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Staphylococcus epidermidis causes some of the most hard-to-treat clinical infections by forming biofilms: Multicellular communities of bacteria encased in a protective matrix, supporting immune evasion and tolerance against antibiotics. Biofilms occur most commonly on medical implants, and a key event in implant colonization is the robust adherence to the surface, facilitated by interactions between bacterial surface proteins and host matrix components. S. epidermidis is equipped with a giant adhesive protein, extracellular matrix-binding protein (Embp), which facilitates bacterial interactions with surface-deposited, but not soluble fibronectin. The structural basis behind this selective binding process has remained obscure. Using a suite of single-cell and single-molecule analysis techniques, we show that S. epidermidis is capable of such distinction because Embp binds specifically to fibrillated fibronectin on surfaces, while ignoring globular fibronectin in solution. S. epidermidis adherence is critically dependent on multivalent interactions involving 50 fibronectin-binding repeats of Embp. This unusual, Velcro-like interaction proved critical for colonization of surfaces under high flow, making this newly identified attachment mechanism particularly relevant for colonization of intravascular devices, such as prosthetic heart valves or vascular grafts. Other biofilm-forming pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, express homologs of Embp and likely deploy the same mechanism for surface colonization. Our results may open for a novel direction in efforts to combat devastating, biofilm-associated infections, as the development of implant materials that steer the conformation of adsorbed proteins is a much more manageable task than avoiding protein adsorption altogether.

Locally administrable drugs with controllable release on external cues hold great promise for antitumor therapy. Here, we report an injectable, supramolecular hydrogel (SHG), where the drug release can be controllably driven by near infrared (NIR) irradiation. The SHGs are formed by electrostatic interactions with LAPONITE® (XLG), in which upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) modified with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) are used as the core, and azobenzene quaternary ammonium salts (E-azo) are further assembled through host-guest interactions. The hydrogel demonstrates reversible phase transition between gel and sol states and photothermal conversion capability. In detailed in vitro and vivo trials, drug-loaded SHGs successfully suppressed invasion by cancer cells. Phase transitions that are regulated by NIR light and promote drug release using photothermal effects, highlighting the considerable potential of supramolecular hydrogels in anticancer therapies, especially for treatments requiring long-term, on-demand drug supply in clinics.

Water evaporation and steam production have been recognized to be considerably crucial due to the vast applications, ranging from waste water treatment, water purification, to alternative green energy solutions by water splitting, catalysis, and in-door heating. Albeit the big variety of photothermal conversion materials (PCMs) developed for this purpose, certain drawbacks, e.g. high cost, complicated synthesis, weak/narrow absorbance, bulkiness, and low evaporation rate, have hindered the application potential. Herein, we report the dual-phase molybdenum nitride nanorambutans, synthesized by a facile method, for solar steam generation. Not only the inherent properties, including strong full-spectrum absorbance, high-efficiency photothermal conversion, and super-hydrophilicity, benefit their water evaporation performance, the interconnected open mesopores of the nanorambutans further boost their capability of light harvesting and water/vapor transportation. Solar energy conversion efficiency of ∼97% under one sun together with excellent cycling stability has been demonstrated. In the desalination systems, integrating with the high salt rejection rate, the nanorambutans film can produce a water evaporation rate as high as ∼1.70 kg m −2 h −1 with an efficiency of ∼98%. Besides its compact size, the record-breaking water evaporation performance of these nanorambutans has exceeded the previous best inorganic PCM. This work introduces molybdenum nitride as a new PCM for efficient solar steam generation and all applications that can benefit from highly localized heating from nano to macro scale.

