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61. Bacterially enhanced plant‐growing media for controlled environment agriculture.

Author

Van Gerrewey, Thijs, Navarrete, Oscar, Vandecruys, Maarten, Perneel, Maaike, Boon, Nico, and Geelen, Danny

Subjects
PLANT growing media, HYDROPONICS, BACTERIAL diversity, BACTERIAL communities, LETTUCE, VERTICAL farming, AGRICULTURE, MICROBIAL communities, MICROBIAL diversity
Abstract

Microbe–plant interactions in the root zone not only shape crop performance in soil but also in hydroponic cultivation systems. The biological and physicochemical properties of the plant‐growing medium determine the root‐associated microbial community and influence bacterial inoculation effectiveness, which affects plant growth. This study investigated the combined impact of plant‐growing media composition and bacterial community inoculation on the root‐associated bacterial community of hydroponically grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Ten plant‐growing media were composed of varying raw materials, including black peat, white peat, coir pith, wood fibre, composted bark, green waste compost, perlite and sand. In addition, five different bacterial community inocula (BCI S1–5) were collected from the roots of lettuce obtained at different farms. After inoculation and cultivation inside a vertical farm, lettuce root‐associated bacterial community structures, diversity and compositions were determined by evaluating 16S rRNA gene sequences. The study revealed distinct bacterial community structures among experimental replicates, highlighting the influence of raw material variations on root‐associated bacterial communities, even at the batch level. However, bacterial community inoculation allowed modulation of the root‐associated bacterial communities independently from the plant‐growing medium composition. Bacterial diversity was identified as a key determinant of plant growth performance with green waste compost introducing Bacilli and Actinobacteria, and bacterial community inoculum S3 introducing Pseudomonas, which positively correlated with plant growth. These findings challenge the prevailing notion of hydroponic cultivation systems as sterile environments and highlight the significance of proper plant‐growing media raw material selection and bacterial community inoculation in shaping root‐associated microbiomes that provide stability through microbial diversity. This study supports the concept of creating bacterially enhanced plant‐growing media to promote plant growth in controlled environment agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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65. Probiotics for oral health: do they deliver what they promise?

Author

Van Holm, Wannes, primary, Lauwens, Katalina, additional, De Wever, Pieter, additional, Schuermans, Art, additional, Zayed, Naiera, additional, Pamuk, Ferda, additional, Saghi, Mehraveh, additional, Fardim, Pedro, additional, Bernaerts, Kristel, additional, Boon, Nico, additional, and Teughels, Wim, additional

Published
2023
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66. Electrochemically assisted production of biogenic palladium nanoparticles for the catalytic removal of micropollutants in wastewater treatment plants effluent

Author

Law, Cindy Ka Y, primary, Kundu, Kankana, additional, Bonin, Luiza, additional, Peñacoba-Antona, Lorena, additional, Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo, additional, Vanhaecke, Frank, additional, Rabaey, Korneel, additional, Esteve-Núñez, Abraham, additional, De Gusseme, Bart, additional, and Boon, Nico, additional

Published
2023
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80. Full-electric microfluidic platform to capture, analyze and selectively release single cells.

Author

Van den Eeckhoudt, Ruben, Christiaens, An-Sofie, Ceyssens, Frederik, Vangalis, Vasileios, Verstrepen, Kevin J., Boon, Nico, Tavernier, Filip, Kraft, Michael, and Taurino, Irene

Subjects
MICROFLUIDIC devices, SORTING devices, IMPEDANCE spectroscopy, HIGH voltages, SACCHAROMYCES cerevisiae, CELL size
Abstract

Current single-cell technologies require large and expensive equipment, limiting their use to specialized labs. In this paper, we present for the first time a microfluidic device which demonstrates a combined method for full-electric cell capturing, analyzing, and selectively releasing with single-cell resolution. All functionalities are experimentally demonstrated on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our microfluidic platform consists of traps centered around a pair of individually accessible coplanar electrodes, positioned under a microfluidic channel. Using this device, we validate our novel Two-Voltage method for trapping single cells by positive dielectrophoresis (pDEP). Cells are attracted to the trap when a high voltage (VH) is applied. A low voltage (VL) holds the already trapped cell in place without attracting additional cells, allowing full control over the number of trapped cells. After trapping, the cells are analyzed by broadband electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. These measurements allow the detection of single cells and the extraction of cell parameters. Additionally, these measurements show a strong correlation between average phase change and cell size, enabling the use of our system for size measurements in biological applications. Finally, our device allows selectively releasing trapped cells by turning off the pDEP signal in their trap. The experimental results show the techniques potential as a full-electric single-cell analysis tool with potential for miniaturization and automation which opens new avenues towards small-scale, high throughput single-cell analysis and sorting lab-on-CMOS devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2023
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86. The effects of cyanobacterial biofilms on water transport and retention of natural building stones

Author

Schroer, Laurenz, De Kock, Tim, Godts, Sebastiaan, Boon, Nico, Cnudde, Veerle, Environmental hydrogeology, Hydrogeology, Environmental hydrogeology, and Hydrogeology

Subjects
EXOPOLYSACCHARIDES, Economics, BIODETERIORATION, Physics, Geography, Planning and Development, SOIL CRUSTS, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), Earth and Environmental Sciences, PRECIPITATION, biofouling, LIMESTONE, MONUMENTS, weathering, Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous), biodeterioration, BIODIVERSITY, DETERIORATION, heritage conservation, PHOTOTROPHIC BIOFILMS, WETTABILITY, Engineering sciences. Technology, Earth-Surface Processes
Abstract

Water affects the susceptibility of stone to alteration by facilitating physical, chemical and biological weathering. Stone properties determine water transport and retention, but it is also expected that biofilms and extracellular polymeric substances could alter the water-stone relationship. A lot of research on this subject has been carried out on soils, but the effect on stones is understudied. For this reason, three sedimentary building stones, Ernzen, Euville and Savonnieres, each with a different pore size distribution, were biofouled with cyanobacteria. Their relationship with the stone material was investigated by optical and electron microscopy, and the effect of cyanobacterial biofilms on water transport and retention was studied. The results showed that the cyanobacteria primarily colonize the building stones on the outer surface and have a limited effect on the water transport properties. They slightly reduced the capillary coefficient and drying rate of the stones, but enhanced the water content in the stone and increased water vapour sorption. They induced (near) hydrophobic conditions, but had no measurable effect on the gas permeability and water vapour diffusion. Moreover, swelling and shrinkage of the biofilms were observed, which could potentially induce physical weathering. It is expected that these changes could influence other forms of weathering, such as freeze-thaw weathering and salt weathering.

Published
2022

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