Dietary energy levels typically influence the structure and functional profile of the gastrointestinal microbial community. In this study, thirty 6-month-old Small-tailed Han (STH) sheep were randomly divided into three groups and fed corn-based diets with different energy levels for 150 days. Jejunal contents were then collected and analyzed using metagenomic sequencing to assess microbial alpha diversity and taxonomic composition. Functional annotation and enrichment analysis were performed using the KEGG database. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and alpha diversity indices (Chao1, Shannon, Simpson and good coverage) revealed no significant changes in the overall structure or macro-ecological characteristics of the jejunal microbial community in response to dietary energy levels. At the phylum level, Bacillota was the absolutely dominant phylum, while at the genus level, Methanobrevibacter was the most abundant genus. The abundances of these core microbial taxa did not differ significantly among groups. However, KEGG functional enrichment analysis revealed significant differences in microbial functions between groups. The low-energy group exhibited enrichment in pathways related to energy deficiency and stress adaptation, whereas the high-energy group showed significant enrichment in pathways associated with active growth and anabolic metabolism. In conclusion, although dietary energy levels did not significantly alter the microbial community structure in the jejunum of STH sheep, they profoundly influenced its functional potential. These findings suggest that dietary energy may modulate host nutrient acquisition and health status by regulating the functional characteristics of the jejunal microbiota.

Analysis of Microbial Community Structure and Dynamic Changes during the Domestication Process of Embedded Particles

Integrated fertilization using reduced chemical fertilizers and bio-organic fertilizers can maintain soil fertility with lower chemical inputs, yet its systemic effects on disease control, soil microbes, yield, and quality are not fully clear. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Z2 and Trichoderma harzianum T22, alone or combined, on suppressing Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum) and promoting cucumber growth in pot experiments; and (2) assess the field efficacy of reduced chemical fertilizer (75% N) plus microbial bio-organic fertilizer (25% N) for disease control, growth enhancement, and yield and quality improvement. To achieve these objectives, pot experiments were first conducted, followed by field experiments. Pot results indicated that individual and combined inoculants notably decreased the disease index (DI) by 40.48–68.75%, and significantly increased cucumber fresh shoot biomass by 16.86–26.75%, with the combined inoculants exhibiting the greatest effect. Field experiments indicated that the synthetic microbial bio-fertilizer has a greater advantage in promoting cucumber growth and disease suppression compared to a single bacterial bio-organic fertilizer. Specifically, the application of combined bio-fertilizers exhibited the best performance in decreasing cucumber DI by 51.54%, improving cucumber fresh shoot biomass by 12.19%, and enhancing cucumber yield by 21.02%, along with significantly improving fruit vitamin C content by 21.17% and increasing fruit total amino acids by 26.23% compared with the control. Rhizosphere soil analysis revealed that the application of combined bio-fertilizers enriched beneficial bacterial families (JG30-KF-AS9 and Sphingomonadaceae) and fungal genera (Chaetomiaceae and Condenascus) with known biocontrol functions and suppressed the proliferation of Fusarium. Overall, the integrated use of reduced chemical fertilizer combined with synthetic bio-organic fertilizer effectively suppresses cucumber wilt, optimizes microbial community structure, and improves cucumber yield and quality, furnishing a valuable foundation for microbial-assisted sustainable crop production.

Phytoplankton community structure and its response to environmental factors in the cascade hydropower stations of the lower Jinsha River.

Water Partnerships empower stakeholders to support locally-led decision making around the motivation, form, and sustainable management of a safe water system. While partnerships can support the long-term success of water systems, the forms of such partnerships are not yet well understood. This study learned about creating Water Partnerships from hundreds of water leaders on four continents: (1) who needs to be involved, (2) what are the roles of various partners, and (3) what tools ensure that everyone is confident and able to participate? Stakeholders and their roles are identified and recommendations are shared for each of eight steps in a participatory water process from ignition through participatory design, construction, and operations. Essential tasks involved aligning project goals, establishing roles and responsibilities, selecting a locally-appropriate water system design, developing a water action plan including financial management, operations and maintenance, accountability, and training for water leaders. These findings are critically assessed in the context of participatory frameworks including the Ladder of Citizen Participation. The appropriate level of citizen participation varied throughout the process: values-based decisions were made by community members, whereas informed decisions of science, health or operational nature were mostly taken after consultation with outside experts. Participants reported that participatory processes expanded their impacts by “multiplying ourselves into other community structures”. Effective partnerships require trust, which may be built through transparency, revealing one’s interests, and the ability to listen. The Water Partnerships approach is underlined by the quote: “ People understand their water challenges, and they know their water solutions too ,” which highlights the need to listen, to empower, and to integrate local knowledge.

