7th World Congress on Microbiology November 28-29, 2016 Valencia, Spain

Biography:

Manal M El-Naggar has completed her PhD from Alexandria University and Postdoctoral studies from Stanford University School of Medicine. She was the Head of the Microbiology Laboratory, NIOF for seven years 2007-2014, a premier Bio-Soft service organization. She has published more than 25 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member of Cell Biology Journal and as a Microbiological Reviewer for many international journals.

Abstract:

Production of antitumor agents from alternative natural marine microbial resources may decrease or avoid the bad side effects of the used anti-tumor chemotherapeutic agents and may increase the specificity of the antitumor agents to be safer for human application. So, this study aimed to search for new alternative antitumor agent producers using two recommended bioassays (Red Potato Disc Bioassay and Sulforhodamine B Bioassay). The obtained results indicated the isolation of three new marine actinomycetes strains from the western harbor of Alexandria, they identified using the 16S rRNA gene sequence as Streptomyces sp. strain AMS11, Nocardiopsis halotolerans strain AMS10b and Nocardiopsis halotolerans strain AMS10a. The bio-toxicity test was carried out using the biomarker Artemia salina, they showed a moderate toxicity level (LC₅₀<1000 ppm). The antitumor activities of their supernatants against the colon cancer cell line (HCT116) and the liver cancer cell line (HEPG2) showed promising results in comparison to the recommended chemotherapeutic drug 5-flourouracil used for the treatment of both liver and colon cancer cells. The optimization for antitumor activity was performed using the Plackett-Burman experimental design.

Biography:

Alla Bryanskaya has completed her PhD and Postdoctoral studies from Institute of General and Experimental Biology of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude. She is a Senior Researcher in the Laboratory of Molecular Biotechnology of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, Novosibirsk. She has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals.

Abstract:

There are many unique extreme natural environments that are still poorly studied. Those include the Uzon caldera and the Geyser Valley (Kamchatka, Russia) that harbors multiple outlets of thermal water and volcanic gases. In our study we investigated a wide range of microbial communities from the Uzon caldera and the Geyser valley, determined their composition and structure and their dependence on a complex of geochemical parameters. As an example, the studied oil field is located in the Uzon caldera and is a small area of a thermal field that is characterized by oil film on the surface of thermal springs. We obtained over 300000 sequences (at least 250 bp long) of bacteria and archaea. Over 1400 of microbial species was found, some of which were able to metabolize hydrocarbons. We performed correlation analysis of environmental factors and completness of metabolic pathways. We found that pathways associated with biodegradation of hydrocarbons had the highest positive correlation with the biodiversity of the studied communities. The Uzon caldera may be a natural laboratory of modern oil formation from organic sediments, where microbial communities adapted to high temperatures, Eh-pH fluctuations and high content of sulfides, arsenic, antimony and mercury. Our results suggest that the studied microbial communities are promising objects for fundamental and applied studies and can be used as sources of unique genes and enzymes.

Biography:

Ralf Duerr has completed his MD from Ulm University and PhD from Mainz University, Germany. He has started his Postdoctoral studies in Frankfurt, working on HIV-1 entry and continued his HIV research at New York University, School of Medicine in 2013. He became Assistant Professor in 2015 and is currently studying HIV diversity, evolution, emerging new strains and immune responses in HIV-1 superinfected patients.

Abstract:

HIV originated in Cameroon about a century ago, reflected today by the broadest diversity of circulating HIV subtypes in this region. In our Cameroonian cohort of HIV⁺ individuals, we identified several cases of HIV-1 Superinfection; the sequential infection of an individual with two or more unrelated HIV strains. It provides the unique opportunity to study viral co-evolution and immune responses after challenge with diverse HIV-1 antigens. Superinfection with diverse HIV-1 subtypes enhances the human immune response in potency and breadth compared to singly infected individuals. Far less is known about superinfection with strains belonging to the same subtype and the effects of superinfection in epidemiologically linked individuals that share the infecting viruses. Here we show that intra-subtype HIV-1 superinfection can increase the neutralizing antibody response dependent on both viral and host factors. Superinfection studies on epidemiologically linked sexual partners unveiled a vivid cross-exchange of viruses and a unique triple case of superinfection in three HIV⁺ individuals. Remarkably, the competition of three distinct subtypes within the patients resulted in the dominance of one subtype in all three. Despite the challenge with similar viral strains and the same evolving dominance, the mounted immune responses and the duration of time with stable CD4 counts without treatment differed significantly inter-individually. The studied cases of HIV-1 superinfection highlight the effects of diverse HIV-1 immune challenges on the immune response and exemplify inter-individual differences. Superinfected patients may serve as a vital source for vaccine design and the generation of new broad neutralizing antibodies covering multiple subtypes.