Staphylococcus epidermidis causes some of the most hard-to-treat clinical infections by forming biofilms: Multicellular communities of bacteria encased in a protective matrix, supporting immune evasion and tolerance against antibiotics. Biofilms occur most commonly on medical implants, and a key event in implant colonization is the robust adherence to the surface, facilitated by interactions between bacterial surface proteins and host matrix components. S. epidermidis is equipped with a giant adhesive protein, Embp, which facilitates bacterial interactions with surface-deposited, but not soluble fibronectin. The structural basis behind this selective binding process has remained obscure. Using a suite of single-cell and single-molecule analysis techniques, we show that S. epidermidis is capable of such distinction because Embp binds specifically to fibrillated fibronectin on surfaces, while ignoring globular fibronectin in solution. S. epidermidis adherence is critically dependent on multi-valent interactions involving 50 fibronectin-binding repeats of Embp. This unusual, Velcro-like interaction proved critical for colonization of surfaces under high flow, making this newly identified attachment mechanism particularly relevant for colonization of intravascular devices, such as prosthetic heart valves or vascular grafts. Other biofilm-forming pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, express homologs of Embp and likely deploy the same mechanism for surface colonization. Our results may open for a novel direction in efforts to combat devastating, biofilm-associated infections, as the development of implant materials that steer the conformation of adsorbed proteins is a much more manageable task than avoiding protein adsorption altogether.Graphical abstractFibronectin exists in two different conformations in the body. It circulates in the bodily fluids in globular conformation, however, it become fibrillated once adsorbed to an implant surface. S. epidermidis possess a giant 1 MDa receptor known as Embp bind specifically to fibrillated Fn but not to the globular Fn.

Solar steam generation (SSG) is a promising approach to address the global shortage of freshwater by seawater treatment, but commonly suffers from salt-accumulation related issues, drastically reducing the operational efficiency and lifetime of SSG systems. Herein, we propose a strategy for sustainable SSG from seawater, enabling powerful self-salt-discharge and self-water-pumping by constructing a closed loop between water and salt. As a result, besides an evaporation rate as high as 2.8 kg m-2 h-1 (under one sun), neither salt accumulation nor evaporation rate decline is observed upon long-term cycling of over one month or constant floating on seawater over eight months. Even upon continuous desalination in a highly concentrated solution (20 wt% NaCl) for over 400 h or under high-intensity irradiation for over 12 h, the high evaporation rate is successfully maintained. This work thus provides an effective solution for salt accumulation, addressing the top challenge for long-term sustainable desalination. This journal is

Pathogenic microbes cause infections and are excellent at adapting to the disinfection strategies that address their biochemistry. The growth in number of drug resistant superbugs is alarming, and has attracted attention to alternative solutions. In recent years, researchers have put effort into designing nanomaterials with activatable antimicrobial properties initiated by light irradiation. The underlying mechanisms of these nanomaterials' photoactivatable antimicrobial effect may vary from reactive oxygen species generation, to heat production or pH variation in procedures like photocatalysis, photodynamic therapy, photothermal lysis and photoinduced acidification. In this article, we review the photoactive nanomaterial solutions for fighting against microbial diseases, especially bacterial infections. This Review shines light on the fundamental principles, important developments, promising applications, and limitations of current technologies as well as open questions that these methods may answer or help to answer.

LiNbO3 (LN) crystal has been widely used as a pyroelectric material due to its spontaneous electric polarization, which could be recharged easily and can directly convert heat energy into electricity. LN crystal’s heat-resistant, low-cost, and low dielectric loss properties make it possible for its applications in room-temperature pyroelectric devices and thermal sensors. However, LN crystal suffers from fragility, inflexibility, and other mechanical properties, which limit its suitability for many applications in various fields. In this study, the LN modified flexible pyroelectric films, composed of LN micro-particles, polypropylene (PP) matrix, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), are successfully fabricated. The pyroelectric effects of LN crystal and LN/PP/MWCNT composite films are characterized by monitoring the patterned self-assembly of nanoparticles and the output pyroelectric currents. The excellent pyroelectric properties of the composites have potential applications in energy harvesters or sensors.

Transition metal selenides (TMSs) with excellent electrochemical activity and high intrinsic electrical conductivity have attracted considerable attention owing to their potential use in energy storage devices. However, the low energy densities of the reported TMSs, which originate from the small active surface area and poor electrolyte ion mobility, substantially restrict their application potential. In this work, porous ultrathin nickel selenide nanosheet networks (NiSe NNs) on nickel foam are fabricated by using a novel, facile method, that is, selenylation/pickling of the pre-formed manganese-doped α-Ni(OH) 2. Removal of Mn resulted in NNs with a highly porous structure. The 3D framework of the NNs and the inherent nature of the NiSe affords high ion mobility, abundant accessible activated sites, vigorous electrochemical activity, and low resistance. One of the highest specific capacities of TMSs ever reported, that is, 443 mA h g −1 (807 μAh cm −2) at 3.0 A g −1, is achieved with the NNs as electrodes. The assembled NiSe NNs//porous carbon hybrid supercapacitor delivers a high energy density of 66.6 Wh kg −1 at a power density of 425 W kg −1, with excellent cycling stability. This work provides a new strategy for the production of novel electrode materials that can be applied in high-performance hybrid supercapacitors, and a fresh pathway towards commercial applications of hybrid supercapacitors based on TMS electrodes.