Natural gas represents a pivotal transitional clean energy resource, and biogenic coalbed methane (CBM) is ubiquitously distributed in coal reservoirs worldwide. In the context of carbon neutrality targets and the growing demand for large-scale commercial CBM exploitation, innovative technological solutions are urgently required. CBM bioengineering aims to substantially enhance CBM production by stimulating biomethane generation, promoting gas desorption, and improving reservoir permeability, while simultaneously enabling effective CO2 sequestration. The potential for biomethane generation is largely governed by the intrinsic physicochemical characteristics of coal, including aromatic structures, maceral composition, and pore–fracture architecture. In addition, hydrogeological conditions—such as geothermal gradients, pH variability, and redox potential—play critical roles in regulating microbial functional gene expression and metabolic enzyme synthesis. Core pretreatment strategies in coalbed gas bioengineering can be broadly classified into approaches that enhance coal bioconversion potential and those that optimize functional microbial consortia. Electric fields and conductive materials can influence microbial community structure by enriching electroactive microorganisms and facilitating interspecies electron transfer. In addition to engineered conductive interventions, reservoir environmental conditions also play an important role in shaping methanogenic community structure. Experimental observations under reservoir-relevant CO2 pressure and temperature conditions indicate that deep coalbed environments are associated with shifts in methanogenic community composition, including an increased relative abundance of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. These observations suggest that physicochemical conditions in deep coal seams may favor hydrogen-dependent CO2 reduction pathways, thereby supporting hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and contributing to biomethane generation. The integration of supercritical CO2 with microbially acclimated stimulation fluids as an innovative reservoir fracturing strategy offers multiple advantages, including effective reservoir stimulation, permanent carbon sequestration, and sustainable biomethane generation. Future research should focus on modulating coal matrix bioavailability, optimizing microbial consortia, enhancing interspecies metabolic synergies, and advancing carbon fixation bioprocesses to facilitate the large-scale implementation of coalbed gas bioengineering systems. This review synthesizes recent advances in microbially mediated CBM enhancement and CO2 sequestration, with a particular focus on field-scale evidence and the key challenges that must be addressed for large-scale implementation.

Background: Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis serves as a preclinical model for studying gut dysbiosis and inflammation relevant to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its long-term complication of colorectal cancer (CRC). Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) extract, rich in betalains, polyphenols, and nitrates, exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated beetroot extract’s effects on gut microbiota composition and predicted functional pathways in DSS-induced colitis. Methods: Male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control (water), DSS-only, beetroot 250 mg/kg + DSS, and beetroot 500 mg/kg + DSS. Beetroot extract was administered orally for 14 days prior to and during DSS exposure. Gut microbial profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing, while microbial diversity, community structure, and predicted metabolic functions were evaluated using Shannon, Chao1, PCoA, PERMANOVA, and PICRUSt2 analyses. Results: DSS administration significantly reduced body weight, microbial diversity, and Bacteroidota abundance, while increasing Proteobacteria and Desulfobacterota—a classic colitis-associated dysbiosis signature. Beetroot supplementation restored body weight and microbial balance in a dose-dependent manner, with the 500 mg/kg group showing near-complete normalization of the microbiota. Functional predictions revealed the upregulation of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and amino acid pathways, and suppression of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Identified phytochemicals, including betanin, ferulic acid, and rutin, were associated with antioxidant and prebiotic activities that support microbial restoration. Conclusions: Beetroot extract mitigates DSS-induced gut dysbiosis and inflammation by enhancing microbial diversity, restoring SCFA-associated taxa, and promoting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways. These findings highlight beetroot as a promising natural dietary intervention for colitis and microbiome-associated intestinal disorders.

Coastal marine ecosystems are key components of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning but have been increasingly degraded by human activities. One of the most severe environmental disasters in Brazil occurred in November 2015, when the Fundão tailings dam collapsed in Mariana (Minas Gerais), releasing approximately 40 million m3 of iron ore waste into the Rio Doce basin and adjacent coastal environments. To evaluate the long-term biological consequences of this event, we analyzed the taxonomic composition and diversity of marine communities using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding from sediment cores collected in 2018 across three coastal sectors-Front (mouth of the Doce River), North, and South. A total of 761,517 reads generated 11,061 unique amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) assigned to 148 taxa revealing significant spatial variation in taxonomic (species-level) composition and diversity indices (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 16.55; p = 0.047). The South region exhibited the highest species richness (q₀ = 103 taxa), followed by the North (97) and Front (70). Cluster and SIMPER analyses indicated two distinct biological assemblages: (1) the Front region, dominated by diatoms (Mediophyceae, Bacillariophyceae) and protists tolerant to metal enrichment, and (2) the North-South regions, characterized by higher evenness and presence of benthic invertebrates such as Holothuroidea and nematodes (Desmodorida). Species abundance distribution (SAD) models differed among areas, reflecting ecological gradients associated with the dispersal and chronic accumulation of mining residues. These results demonstrate a persistent imbalance in marine communities near the Doce River mouth, suggesting that the legacy of historical contamination and the Fundão dam failure continues to shape benthic biodiversity patterns more than three years after the disaster.

Biodegradation of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol in continuous cropping field: Impacts on sustainable cultivation of Liliumbrownii.