Biography:

Ayman K El Essawy has completed his PhD in Microbiology from Ain Shams University, Egypt, Diploma in Hospital Infection Control from Claude Bernard-Lyon 1 University, France and a Diploma in Biostatistics from Ain Shams University, Egypt. He is a Fellow of Microbiology at Ain Shams University, Egypt. He has also worked at Al Azhar University and American Naval Medical Research Unit No.3 (NAMRU-3). He is particularly interested in the study of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Multidrug resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA) infections are difficult to treat. Cabapenems have been used against MDRPA. However, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas auruginosa (CRPA) has also emerged. Carbapenem resistance is due to multiple mechanisms and among these mechanisms production of carbapenemases is the most important because it was associated with high mortality rate. There are reports on the geographic diversity of genes encoding carbapenemase production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa but continuous monitoring of this diversity will help the global effort to understand and overcome this problem.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of carbapenemase encoding genes that were associated with CRPA in Kuwaiti Hospitals.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A random clinical specimens from a variety of Kuwaiti hospitals were collected. Bacterial isolation, identification and antibiotic sensitivity were performed. 80 CRPA isolates were resulted and 22 of them were investigated for the presence of specific carbapenemase-encoding genes by polymerase chain reaction. Gene mutation was enhanced by exposure of the bacterial cells to UV radiation.

Findings: Among the investigated CRPA isolates (12/22, 54.5%) were harboring genes for carbapenemases production. KPC, VIM, IMP genes were detected in (11/22, 50%), (5/22, 22.7%) and (4/22, 18.2%) respectively, while SME, NDM-1, NDM-2 and OXA genes were not detected in any of the tested CRPA isolates. In the absence of KPC, IMP and VIM genes in bacterial mutants, MIC for carbapenems were decreased from ≥16 to ≤2 mg/L.

Conclusion & Significance: The prevalence of cabapenamase encoding genes was relatively high in the current study, which was reported in association with high mortality rate. In contrast to a recent publication, KPC and IMP genes were detected in Kuwait hospitals and their impact on resistance was proved. Recommendations are to give attention for rapid detection and isolation the CRPA infected patients.

Biography:

Dr. Veronica is a senior researcher at National University of Colombia, with her research interests in infectious diseases. 

Abstract:

In Latin American, the high prevalence of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains is one principal cause of healthcare associated infections (HAI). High frequency multidrug resistant strains have been found in several hospitals throughout Colombia, which has caused epidemic outbreaks. In this study, we analyzed and compared the information of 74 whole genomes of Acinetobacter baumannii proceeding from 14 Colombian states during 2012-2015, in which we established molecular epidemiology strategies that could contribute to the strengthening of the active surveillance system of HAI caused by this species. We performed the evaluation of the phenotypical resistance (Kirby Bauer and automatized microbiological systems) and whole genomes were sequenced (Ilumina Hiseq 2000), assembled and annotated. Hereafter, we performed molecular typing using multilocus sequence type analysis (MLST 1.8) and pan-genome analysis was done using Roary. The 74 isolations were grouped in to 9 different sequence types (ST), in which ST-79 (55%) and ST-25 (15%) were predominant clones. In these genomes, a total of 37 genes multidrug-resistant associated were identified using a workflow developed by our research group (these include, Pfam, Resfam and CARD, 65% were genes related to enzymatic resistant mechanisms, extended-spectrum β-lactamases (31.7%, 13.9%, 17.8%, 23.8%, for blaOXA23, blaOXA64, blaOXA65, blaTEM-1, respectively) and aminoglycosides (29.2%, 33.4%, 28,1% for strA, strB and aac(3)-IIa, respectively) and 35% were non-enzymatic mechanisms (30%, 19.3% and 21.4%, for AdeIJK, AbeS and Mex efflux pumps). Finally, we analyzed the variations in behavior of the resistant genomic profile which we correlated with epidemiological data.