Members of the candidate phylum Acetothermia are globally distributed and detected in various habitats. However, little is known about their physiology and ecological importance. In this study, an operational taxonomic unit belonging to Acetothermia was detected at high abundance in four full-scale anaerobic digesters by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The first closed genome from this phylum was obtained by differential coverage binning of metagenomes and scaffolding with long nanopore reads. Genome annotation and metabolic reconstruction suggested an anaerobic chemoheterotrophic lifestyle in which the bacterium obtains energy and carbon via fermentation of peptides, amino acids, and simple sugars to acetate, formate, and hydrogen. The morphology was unusual and composed of a central rod-shaped cell with bipolar prosthecae as revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. We hypothesize that these prosthecae allow for increased nutrient uptake by greatly expanding the cell surface area, providing a competitive advantage under nutrient-limited conditions.

LiNbO3 (LN) crystal has been widely used as a pyroelectric material due to its spontaneous electric polarization, which could be recharged easily and can directly convert heat energy into electricity. LN crystal’s heat-resistant, low-cost, and low dielectric loss properties make it possible for its applications in room-temperature pyroelectric devices and thermal sensors. However, LN crystal suffers from fragility, inflexibility, and other mechanical properties, which limit its suitability for many applications in various fields. In this study, the LN modified flexible pyroelectric films, composed of LN micro-particles, polypropylene (PP) matrix, and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), are successfully fabricated. The pyroelectric effects of LN crystal and LN/PP/MWCNT composite films are characterized by monitoring the patterned self-assembly of nanoparticles and the output pyroelectric currents. The excellent pyroelectric properties of the composites have potential applications in energy harvesters or sensors.

Fouling is a major concern for solid/liquid interfaces of materials used in different applications. One approach of fouling control is the use of hydrophilic polymer coatings made from poly-anions and poly-cations using the layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The authors hypothesized that the poly-anionic properties and the poly-phosphate backbone of DNA would provide anti-biofouling and anti-scaling properties. To this end, poly(ethyleneimine)/DNA LBL coatings against microbial and inorganic fouling were developed, characterized and evaluated. DNA LBL coatings reduced inorganic fouling from tap water by 90% when incubated statically or under flow conditions mimicking surfaces in heat exchangers. The coatings also impaired biofilm formation by 93% on stainless steel from tap water, and resulted in a 97% lower adhesion force and reduced initial attachment of the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on glass. This study demonstrates a proof of concept that LBL coatings with poly-anions harboring phosphate groups can address fouling in several applications.

Waterborne health issues continue to grow despite the large number of available solutions. Current sterilization techniques to fight with waterborne diseases struggle to meet the demands on cost, efficiency and reach. Effective alternatives are pressingly required. Here we introduce Prussian blue coated ferroferric oxide (Fe 3 O 4 @PB) composites for water sterilization. The composites exhibit superior photothermal inactivation of bacteria under solar-light irradiation, with nearly complete inactivation of bacterial cells in only 15 min. Even for the mixed bacteria in authentic water matrices, the composites show excellent bacterial inactivation performance. Moreover, the highly magnetized iron core of the Fe 3 O 4 @PB enables magnetic separation and recycling. Multiple cycle runs reveal that Fe 3 O 4 @PB composites have exceptional stability and reusability. This work demonstrates a scalable, low-cost, high-efficiency and reusable sterilization method to improve water quality and safety.

