domuncula. The sponge-surface associated bacterium may use the diphenols produced by the sponge Suberites domuncula for producing energy.

Spatial and temporal distribution of two diazotrophs in Chesapeake Bay was investigated using a quantitative PCR approach, for initiating autecological studies on uncultivated natural populations of diazotrophic bacteria and to detect the presence of specific bacteria encoding nifH throughout Chesapeake Bay. The individual nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the Chesapeake Bay show a distinct nonrandom spatial and seasonal distribution.

A study was conducted to develop a methodology to use results of a research program conducted on fifty bacterial strains of five species grown in a laboratory medium. Challenge tests were carried out and methodology of the tests as well as results are also discussed.

A set of modular broad-host-range expression vectors was created and vectors were mobilized by conjugation. These tools are useful for protein purification and for studying protein-protein interactions in a range of bacterial species.

A unique method to observe large numbers of individual bacterial cells during long periods of cell growth and proliferation is described. This method enables one to study the history effect on the distribution of the lag times of single cells.

Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 has a taxis response to both nitrate and nitrite, as does Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Rhodopseudomonas palustris has a taxis response to nitrite but not nitrate, whereas Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 has no taxis response to either nitrite or nitrate.

Researchers describe the isolation of novel strains of planctomycetes, including the first that were successfully cultivated from soil. The planctomycetes are an order of the Bacteria that reproduce by budding and have no peptidoglycan in their cell walls.

Researchers describe the discovery of a novel group of red filamentous bacteria in hot springs in Yellowstone National Park that contain bacteriochlorophyll a. This makes them members of the green nonsulfur (GNS) bacteria. They were most similar to Roseiflexus castenholzii, a red filamentous bacterium found in Japan.

Research has been conducted on the microbes associated within the geothermal fluid boreholes. The existence of the indigenous thermophilic subterranean community in the subsurface of Iceland has been investigated, and the results suggest that the nonendemic thermophiles may be disseminated in this subsurface.

Flow cytometry using carboxyfluorescein diacetate (cFDA) and the dye exclusion DNA binding probe TOTO-1 can distinguish between living and dead bacterial cells. In addition, cFDA labels the cells that are culturable whereas TOTO-1 labels the nonculturable cells.

A new candidate for the domain Bacteria, TM7, is examined via fluorescence in situ hybridization and transmission electron microscopy. Results indicate the candidate is present in various aquatic, clinical and terrestrial habitats, and that it may be resistant at its ribosome level to streptomycin.

Researchers discovered a surprising genetic diversity among 15 filamentous strains of Eikelboom type 021N bacteria in activated sludges. The bacteria could be divided into three distinct groups within the gamma subclass of Proteobacteria based on comparative 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis.

Research has been conducted on the bacterial populations at the vent site. The identification and the phylogenetic analysis of these populations have been carried out.

Research has been conducted on the bacterial isolates from pine tissue cultures. The use of the 16S rRNA in situ hybridization in investigating the existence of bacteria in pine buds is discussed.

Research concerning acid-producing bacteria Thiobacillus is presented. The use of fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis in characterizing bacteria that is associated with acid mining wastes is described.

Research has been conducted on the coral-bleaching bacterium Vibrio shiloi. The mechanism of coral bacterial bleaching has been investigated.

Research concerning bacterial symbionts from the marine red algal genus Prionitis. The phylogenetic relationships of these symbionts have been investigated.

Research has been conducted on the malic enzyme present in Corynebacterium glutamicum. The cloning and sequencing of the malE gene from this bacterium has been carried out.

Research has been conducted on the cellulose digestion and bacterial and fungal numbers. The in vitro cellulose fermentation by rumen contents in the presence and absence of antibiotics is discussed.

Research has been conducted on the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria from the hypersaline lake in California. The PCR amplification of DNA extracted from the filtered water samples has been carried out.

Research has been conducted on the endosulfan-degrading mixed bacterial culture. The results of this culture enrichment from the soil with the endosulfan exposure history are discussed.

Research has been conducted on the Bacillus thuringiensis cry1Ac7 gene that shows activity against the sugarcane borer Eldana saccharina. The cloning of this gene under the tac promoter control has been carried out.

Research has been conducted on the tubeworm Riftia pachyptila. Results indicate that ammonia and nitrate elimination by R. pachyptila occurs at low rates.

Research has been conducted on the herbicide atrazine used in corn production. The isolation of bacterial strains that use this herbicide as a nitrogen source has been investigated.