Biography:

Olabisi Ojo is an Associate Professor and holds a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University College Cork, Ireland. He is a 2016 Carnegie African Diaspora Program Fellow at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

Abstract:

Pathogen surveillance is at the heart of effective and meaningful infectious disease control efforts globally. The incorporation of molecular techniques in pathogen surveillance has revolutionized our understanding of infectious disease dynamics. Current trends in the detection and control of pathogens have benefited from the development of molecular tools. Importantly, these tools produce fast and portable data/datasets that compare globally, especially with the availability of cutting edge cyber infrastructure applicable to biomedical sciences. Obafemi Awolowo University and Albany State University, under the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program organized a workshop on Pathogen Genomics and Surveillance that targeted graduate students, medical laboratory scientists, resident doctors and faculty in the biomedical/microbial sciences. We screened a total of 125 applications based on criteria such as enrollment in a graduate program, strong presentation of ongoing/proposed research project and active involvement in pathogen research. Workshop included the delivery of lectures on genomics and molecular detection of pathogen groups (bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic and neglected tropical diseases) and hands-on laboratory sessions focused on pathogen gene detection using PCR, across-pathogen molecular epidemiological techniques and associate analytical tools. About 41% of the participants were current prospective PhD students. 28% were current PhD students; 9% were faculty or instructors in microbial sciences; 16% were resident doctors (fellows), while 6% were medical laboratory scientists. The over 42 participants were administered pre- and post- workshop assessments. Over 90% of participants demonstrated good understanding of the concepts. The workshop also fostered increased networking and new collaborating vigor among the represented microbial sciences community.

Biography:

Chiara Canali has completed her PhD from Technical University of Denmark, Department of Micro and Nano-technology. Her main expertise covers the development of bioluminescence sensors and electrical impedance sensors with application to biotechnology and biomedical engineering working at University of Bologna, Leiden University Medical Centre, Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble and University of Oslo. She is currently an Application Specialist at Philips BioCell A/S.

Abstract:

Biography:

Surekha K Satpute has completed her PhD from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra, India. She is working as a Woman Scientist, financially supported by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. She has published 15 research articles in reputed journals. Previously she has worked on low molecular weight biosurfactants from marine bacteria and mutagenecity and anti-mutagenecity of areca nut extract to Salmonella Typhimurium TA102. She was the recipient of Junior and Senior Research Fellow Award (2003-2008) from University Grant Commission (UGC), Government of India.

Abstract:

Biomedical devices and implants are amenable to developing microbial biofilms in corresponding environmentally pertinent circumstances. The current challenging situation is to investigate the in vitro conditions for the prospective of medically valuable biosurfactants (BSs). The objective of our research was to build up a microfluidic system to evaluate quantitatively the effectiveness of biosurfactant (BS) against biofilm formers. Two types of BS, namely cell free (CF) and cell associated (CA) were isolated from Lactobacillus acidophilus NCIM 2903 in a simple fermentation medium (FM) of composition (g/L) of Peptone: Yeast extract: Beef extract: Tri-sodium citrate (10:10:10:5) at pH of 6.5/180 rpm. In addition to reduction in SFT (55 to 28 mN/m), change in pH (from 6.5 to 8.7) of FM after 72 hours was also an indicator for BS production. CFBS and CABS effectively exhibited all characteristics (SFT, interfacial tension, contact angle, emulsification, stability at different pH and temperature) proving its impact as surfactant. Wetting and spreading efficacies offer outstanding opportunities to blend BS for several applications. Analytical characterization of BS disclosed the chemical nature as glycolipid (CFBS) and glycolipoprotein (CABS). The CFBS inhibited biofilm formation on contact lenses and urinary catheter. We used microfluidics based model to ensure the ability of BS to restrict the adhesion of persistent pathogens. Current research aims to develop using BSs as antimicrobial, anti-biofilm and anti-adhesive agents in the biomedical application sector. Our research highlights the expediency of the microfluidic system to observe BSs impeding effects on dominating microbial biofilms.

Biography:

Rocio Perez-y-Terron has completed her PhD in Biotechnology at the National Polytechnic Institute. She is currently a Research Professor in the Laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Biology Faculty of the Autonomous University of Puebla. She has studied microbial ecology, microbial pathogenicity and bacterial antagonism. She has published articles and is a Reviewer in various international journals.

