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Objective: Mounting evidence has linked microbiome and metabolome to systemic autoimmunity and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a rare disease that shares features of immune‐related inflammatory diseases and CVDs, about which there is relatively limited information. This study was undertaken to characterize gut microbial dysbiosis and its crosstalk with phenotypes in TAK. Methods: To address the discriminatory signatures, we performed shotgun sequencing of fecal metagenome across a discovery cohort (n = 97) and an independent validation cohort (n = 75) including TAK patients, healthy controls, and controls with Behçet's disease (BD). Interrogation of untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics profiling of plasma and fecal samples were also used to refine features mediating associations between microorganisms and TAK phenotypes. Results: A combined model of bacterial species, including unclassified Escherichia, Veillonella parvula, Streptococcus parasanguinis, Dorea formicigenerans, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Lachnospiraceae bacterium 7 1 58FAA, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus salivarius, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lachnospiraceae Bacterium 5 1 63FAA, distinguished TAK patients from controls with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 87.8%, 85.9%, 81.1%, and 71.1% in training, test, and validation sets including healthy or BD controls, respectively. Diagnostic species were directly or indirectly (via metabolites or lipids) correlated with TAK phenotypes of vascular involvement, inflammation, discharge medication, and prognosis. External validation against publicly metagenomic studies (n = 184) on hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and healthy controls, confirmed the diagnostic accuracy of the model for TAK. Conclusion: This study first identifies the discriminatory gut microbes in TAK. Dysbiotic microbes are also linked to TAK phenotypes directly or indirectly via metabolic and lipid modules. Further explorations of the microbiome–metagenome interface in TAK subtype prediction and pathogenesis are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial cell factories reinvigorate current industries by producing complex fine chemicals at low costs. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is the main reducing power to drive the biosynthetic pathways in microorganisms. However, insufficient intrinsic NADPH limits the productivity of microorganisms. Here, we report that supplying microorganisms with long‐lived electrons from persistent phosphor mesoporous Al2O3 (meso‐Al2O3) can elevate the NADPH level to facilitate efficient fine chemical production. The defects in meso‐Al2O3 were demonstrated to be highly efficient in prolonging electrons' lifetime. The long‐lived electrons in meso‐Al2O3 can pass the material–microorganism interface and power the biosynthetic pathways of E. coli to produce jet fuel farnesene. This work represents a reliable strategy to design photo‐biosynthesis systems to improve the productivity of microorganisms with solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spoilage bacteria, which ubiquitously contribute to food spoilage, pose a global public health risk. In this study, we developed a centrifugal microfluidic chip integrating fluorogenic loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to detect six important spoilage bacteria: Bacillus cereus , Clostridium botulinum , Photobacterium phosphoreum , Pseudomonas putida , Streptococcus agalactiae , and Shewanella putrefaciens. The LAMP reaction components were pre-mixed (primers pre-embedded in each reaction chamber of the chip) and evenly pipetted into the two inlet holes, enabling the simultaneous analysis of six genetic targets from a single sample. This facilitates the automated detection of up to four samples simultaneously using a single chip. The LAMP reactions were conducted in a 5-μL volume at 65 °C for 60 min, achieving limits of detection ranging from 10−1 to 10−2 pg/μL of bacterial genomic DNA. Almost all coefficients of variation for time-to-positive values consistently remained under 10% when genomic DNA was used at concentrations within the limits of detection for the six bacteria. This demonstrated excellent reproducibility across replicates. The clinical sensitivity and specificity for field sample detection were 93.3% and 97.5%, respectively. This method offers ease of operation, rapid analysis, and minimal reagent usage and has great potential for the on-site detection of multiple spoilage bacteria. • We develop a fluorogenic LAMP assay integrated on a centrifugal microfluidic chip. • This assay enables parallel analysis of six genetic markers through two pipetting operations. • This assay detects six spoilage bacteria within 60 min with high specificity and sensitivity. • This assay is easy to operate and suitable for routine detection of multiple spoilage bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The floodplain ecosystem is crucial for facilitating or regulating regional ecological functions (biodiversity conservation, contamination filtration, soil erosion prevention, flood control and so on). The intensified use of floodplains may significantly influence the soil's potential to handle ecosystem functions by changing key biotic groups such as soil microbes. However, little is known about the response of soil microbial communities to land-use change in the floodplain. This study investigated the effect of land-use type on the community assembly process and co-occurrence network pattern of bacteria, fungi, and protists. Here, we investigated three land-use types: tender floodplain, farmland and fallow. We found that microbial composition and structure were more susceptible to land-use types rather than microbial diversity indexes. Microbial community structure was related to divergence in soil fertility. In tender floodplains and fallows, the contribution of stochastic processes to the assembly of bacteria, fungi and protist communities was higher than that of farmlands. Among the three land-use types, the tender floodplain had the most stable microbial network, whereas fallow had the least robust microbial network. Our results indicated that land-use types strongly affect soil microbial assembly processes and co-occurrence network patterns, which may provide a scientific foundation for sustainable management and conservation in floodplain ecosystems. • Land-use type influences the assembly of soil microbial communities. • The pattern of bacteria, fungi and protists varied according to the land-use type. • Tender floodplain has a more stable microbial network. • Fallow caused a decline in soil fertility and community stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]