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A novel virulent bacteriophage, φAbp2, infecting multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii was isolated from the wastewater of a sewage management centre at Southwest Hospital, China. Transmission electron microscopy and phylogenetic analysis revealed that φAbp2 belongs to the subfamily Peduovirinae. A one-step growth curve demonstrated that φAbp2 had a latent period of 15 min, a lysis period of 35 min, and a burst size of 222 particles per infected host cell. Moreover, φAbp2 showed a relatively broad host range in local A. baumannii, and it also exhibited tolerance over a wider range of thermal and pH conditions. Genomic sequencing revealed that φAbp2 has a circular double-stranded DNA genome with no sequence similarity to our previously isolated φAbp1. Eighty-eight putative open reading frames (ORFs) encoding 41 proteins of known function and 47 of unknown function were identified, and the G/C content was 37.84%. φAbp2 is a new member of the subfamily Peduovirinae of the family Myoviridae. Its genome sequence is very similar to that of the A. baumannii phage LZ35. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amaranth red is usually used as a food colorant in carbonated drinks, but long-term excess consumption of amaranth red in carbonated drinks may lead to the loss of zinc in the human body, thus causing kidney dysfunction. In this study, we developed a simple method to combine cysteamine (Cys) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), the surface of AgNPs was modified with Cys at room temperature, and then the amino-functionalized SERS substrate was obtained, which was applied to the determination of amaranth red in carbonated drinks. The characteristic peak in Raman spectra of amaranth red showed obvious SERS enhancement at 1570 cm−1, whose intensity had a good linear relationship with the concentration of amaranth red in carbonated drinks. The limits of detection (LOD) in water and carbonated drinks were calculated to be 1.49 μg/L and 4.13 μg/L, and the adjusted correlation coefficients (R2) were 0.992 and 0.990, respectively. In addition, the average recovery rate of amaranth red in carbonated drinks was 95.11–105.48%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 4.37–8.09%. This work provides a simple and fast method for detecting amaranth red in carbonated drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has spread globally and emerged as an urgent public health threat. Bacteriophages are considered an effective weapon against multidrug-resistant pathogens. In this study, we report a novel lytic phage, kpssk3, which is able to lyse CRKP and degrade exopolysaccharide (EPS). The morphological characteristics of kpssk3 observed by transmission electron microscopy, including a polyhedral head and a short tail, indicate that it belongs to the family Podoviridae. A one-step growth curve revealed that kpssk3 has a latent period of 10 min and a burst size of 200 plaque-forming units (pfu) per cell. kpssk3 was able to lyse 25 out of 27 (92.59%) clinically isolated CRKP strains, and it also exhibited high stability to changes in temperature and pH. kpssk3 has a linear dsDNA genome of 40,539 bp with 52.80% G+C content and 42 putative open reading frames (ORFs). No antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, or integrases were identified in the genome. Based on bioinformatic analysis, the tail fiber protein of phage kpssk3 was speculated to possess depolymerase activity towards EPS. By comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis, it was determined that kpssk3 is a new T7-like virus and belongs to the subfamily Autographivirinae. The characterization and genomic analysis of kpssk3 will promote our understanding of phage biology and diversity and provide a potential strategy for controlling CRKP infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysoidine, an industrial dye, is a banned chemical for use as a food additive. Studies have shown that excessive ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact with the substance can cause acute and chronic toxicological damage. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a spectroscopic detection technique with high selectivity and sensitivity. In this study, a mixture of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) was used as the SERS substrate at room temperature for the rapid and sensitive detection of Chrysoidine in mirinda soft drink, and PEI could attract Chrysoidine to the hot spot region of the AgNPs and enhance its Raman signal. The characteristic peak of the SERS spectrum of Chrysoidine showed obvious SERS enhancement at 1180 cm− 1, and there was a good linear relationship between the SERS intensity and the concentration of Chrysoidine. The limits of detection (LOD) in both water and mirinda soft drink were determined to be 1.32 µg/L and 5.11 µg/L, respectively. In addition, the average recoveries ranged from 95.65 to 102.08% with the RSDs of 3.41-5.02%. The method can be successfully used for the rapid and sensitive detection of Chrysoidine in mirinda soft drink, which provides a new idea for the detection of Chrysoidine in other different samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]