Abstract:

Economic development and maintenance of Mexico has been based mainly in different productive sectors of the oil industry among which the exploration, production, refining and processing of crude oil. This has led to the presence of hazardous waste, reporting environmental contingencies approximately 550 per year for spills that contaminate water and soil, causing the loss or deterioration of natural bioprocesses. Lagoon Mecoacan located in the State of Tabasco, is the most affected area by the presence of xenobiotic compounds BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene), due to the activity of the Maritime Terminal Dos Bocas because of its proximity, leads to the exit accidental hydrocarbon and wastewater discharges through the marine diffuser. This study is based on analysis of bacterial tolerance to BTX compounds by agar diffusion technique, where concentrations of 80000 to 840000 ppm were examined for each of the compounds. Our results show that 51 strains recovered from samples of contaminated water from the lagoon and only 22 showed tolerance to BTX, registering a minimum inhibitory 80000, 160000 and 260000 ppm concentration xylene, toluene and benzene respectively. These 22 strains were identified phenotypically result 8 distinct species, which belong to the genera: Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Aeromonas, Rhizobium and Vibrio. Further studies of these bacterial strains will allow us to form consortia for the purpose of bioremediation to degrade or modify these and other toxic aromatic compounds.

Biography:

Rehana A Gilani has completed her MPhil from a teaching hospital in Pakistan and has tried to incorporate research in the regular curriculum of the newly established university.

Abstract:

Introduction & Aim: Escherichia coli is the most common Gram negative organism causing both community as well as hospital acquired Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). This study was conducted to find out the prevalence of uropathogenic E. coli and to demonstrate ESBL phenomenon and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. The genetic characterization of ESBL producing isolates was also done to demonstrate the genes conferring drug resistance to these organisms in our institution using conventional PCR.

Materials & Methods: This research was a prospective, non- randomized, descriptive study. A pro forma was used as a tool for data collection. The study was conducted in the Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, PIMS, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University for 8 months. 140 urine non-duplicate samples of patients with UTI yielding growth of E. coli were selected and their susceptibility profile was determined.

Results: Urine samples of 140 patients yielding E. coli were enrolled in the study. There were 81 (58%) females and 59 (42%) males. Patients included in the study were from 12-86 years of age. The ESBL phenomenon was confirmed by double disc method which demonstrated that 80 (57%) samples were positive and 60 (43%) were negative.

Conclusion: Our results showed emergence of multidrug resistant ESBL producing E. coli in our set up which is a very serious problem due to non-availability of new antibiotics and also the element of poverty due to which the patients are unable to afford the prescribed drugs.

Biography:

Zakieh Rostamzadeh Khameneh is an Associate Professor at the Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Abstract:

Background & Aim: Parvovirus B19 is a DNA virus which is responsible for several various diseases in human. Parvovirus B19 induced persistent anemia is one of its manifestations which is relatively common in the setting of transplant recipients. This study was aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 among kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: 91 transplant recipients were selected randomly and were investigated for several variables including age, sex, educational status, history of hemodialysis (HD), history of blood transfusion and immunosuppressive therapy. 2 c.c. of blood samples were collected via venipuncture and evaluated for anti-parvovirus B19 IgG antibody using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

Results: All recipients were anemic, 72.5% of them suffering from severe anemia (Hb≤11 in men and ≤10 in women). Sixty three patients (69.2%) were seropositive for parvovirus B19. There was no significant difference among the age, sex and educational status, history of blood transfusion, history of HD and the immunosuppressive therapy of seropositive and seronegative groups.

Conclusion: The seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 was relatively high in the setting of kidney transplant recipients. Anemia is a common problem in these patients and often remains under-treated. However our study failed to find a correlation between the severity of anemia and seropositivity of parvovirus B19.

Biography:

Erika Suzuki de Toledo has completed her PhD from Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil and Postdoctoral studies from Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, USA. She is an Adjunct Professor at Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil. She has published 29 scientific articles.

Abstract:

During an infection, host epithelial cells may interact with pathogens and in response; these cells secrete cytokines that promote recruitment of innate immune system cells to the site of infection. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Histoplasma capsulatum are two dimorphic fungi that cause systemic mycoses in humans. Our group has been demonstrating that both species induce secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 in the human lung epithelial cell line A549. It was also observed that P. brasiliensis yeasts promote activation of the kinases PKC δ, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 in A549 cells. Moreover, by using specific inhibitors in P. brasiliensis-A549 cell cultures, we verified that the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 is dependent on the activation of these kinases. Also, it was evaluated the role of integrins, receptors present in host cell surface, in cytokine secretion by A549 cells. First, we verified that yeasts of P. brasiliensis and H. capsulatum are able to associate with α3 and α5 integrins and then, these fungi promote clustering of these integrins into A549 cell membrane rafts. Finally, small interfering RNA approach directed to α3 and α5 integrins showed that these integrins participate in IL-6 and IL-8 secretion by P. brasiliensis-infected A549 cells. Together, these results elucidate some of the mechanisms by which pathogenic fungi promote cytokine secretion in epithelial cells.