The development of polymer-based nanoparticles to ferry siRNA continues to evolve. It is becoming increasingly apparent that gene silencing nanoparticles produced by conventional bulk manufacturing techniques often exhibit physicochemical heterogeneity within and between batches that can affect the biological performance. Here a new facile and robust “chip-free” method is presented, termed chip-free agitation-generated droplets (CAD) preparation, using chitosan-based gene silencing nanoparticles as an example. The CAD-prepared silencing particles, in comparison to the particles prepared by the conventional bulk protocol, exhibit lower surface charge (9 mV vs 21 mV at N/P = 5), higher stability (≈40% higher binding affinity and up to 30% less morphological deformation), and are less prone to aggregation measured by nanoparticle tracking analysis over a period of one month. Furthermore, these physical attributes contribute up to 19% higher in cell viability at N/P = 5, while the gene silencing of enhanced green fluorescent protein remains constant in a human cell line. Control of particle properties is necessary to advance siRNA-based delivery; the CAD preparation represents a physical complement to chemical design modifications, which can be readily transferred among research labs and utilized for alternative polymer systems.

We studied podosome formation and development in activated monocytes (THP1) at ICAM1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) nanopatterns of circular and ring-shaped domains and show that cellular binding to a preclustered ICAM1 nanopattern requires ligand patches of at least 200 nm (corresponding to 14 or more integrins). Podosome-like adhesion formation depends on the structure of the ligand pattern under the developing podosome with larger single domains promoting adhesion in a single patch and multiple smaller domains allowing podosome formation by integration of at least 2 smaller domains on either side of the podosome core. Maturation to rosette structures and recruitment of proteases were only observed with macroscopic ICAM1 presentation.

Waterborne health issues continue to grow despite the large number of available solutions. Current sterilization techniques to fight with waterborne diseases struggle to meet the demands on cost, efficiency and reach. Effective alternatives are pressingly required. Here we introduce Prussian blue coated ferroferric oxide (Fe

Finegoldia magna, a Gram-positive anaerobic coccus, is an opportunistic pathogen, associated with medical device-related infections. F. magna is the only described species of the genus Finegoldia. We report the analysis of 17 genomes of Finegoldia isolates. Phylogenomic analyses showed that the Finegoldia population can be divided into two distinct clades, with an average nucleotide identity of 90.7%. One clade contains strains of F. magna, whereas the other clade includes more heterogeneous strains, hereafter tentatively named “Finegoldia nericia”. The latter species appears to be more abundant in the human microbiome. Surface structure differences between strains of F. magna and “F. nericia” were detected by microscopy. Strain-specific heterogeneity is high and previously identified host-interacting factors are present only in subsets of “F. nericia” and F. magna strains. However, all genomes encode multiple host factor-binding proteins such as albumin-, collagen-, and immunoglobulin-binding proteins, and two to four copies of CAMP (Christie-Atkins-Munch-Petersen) factors; in accordance, most strains show a positive CAMP reaction for co-hemolysis. Our work sheds new light of the genus Finegoldia and its ability to bind host components. Future research should explore if the genomic differences identified here affect the potential of different Finegoldia species and strains to cause opportunistic infections.

Background: Exosomes have been implicated in tumour progression and metastatic spread. Little is known of the effect of mechanical and innate immune interactions of malignant cell-derived exosomes on endothelial integrity, which may relate to increased extravasation of circulating tumour cells and, therefore, increased metastatic spread.Methods: Exosomes isolated from non-malignant immortalized HCV-29 and isogenic malignant non-metastatic T24 and malignant metastatic FL3 bladder cells were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis and quantitative nanomechanical mapping atomic force microscopy (QNM AFM) to determine size and nanomechanical properties. Effect of HCV-29, T24 and FL3 exosomes on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayer integrity was determined by transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements and transport was determined by flow cytometry. Complement activation studies in human serum of malignant and non-malignant cell-derived exosomes were performed.Results: FL3, T24 and HCV-29 cells produced exosomes at similar concentration per cell (6.64, 6.61 and 6.46×104 exosomes per cell for FL3, T24 and HCV-29 cells, respectively) and of similar size (120.2 nm for FL3, 127.6 nm for T24 and 117.9 nm for HCV-29, respectively). T24 and FL3 cell-derived exosomes exhibited a markedly reduced stiffness, 95 MPa and 280 MPa, respectively, compared with 1,527 MPa with non-malignant HCV-29 cell-derived exosomes determined by QNM AFM. FL3 and T24 exosomes induced endothelial disruption as measured by a decrease in TEER in HUVEC monolayers, whereas no effect was observed for HCV-29 derived exosomes. FL3 and T24 exosomes traffic more readily (11.6 and 21.4% of applied exosomes, respectively) across HUVEC monolayers than HCV-29 derived exosomes (7.2% of applied exosomes). Malignant cell-derived exosomes activated complement through calcium-sensitive pathways in a concentration-dependent manner.Conclusions: Malignant (metastatic and non-metastatic) cell line exosomes display a markedly reduced stiffness and adhesion but an increased complement activation compared to non-malignant cell line exosomes, which may explain the observed increased endothelial monolayer disruption and transendothelial transport of these vesicles.Keywords: metastatic cell-derived exosomes; extracellular vesicles; endothelial disruption; complement activation; extravasation; nanomechanical properties(Published: 25 December 2015)Citation: Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2015, 4: 29685 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jev.v4.29685To access the supplementary material to this article, please see Supplementary files under ‘Article Tools’.

