Microorganisms Involved in the Biodegradation and Microbiological Corrosion of Structural Materials
, Ke Yang 2, Zifan Liu 1,3, Lujun Zhou 1, Wenle Liu 1,3, Siwei Lin 1, Xuelin Wang 1,3,* and Chengjia Shang 1,4,*
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Title: Microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of structural materials
This manuscript is not ready to publish in the journal as many weak points were presented in it. I do believe that if they can improve the manuscripts following all comments. It might have a chance to publish in the journal.
Comments
1. Topic: Please modify
Abstract
2. Please identify the objective of this study.
3. Keywords; please add the words “Microbiologically influenced corrosion and biofilms”.
Introduction
4. Line 141: “The name biofilm” should be replaced by “The biofilm”
5. Line 43: The authors used the word “Fig 1”. However, the word “Figure 1” was presented in Line 49. The authors should use the same word in the manuscript. By the way, please check the format of the journal.
6. Line 86-88: Please re-write
7. Line 88: When we say water, we do not mean a huge quantity of water such as the sea, river or ponds. Please delete this sentence.
Bacteria
8. Line 102: Please edit the word “Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms” by “Most of the bacteria are unicellular microorganisms” because actinomyces are also bacteria that perform biofilms. Like other bacteria, they have no nuclei, but they grow multicellular filaments like fungi.
9. Line 103-110: Those sentences are general. Please strongly modify or re-write or delete.
10. Line 126: This sentence is incorrect. The bacteria can be grouped in to 4 groups due to the oxygen use (aerobe, anaerobe, facultative anaerobe, and micro-aerophilic bacteria). Please edit.
Fungi
11. Line 172: Please delete the word “microorganisms”.
12. Line 196: Please edit the word “she”. It would be better if the authors use passive voice in the writing.
Algae
13. Line 210: Please delete or re-write the following sentence “Microorganisms put in this group are not closely related”.
14. Line 135: For the scientific name, the full name (Bacillus alti-tudinis) should be written. For the second time, the short name (B. alti-tudinis) should be use.
Archaea
15. Line 259: Please add the reference.
16. Line 287: Methanosarcina acetivorans; please see the comment above.
17. Does MmcA is a gene? If yes, please write in italic.
Conclusion
18. Please modify the conclusion. It should be summarized on the key finding or information.
References.
19. There are many references. Please delete some unnecessary and old references.
20. The references of 2022,2021 (and 2023) are suggested to be cited.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Please correct the grammar as well edit/re-write the manuscript.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 1 Comments
Dear Reviewer:
We are thankful and appreciate your efforts in improving the quality of our manuscript. Based on your comments and suggestion, we have revised the manuscript. We believe that your concerns have been fully addressed. The amendments are highlighted in yellow in the revised manuscript. Responses to your individual comments are listed below.
Reviewer 1
Comments
- Topic: Please modify
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The topic (Title) of the manuscript has been changed as follows: “Microorganisms involved in the biodegradation and microbiological corrosion of structural materials”.
- Abstract: Please identify the objective of this study.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. This study aims to summarize all the corrosive microorganisms that directly or indirectly cause degradation to the structural materials. Accusing bacteria for every MIC case without a proper investigation of the corrosion site and an in-depth study of the biofilm and secreted metabolites can create a problems in understanding the real cause of the materials’ failure. To reach out to the real corrosion agent in any environment, it is highly important to study all kinds of microorganisms that exist in that specific environment.
- Keywords; please add the words “Microbiologically influenced corrosion and biofilms”.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. “Microbiologically influenced corrosion and biofilms” have been added to the keywords.
Introduction
- Line 141: “The name biofilm” should be replaced by “The biofilm”.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. The word biofilm is correct.
- Line 43: The authors used the word “Fig 1”. However, the word “Figure 1” was presented in Line 49. The authors should use the same word in the manuscript. By the way, please check the format of the journal.
Answer: Thank you for your careful screening. The word “Fig” has been changed to “Figure”.