Biography:

Ilknur Tuncer has completed her MSc in Marine Environmental Protection from School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales, UK and PhD in Living Marine Resources from Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey. She has several oral and poster presentations published in international and national conference proceeding books to her credit.

Abstract:

Bacteria in marine environments show different diversity and resistance patterns. In spite of the limited number of studies in coastal areas influenced by terrestrial and marine fluxes, the high bacterial diversity and multiple-resistance were indicated. Unlike widespread antibiotic resistance in those areas, the susceptibility levels are expected to increase in deep-basins. Bacterial isolation was performed from nineteen sediment samples with 0-1235 m depths in eastern Mediterranean Sea. Totally, 154 isolates whose 16S rRNA gene sequences were deposited into NCBI GenBank were assayed with disk diffusion method using eleven antibiotics. Statistical comparison was performed for susceptibility levels of strains and geochemical parameters of stations as grain size and carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus contents of sediment samples. The highest resistance was mostly to amikacin and ceftazidime. While the Bacillus strains with the highest diversity had the highest resistance, the genera Planococcus, Marinobacter, Psychrobacter and Vibrio were susceptible to all antibiotics and even the genera Halobacillus, Fictibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Salinimonas, Photobacterium, Planococcus, Psychrobacter and Vibrio had no intermediate level. The geochemical contents and susceptibility levels were not statistically correlated but there was positive correlation between grain size and resistance. Due to the influence of terrestrial and anthropogenic factors, the shallowest stations had the highest resistance and separated from deep-basins in correlation analysis.

Biography:

Nelishan Dikbas is an Associate Professor at the Agriculture Faculty in the Ataturk University.

Abstract:

Thermoalkaline mannanase enzyme from Lactobacillus plantarum (X) bacterium was purified for 111 folds and with 36% yield by utilizing ammonium sulfate sedimentation technique along with DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S200 Gel filtration chromatography. It had been observed that the enzyme was formed of two subunits; 35 kDa and 55 kDa when purified enzyme was carried out in gel filtration chromatography and SDS PAGE electrophoresis systems. Optimum temperature was set out as 40 ^oC whereas optimum pH was determined to be 10. It has been observed that the activity of the enzyme was stable between the ranges of pH levels of 3-11 and at the temperature of 90 ^oC and did not lose its activity. Additionally, the effect of the several metal ions such as Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺ and Ni²⁺ on the enzyme activity was tried out and it was observed that these mentioned metal ions increased the activity of the enzyme by 100-344%. Furthermore, the purified enzyme was tested in order to investigate the activity of this enzyme on the clarification of some fruit juice such as orange, apricot, grape and apple juice. During the process of comparison with crude extract, the highest amount of purified enzyme was detected in apple juice with the percentage of 154%.

Biography:

Munjid Issam Suleiman Al Mousa has received his Bachelor's degree in Medicine and Surgery from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2007. He has then specialized in Ophthalmology, worked as a General Ophthalmologist in Jordan and then did a Fellowship in Retinal Diseases in Frankfurt University Hospital, Germany. During his training in Germany, he had the opportunity to participate in research and several clinical studies. He is very much interested in systemic diseases and their relation to the eye, especially the retina.

Abstract:

Background: Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) is an uncommon disorder of unknown etiology affecting the retina of the eye, retinal pigment epithelium and the choroid. Until now, no definite etiological factor has been found. We report a case of APMPPE associated with acute infection of Borreliosis.

Case Report: A 30-year-old man presented with a decrease in vision in the right eye of a few days duration. Examination of the right retina revealed the presence of multiple placoid creamy retinal/sub-retinal lesions. APMPPE was suspected and Fundus fluorescein angiography supported the diagnosis. IgM for Borrelia turned out positive and this supported the presence of a concomitant acute Borreliosis infection. The patient received oral Prednisone therapy and Amoxicillin. There was complete resolution of symptoms and signs after six weeks of treatment.