Nickel-based alloy catalysts are promising candidates to replace noble metal materials for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but the performance of the alloy systems still needs to be improved to effectively substitute noble metal catalysts, such as platinum. Here we report a detailed study of the controlled deposition of NiMoZn ternary alloy electrocatalysts and we subsequently investigate the influence of chemical composition on the HER reactivity. We have identified the essential role of Zn for boosting the intrinsic electrocatalytic performance and revealed the optimum Zn concentration in the alloy. While the low concentration of Zn facilitates the charge transfer process, massive Zn deposition in the alloy results in a strong inhibition of proton adsorption on the surface of the electrocatalysts. The NiMoZn alloy electrocatalyst with a Zn concentration of 1–3 at% shows an extremely high activity for HER, which is significantly higher than that of most non-noble metal electrocatalysts. Moreover, the alloy with 2 at% of Zn exhibits an excellent stability in acid conditions, featuring the NiMoZn alloy a promising candidate to replace noble metal electrocatalyst for water splitting process.

Members of the candidate phylum Acetothermia are globally distributed and detected in various habitats. However, little is known about their physiology and ecological importance. In this study, an OTU belonging to Acetothermia was detected at high abundance in two full-scale anaerobic digesters. The first closed genome from this phylum was obtained by differential coverage binning of metagenomes and scaffolding with nanopore data. Genome annotation and metabolic reconstruction suggested an anaerobic chemoheterotrophic lifestyle in which the bacterium obtain energy and carbon via fermentation of peptides, amino acids, and simple sugars to acetate, formate, and hydrogen. The morphology was unusual and composed of a central rod-shaped cell with bipolar prosthecae as revealed by fluorescencein situhybridization combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We hypothesize that these prosthecae allow for increased nutrient uptake by greatly expanding the cell surface area, providing a competitive advantage under nutrient-limited conditions.

The ability to 'see' down to nanoscale has always been one of the most challenging obstacles for researchers to address fundamental questions. For many years, researchers have been developing scanning probe microscopy techniques to improve imaging capability at nanoscale. Among them, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has received considerable attention, which allows probing topography of biological species at real space under physiological environment. Importantly, force measurements in AFM enable researchers to reveal not only the topography but also the relevant physical-chemical properties. AFM-based dynamic nanomechanical mapping (DNM) provides insights into the functions of biological systems by the interpretation of 'force', which are inaccessible by most of the other analytic techniques. This review is aiming to shed light on these recently developed AFM-based DNM techniques for biomolecular imaging, and discuss the relative applications in biological research from the nanomechanical point of view.

Fe2O3/graphene was synthesized successfully by a super critical CO2-assisted thermal method and further made into paper-like nanosheets by directed-flow, vertical assembly of individual Fe2O3/graphene nanosheets under a controlled magnetic field. Characterization of the samples was carried out by both electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sensor materials outperform many other paper-like materials for H2S gas detection. In addition, vertically and horizontally aligned nanosheets were used as sensing materials to detect H2S gas along with chemiluminescence measurements. Importantly, the nanoscale Fe2O3/graphene sheets with the vertical arrangement are more beneficial than the nanosheets with the horizontal arrangement in terms of sensitivity.