- Line 86-88: Please re-write
Answer: Thank you for the comments. Line 86-88 have been modified as follows; “Majority of the corrosive microorganisms live in aquatic environment”.
- Line 88: When we say water, we do not mean a huge quantity of water such as the sea, river or ponds. Please delete this sentence.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. This sentence has been deleted.
Bacteria
- Line 102: Please edit the word “Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms” by “Most of the bacteria are unicellular microorganisms” because actinomyces are also bacteria that perform biofilms. Like other bacteria, they have no nuclei, but they grow multicellular filaments like fungi.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The sentence has been modified as suggested.
- Line 103-110: Those sentences are general. Please strongly modify or re-write or delete.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The paragraph has been modified.
- Line 126: This sentence is incorrect. The bacteria can be grouped in to 4 groups due to the oxygen use (aerobe, anaerobe, facultative anaerobe, and micro-aerophilic bacteria). Please edit.
Answer: Thank you for your observation. The sentence has been edited.
Fungi
- Line 172: Please delete the word “microorganisms”.
Answer: Thank you for your observation. The word microorganisms has been deleted.
- Line 196: Please edit the word “she”. It would be better if the authors use passive voice in the writing.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The word “she” has been replaced by the researcher name.
Algae
- Line 210: Please delete or re-write the following sentence “Microorganisms put in this group are not closely related”.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The sentence has been modified as follow; “Algae are not closely related to each other in an evolutionary sense”.
- Line 135: For the scientific name, the full name (Bacillus alti-tudinis) should be written. For the second time, the short name (B. alti-tudinis) should be use.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. The algae name has been changed.
Archaea
- Line 259: Please add the reference.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. The reference has been added. Please refer to reference number 81.
- Line 287: Methanosarcina acetivorans; please see the comment above.
Answer: Thank you for your observation. The “Methanosarcina acetivorans” has been rewritten as “M. acetivorans”.
- Does MmcA is a gene? If yes, please write in italic.
Answer: Thank you for your question and suggestion. MmcA is a gene, and it has been rewritten in italic font.
Conclusion
- Please modify the conclusion. It should be summarized on the key finding or information.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The conclusion has been modified.
References
- There are many references. Please delete some unnecessary and old references.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The unnecessary and old references have been removed from the manuscript.
- The references of 2022,2021 (and 2023) are suggested to be cited.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. We have tried our best to cite the research work published in recent years.
21. Please correct the grammar as well edit/re-write the manuscript.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. The language of the manuscript was polished.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear editor and authors,
The article on title “Microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of structural materials” it is interesting.
Before publication, I recommend a few changes:
1. The abbreviation MIC should be changed because it can be easily confused with MIC-> minimal inhibitory concentration
2. Figure 1 was directly copied from the work: Concentration Cells Corrosion by M. Saleem Khan, Tao Liang, Yuzhi Liu, et al. Access link: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/27239
Without exact citation of the source. This is copyright infringement.
3. The work requires supplementing citations and correct descriptions of borrowed graphics.
In my opinion, the work is suitable for publication in Coatings provided that the authors are more involved (creating their own graphics) and that the article is focused on novelties in the field of analysis.
Regards,
R1
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 2 Comments
Dear Reviewer:
We are thankful and appreciate your efforts in improving the quality of our manuscript. Based on your comments and suggestion, we have revised the manuscript. We believe that your concerns have been fully addressed. The amendments are highlighted in yellow in the revised manuscript. Responses to your individual comments are listed below.
Reviewer 2
- The abbreviation MIC should be changed because it can be easily confused with MIC-> minimal inhibitory concentration.
Answer: Thank you for your comment. MIC is a common abbreviation used for microbiologically influenced corrosion. In our manuscript, the first time we mentioned microbiologically influenced corrosion we added MIC as an abbreviation. So, we hope there will be no confusion for the readers.
- Figure 1 was directly copied from the work: Concentration Cells Corrosion by M. Saleem Khan, Tao Liang, Yuzhi Liu, et al. Access link: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/27239
Answer: We regret the delay to provide copyright permission. However, now the reference paper has been cited and the copyright permission has been provided to the editor.