Conclusion: The possibility of Borreliosis as a possible etiological factor in the pathogenesis of APMPPE has not been thoroughly investigated. The biggest study that was done about this relation was by Wolf et al., in 1992. The authors of that study concluded that no such relation existed. However, several cases have been reported in the literature since then, including ours. We emphasize on the importance of doing newer studies about the subject, using more modern diagnostic techniques. We also emphasize that the clinician should be aware of this relation and should test patients who present with APMPPE for Borrelia antibodies as this may guide the treatment and may spare the patient from many complications.

Biography:

Marcos Sergio de Toledo has completed his PhD from Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil and Postdoctoral studies from Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, USA. He is an Assistant Professor at Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil. He has published 36 scientific articles

Abstract:

Fungal infections have attracted significant medical/scientific interest due to the increase of infected individuals, mycosis association with immunocompromised patients and resistance of fungal strains to antifungal drugs, such as azole compounds. Ergosterol is an essential lipid for fungal survival and it can be stored in lipid droplets (LD), which are dynamic organelles that act on lipid homeostasis and other cellular processes. The role of LDs in pathogenic fungi is not entirely understood. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the lipid content of LD in pathogenic fungi and to analyze the possible role of these organelles in fungal resistance to azolic antifungal drugs. By using chromatographic techniques, electrospray-mass spectrometry and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry, lipid species such as triacylglycerols (TAGs), diacylglycerols, phospholipids (PLs), sterols and steryl-esters were found in LDs from Candida albicans (ATCC-5997), C. albicans 23R (azolic resistant strain), C. dubliniensis and Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis. All strains presented PLs at low levels, although these lipids are the main components of LD’s monolayer. A total of 41 different TAGs species were identified and their distribution is different among fungi. Analysis of sterol and steryl-esters profiles showed the prevalence of ergosterol and brassicasterol in all strains. After azole treatment, it was observed a strong increase in 2-3-oxidosqualene, an intermediate in sterol synthesis, which causes disarrangement in cell membranes. The present work opens new vistas for future studies on biological roles of LDs, and their possible involvement in fungal resistance to antimycotic drugs.

Biography:

Althalb Hakima is an Assistant Professor at the Libyan Petroleum Institute, Libya.

Abstract:

A laboratory study was conducted as an attempt to investigate the performance of bioremediation approach of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil obtained from petrochemical industry. Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil was performed using the hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. Hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms were isolated and identified from contaminated soil samples. Initial screening results of eleven isolates capable of growing on n-hexadecane five most promising isolates were selected for further testing for biosurfactant production and emulsification activity. They were identified as Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas species, Betaproteobacterium, Actinomyces species and Bacillus species. Cluster analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences of the isolated bacterial species revealed 90% similarity amongst hydrocarbon degrading bacterial community. Emulsifying capacity was evaluated using the E24 emulsification index. The isolated species exhibited high emulsification activity. Among the five species tested, Pseudomonas putida showed superior performance in terms of growth on hydrocarbons, emulsifying activity and ability to transform hydrocarbons. E24 emulsification activity recorded maximum value after 48 hours of incubation (E24=86%, E24=61%) Pseudomonas putida and E24=66% with Bacillus species. Interestingly, the gas chromatographic analysis of crude oil treated with P. putida showed a decrease in heavy hydrocarbon fractions demonstrating a clear potential for this species to be used as a soil inoculants in bioremediation processes.

Biography:

Abdorreza Mohammadi Nafchi is an Associate Professor at the Food Technology Department in the Islamic Azad University, Iran.

Abstract:

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based films incorporated with lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) essential oil (LVEO) at 1, 2 and 3% v/w were prepared to examine their antibacterial, antioxidant, physical and mechanical properties. The physical and mechanical properties were determined in accordance with the ASTM standard methods. Addition of LVEO affected the oxygen and water vapor permeability of the films. Incorporating LVEO, increased color parameters and decreased lightness of films. A decrease of young modulus (YM) and tensile strength (TS) accompanied with an increase in elongation at break (%EB) was observed with increasing LVEO concentration. These films exhibited some antioxidant activity, which was significantly improved by the addition of the essential oil. This incorporation influenced antimicrobial, antioxidant, physical, mechanical, barrier, microstructure and color properties of the films. The films prepared with LV essential oil exhibited highest inhibition against E. coli and were more effective against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) than Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). The results pointed out that the incorporation of LVEO as a natural antibacterial agent has potential focusing the developed film as an active packaging.