Allicin, a bioactive sulfur compound from garlic known for its antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties, was evaluated in this study for its effects on growth, antioxidant activity, gut microbiota, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in Trachidermus fasciatus. Fish were administered allicin at concentrations of 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg, and 300mg/kg. The 200mg/kg allicin group had significantly higher WGR, LGR, and SGR than the control group. Hepatic SOD and LZM activities were also higher in the 200mg/kg group. Metagenomics showed that allicin altered the gut microbiota composition, decreased the diversity, and altered the community structure. Allicin-treated fish had significantly reduced levels of potentially damaging bacteria, including Pseudomonas and Vibrio species. The ARGs showed that genes associated with multidrug resistance, including specific subtypes, were markedly reduced in the 200mg/kg allicin-treated fish. The control group had a markedly decreased number of genes resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Allicin reduced the number of genes resistant to rpoB2 and mdtC, suggesting the potential for antibiotic resistance. Network analysis of co-occurrence patterns showed that genes resistant to multiple drugs, tetracyclines, and peptides were prevalent, with most possible potential host taxa belonging to Ascomycota and Firmicutes. These results indicate the importance of allicin for fish health as a sustainable alternative to antibiotic resistance and provide a viable alternative to antibiotic resistance for fish farming.

Biochar-immobilized microorganisms drive removal and transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in soil: Efficiency and microbial succession dynamics.

Effects of microsized and nanosized polystyrene on detrital processing and nutrient dynamics in streams.

Functional diversity as an early indicator of anthropogenic disturbances on insular sandy beaches within a protected area network.

Strain-specific metabolic endpoints and predictive phase classification in gnotobiotic kimchi fermentation.

Industrial-scale application of bacteriophages on baby spinach: One-year study of Listeria control, quality and microbial community shifts.

Zinc-containing PVC microplastics reduce soil microbial activity and alter community structure in the plastisphere following UV-induced weathering.

Comparative microbial responses and degradation characteristics of petroleum-based and biodegradable chainsaw lubricants in forest soils impacted by timber harvesting.

Associations between Ocular Surface Microbiome and Refractive Status in Children and Adolescents.

Tropical peatlands are critical ecosystems that provide habitat for biodiversity and store large amounts of carbon, yet they are increasingly degraded due to land-use conversion, drainage, and recurrent fires. This study examined vegetation structure and species composition along a canal-distance gradient (10-350 m across three peatland land-use types: rubber plantation, secondary forest, and burned peatland. Vegetation surveys were conducted using 40 nested plots covering four growth strata (trees, poles, saplings/shrubs, and seedlings/herbs). Community structure was analyzed using the Importance Value Index (IVI), Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H′), Margalef’s richness index (DMg), Pielou’s evenness index (E), and Simpson’s dominance index (C). Differences in environmental parameters among land-use types were tested using one-way ANOVA (p<0.05). Secondary forests exhibited the highest species richness and diversity with balanced structural complexity, whereas rubber plantations showed simplified communities dominated by Hevea brasiliensis. Burned peatlands were characterized by pioneer tree species and dense fern understorey, indicating successional arrest. Secondary forests had higher biodiversity than rubber plantations, which in turn had higher biodiversity than burned peatlands. These findings highlight that land-use intensity, canal proximity, and fire history jointly regulate vegetation dynamics in tropical peatlands and highlight the importance of forest conservation, plantation diversification, and restoration through rewetting and enrichment planting.

The biodiversity of lake ecosystems is partly shaped by a variety of local environmental factors that collectively form the lake's waterscape. These factors range from in-lake variables, such as the structure of habitats and aquatic communities, and the physical and chemical conditions of the water, to variables related to lake geomorphology, lake compartments and history (e.g., lake morphometry, habitat identity, and origin), as well as out-lake landscape-scale factors, such as catchment and land use properties and climate. Here, we investigated the interplay of multiple in-lake and out-lake environmental factors on the functional and taxonomic diversity of zooplankton across 98 tropical lakes spanning an area of approximately 36,000 km2. Through a regression tree and random forest analysis, we verified the importance of several factors on the taxonomic and functional diversity of zooplankton. Lake perimeter-to-lake volume ratio, together with variables related to land use in the surrounding areas and in the catchment, were decisive for interactively determining the taxonomic and functional diversity of the zooplankton community. The high connectivity and susceptibility of the environments to external input together with high precipitation, and consequently greater input of allochthonous material into the lakes, negatively impacted zooplankton diversity. We observed that biodiversity responses to multiple in-lake and out-lake factors can be complex. Functional diversity measures were effective in detecting the effects of ultimate factors that operate at larger scales, especially out-lake factors. Taxonomic diversity measures were relevant in detecting the interactive effects of both out-lake and in-lake factors. Our findings highlight the critical role of both in-lake and out-lake factors in shaping zooplankton diversity, emphasizing the need for comprehensive management strategies that consider the multifaceted interactions encompassing the waterscape of lake ecosystems and their surrounding catchments.