- The work requires supplementing citations and correct descriptions of borrowed graphics.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. All references from which the images were taken are cited, and their copyright permissions are submitted to the editor.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
I did enjoy this manuscript. It was very instructive and I hope to see more from you. However, there are some points that I think you need to consider:
1. Biofilm is a wrong term which is, unfortunately, of frequent use. I do advise you to read the paper below:
Reza Javaherdashti, Some thoughts about misconceptions surrounding the term biofilm, Corrosion SCience and Technology, 2020.
2. Page 4, Lines 129-130, IOB and MOB are aerobic. IRB can be considered as facultative aerobic.
3.Page 4, Line 137: If you have symbiosys between SRB and IRB, the final corrosion product will also be FeS. Thus, formation of iron sulphide is not specific to SRB lone.
4.Page 5, Lines 204-205: Sulphur oxidising bacteria also produce acide but they are not anaerobic.
For corrosion, you need anode, cathode, electrolyte and a metallic path. This means that corrosion must be used for metals exclusively. For non-metals, corrosion cannot be used as out of the above mentioned four factors, only one (electrolyte) can be present. Thus for non-metals, instead of corrosion, another term must be used, for instance, deterioration. Thus I think the title must have been corrected as "MIcroorganisms involved in the biodegradation and Microbiological corrosion of structural materials".The title will become a little bit longer but more precise.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 3 Comments
Dear Reviewer:
We are thankful and appreciate your efforts in improving the quality of our manuscript. Based on your comments and suggestion, we have revised the manuscript. We believe that your concerns have been fully addressed. The amendments are highlighted in yellow in the revised manuscript. Responses to your individual comments are listed below.
Reviewer 3
- Biofilm is a wrong term which is, unfortunately, of frequent use. I do advise you to read the paper below: “Reza Javaherdashti, Some thoughts about misconceptions surrounding the term biofilm, Corrosion SCience and Technology, 2020”.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. Dr. Reza Javaherdashti has made a tremendous contribution to research related to microbiologically influenced corrosion. He suggested replacing the term “biofilm” with a new term called ‘temenos’. However, this term has not yet been commonly used by the microbiologists working in the field of MIC. The recent research works published in 2023 have used “biofilm” not ‘temenos’ which shows that the term “biofilm” has not yet been replaced by the term ‘temonos”. After discussion with my senior colleagues, we decided that it’s better to use biofilm until the new term ‘temenos’ is officially accepted by the microbiologists throughout the world.
References published in 2023
- 10.1038/s41579-023-00920-3
- 10.3390/antibiotics12071194
- 10.3390/microorganisms11092299
- Page 4, Lines 129-130, IOB and MOB are aerobic. IRB can be considered as facultative aerobic.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. The paragraph has been edited and modified.
- Page 4, Line 137: If you have symbiosys between SRB and IRB, the final corrosion product will also be FeS. Thus, formation of iron sulphide is not specific to SRB lone.
Answer: Authors are agree with your point, and thankful for your comment. FeS can be produced in both cases, whether SRB are alone or in symbiosis with IRB. However, in this paragraph we are discussing SRB corrosion alone.
- Page 5, Lines 204-205: Sulphur oxidising bacteria also produce acide but they are not anaerobic.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. In this sentence we have described the main difference between fungi and bacteria producing acids. I have modified the sentence as follows: while most of the bacteria generate organic acids in an anaerobic environment.
- For corrosion, you need anode, cathode, electrolyte and a metallic path. This means that corrosion must be used for metals exclusively. For non-metals, corrosion cannot be used as out of the above mentioned four factors, only one (electrolyte) can be present. Thus for non-metals, instead of corrosion, another term must be used, for instance, deterioration. Thus I think the title must have been corrected as "MIcroorganisms involved in the biodegradation and Microbiological corrosion of structural materials".The title will become a little bit longer but more precise.
Answer: Thank you for your suggestion. The title has been changed as suggested.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript has been revised. The proposed solutions have been implemented.