Biography:

Abdorreza Mohammadi Nafchi is an Associate Professor at the Food Technology Department in the Islamic Azad University, Iran.

Abstract:

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based films incorporated with lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) essential oil (LVEO) at 1, 2 and 3% v/w were prepared to examine their antibacterial, antioxidant, physical and mechanical properties. The physical and mechanical properties were determined in accordance with the ASTM standard methods. Addition of LVEO affected the oxygen and water vapor permeability of the films. Incorporating LVEO, increased color parameters and decreased lightness of films. A decrease of young modulus (YM) and tensile strength (TS) accompanied with an increase in elongation at break (%EB) was observed with increasing LVEO concentration. These films exhibited some antioxidant activity, which was significantly improved by the addition of the essential oil. This incorporation influenced antimicrobial, antioxidant, physical, mechanical, barrier, microstructure and color properties of the films. The films prepared with LV essential oil exhibited highest inhibition against E. coli and were more effective against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) than Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). The results pointed out that the incorporation of LVEO as a natural antibacterial agent has potential focusing the developed film as an active packaging.

Biography:

Sara Vidal Lopez has completed her MS in Molecular Biology from University of Malaga, Spain where she has worked for 3 years in the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science. Since 2014 she is a PhD student in the Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Abstract:

Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia abortus and Leptospira spp., are three agents that may lead to bovine abortion. The importance of these difficult to grow zoonotic bacterial pathogens lies in significant economic loss in animal production and the public health risk, at least in endemic countries. Routine bacteriological diagnostics of abortion in cattle in Switzerland is regulated by law including screening by serology and staining. However, only few infectious agents are examined using molecular approaches due to the high costs associated with extended analyses. In the present work, we used both serological and molecular methods to assess the possible role of these pathogens in bovine abortion. From 249 studied bovine abortion events, 242 placenta samples, 57 fetal abomasal content and 182 sera were taken from mother cows. The seroprevalence was 15.93%, 38.46% and 21.43% for C. burnetii (ELISA), C. abortus (ELISA) and pathogenic Leptospira spp. (microscopic agglutination test), respectively. Using specific real time PCR, the prevalence of C. burnetii, Chlamydiales and pathogenic Leptospira spp., were of 12.15%, 16.87% and 8.24%, respectively. After direct sequencing of Chlamydiales positive samples, we identified C. abortus in 8.84% of the cases and probable infection with Chlamydia-related bacteria in 5.22% of the cases. Altogether, routine abortion diagnostics did not detect a possible bacterial agent in 96 cases. Extending the spectrum of analysis could assign at least one possible abortive agent in 39 more cases. In conclusion, diagnostic approaches enabling the detection of C. burnetii, C. abortus and Leptospira spp., should be used more commonly due to their zoonotic potential.

Biography:

Carlotta Sartori has studied Agricultural Sciences at ETH Zurich and graduated in 2013. She is currently a PhD student at ETH Zurich under the supervision of Prof. Susanne Ulbrich and Dr. Hans Graber.

Abstract:

The specific and reliable diagnosis of mastitis pathogens is essential for successful sanitation programs. The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a new qPCR assay for the very sensitive and specific detection of Staphylococcus aureus genotype B (GTB) in cow milk samples. This mastitis pathogen is contagious and particularly prevalent in Switzerland and other European countries. The new test is based on a rapid preparation of bacteria from milk, followed by DNA isolation and qPCR for a unique target gene. The analytic sensitivity of the new target gene is 97% and the analytic specificity 98.4%, meaning that other genotypes and bacteria can be excluded with high reliability. The limit of detection is 211 staphylococcal cell equivalents (SCE) per milliliter of milk using the quantitative DNA extraction approach and 424 SCE per mL of milk using the simplified approach with bacterial enrichment prior to DNA extraction. The new test shows high intra and inter-assay repeatability. Results are available within 1 day after sampling, allowing to farmers and veterinarians to immediately apply sanitation measures. This new analytical procedure is faster and cheaper than all others currently in use and can be applied with high reliability to both single-cow and bulk tank milk samples. The new test has the potential to be fully automated and soused for routine diagnostics, enabling for the first time the sanitation of whole regions (area-wide approach) for the contagious mastitis pathogen Staphylococcus aureus genotype B.