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DNA origami has been used to orchestrate reactions with nano-precision using a variety of biomolecules. Here, the dynamics of albumin-assisted, localized single-molecule DNA polymerization by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase on a 2D DNA origami are monitored using AFM in liquid. Direct visualization of the surface activity revealed the mechanics of growth.

MIL-68 (In) nano-rods were prepared by a facile solvothermal synthesis using NaOAc as modulator agent at 100 degrees C for 30 min. The BET test showed that the specific surface area and pore volume of MIL-68 (In) nanorods were 1252 m(2) g(-1) and 0.80 cm(3) g(-1), respectively. The as-prepared MIL-68 (In) nanorods showed excellent adsorption capacity and rapid adsorption rate for removal of Congo red (CR) dye from water. The maximum adsorption capacity of MIL-68 (In) nanorods toward CR reached 1204 mg g(-1), much higher than MIL-68 (In) microrods and most of the previously reported adsorbents. The adsorption process of CR by MIL-68 (In) nano-rods was investigated and found to be obeying the Langmuir adsorption model in addition to pseudo-second-order rate equation. Moreover, the MIL-68 (In) nanorods showed an acceptable reusability after regeneration with ethanol. All information gives an indication that the as-prepared MIL-68 (In) nanorods show their potential as the adsorbent for highly efficient removal of CR in wastewater. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The environmental crisis due to greenhouse gas CO2 emissions is motivating researchers to discover new materials and efficient technologies for CO2 capture and conversion. In this work, density functional theory (DFT) has been employed to investigate the surface curvature dependence of the adsorption and (electro) reduction of CO2 on SiC nanomaterials, including single layer SiC sheets and nanotubes. The DFT calculations show that both the adsorption energy and reduction free energy decrease with the decrease of the curvature of SiC nanotubes. SiC nanotubes with suitable curvature can capture and reduce CO2 effectively. However a single layer SiC sheet (without curvature) cannot adsorb CO2 at all. These findings are particularly relevant to generate fuels with a carbon-neutral footprint.

Production of one dimensional nanomaterials with secondary morphology exhibiting unique functions is challenging. Here we report for the first time that a nanoscale immiscible polymer blend solution electrojet can assemble into ultraporous interweaving microfibers. This intriguingly novel morphology originated from a blend of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) in a DCM-DMF mixed solution when the ratio between each component reached a threshold and when the electrospinning parameters were delicately controlled. The morphology, crystallinity, surface chemistry and wettabilities were characterized to understand the mechanism of formation. The interplay of the two semi-crystalline polymers and the pair of solvents/non-solvents with the electrospinning processing parameters was found to be critical for the formation of the unique structure. Furthermore, the interesting combination of biocompatible, biodegradable PCL with protein-resistant PEO motivated us to assess its inflammation responses on the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. All fibers were found to be biocompatible with low inflammation potential upon incubation, while compared with pure PCL nanofibers; the unique interweaving microfibers induced a slightly higher inflammatory reaction.

Members of the candidate phylum Acetothermia are globally distributed and detected in various habitats. However, little is known about their physiology and ecological importance. We recently discovered an operational taxonomic unit (OTU) belonging to Acetothermia that were at high abundance in four full-scale anaerobic digesters by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Using differential coverage binning of metagenomes and scaffolding with long nanopore reads we were able to close the first genome from this phylum. Genome annotation and metabolic reconstruction suggested an anaerobic chemoheterotrophic lifestyle in which the bacterium obtain energy and carbon via fermentation of peptides, amino acids, and simple sugars to acetate, formate, and hydrogen. Fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed an unusual morphology composed of a central rod-shaped cell with bipolar prosthecae. We hypothesize that these prosthecae allow for increased nutrient uptake by greatly expanding the cell surface area, providing a competitive advantage under nutrient-limited conditions. Background: Bacteria from the candidate phylum Acetothermia (OP1) are globally dispersed and occupy many diverse habitats (see figure to the right). However, little is known about their physiology and ecology. We previously observed that Acetothermia bacteria were the most abundant bacteria in the metagenome from an anaerobic digester.Aim: To learn more about their abundance, morphology, and physiological and ecological function.