Microbial ecology
[3] The study of microorganisms and their interactions with the environment was pioneered by some scientists such as Sergei Winogradsky, Louis Pasteur, Martinus Beijerinck, Robert Koch, Lorenz Hiltner and many more.
[5][6] Microorganisms are ubiquitous, and play various roles that impact the entire biosphere and any environment they found themselves both positively and negatively.
Microbial life plays a primary role in regulating biogeochemical systems in virtually all environments, including some of the most extreme, from frozen environments and acidic lakes, to hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the deepest oceans, and some of the most familiar, such as the human small intestine, nose, and mouth.
[10] As a consequence of the quantitative magnitude of microbial life (calculated as 5.0×1030 cells,[11][12]) microbes, by virtue of their biomass alone, constitute a significant carbon sink.
[20] For instance, Louis Pasteur and his disciples were interested in the problem of microbial distribution both on land and in the ocean.
Martinus Beijerinck invented the enrichment culture, a fundamental method of studying microbes from the environment.
He is often incorrectly credited with framing the microbial biogeographic idea that "everything is everywhere, but, the environment selects", which was stated by Lourens Baas Becking.
[20] Modern microbial ecology was launched by Robert Hungate and coworkers, who investigated the rumen ecosystem.
Chemosynthetic microorganisms gain energy by oxidizing inorganic compounds such as hydrogen, nitrite, ammonia, elemental sulfur and iron(II).
[33] Through these biogeochemical cycles, microorganisms are able to make nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium available in the soil.
[38][39] Example of microorganisms that play role in bioremediation of heavy metals include Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Methosinus, Rhodococcus, Stereum hirsutum, Methanogens, Aspergilus niger, Pleurotus ostreatus, Rhizopus arrhizus, Azotobacter, Alcaligenes, Phormidium valderium, and Ganoderma applantus.
[42] Microorganism produce, change, and utilize nutrient and natural products in numerous ways and this enable them to be ubiquitous.
[46][47] The types of symbiotic relationship that microbes participate in include mutualism, commensalism, parasitism,[48] and amensalism[49] which affect the ecosystem in many ways.
The ethanol-fermenting organism provides the archaeal partner with the H2, which this methanogen needs in order to grow and produce methane.
[17] This relationship begins when chemical signals are exchange between the plant and the fungi leading to the metabolic stimulation of the fungus.
[citation needed] Biotechnology may be used alongside microbial ecology to address a number of environmental and economic challenges.
Microbial resource management advocates a more progressive attitude towards disease, whereby biological control agents are favoured over attempts at eradication.
[66] In addition, there are also clinical implications, as marine microbial symbioses are a valuable source of existing and novel antimicrobial agents, and thus offer another line of inquiry in the evolutionary arms race of antibiotic resistance, a pressing concern for researchers.
In 2016, the journal Microbiome published a collection of various works studying the microbial ecology of the built environment.
[71] S. aureus is particularly common, and asymptomatically colonizes about 30% of the human population;[72] attempts to decolonize carriers have met with limited success[73] and generally involve mupirocin nasally and chlorhexidine washing, potentially along with vancomycin and cotrimoxazole to address intestinal and urinary tract infections.
[77][78] These natural products with antimicrobial properties belong to the terpenoids, spirotetronate, tetracenedione, lactam, and other groups of compounds.
Examples include napyradiomycin, nomimicin, formicamycin, and isoikarugamycin,[79][80][81][82] Some metals, particularly copper, silver, and gold also have antimicrobial properties.
[83][84] Silver nanoparticles have also begun to be incorporated into building surfaces and fabrics, although concerns have been raised about the potential side-effects of the tiny particles on human health.
For example, different microbial species evolved CRISPR dynamics and functions, allowing a better understanding of human health.
