Recent Advances on Microbial Interactions with Materials and Their Applications

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 15085

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor Assistant
Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: biocorrosion; microbial degradation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microorganisms are widespread in both natural environments and artificial ecosystems. They coexist and interact with various materials, ultimately affecting the migration rate, circulation process and distribution state of those compounds. Microorganisms can migrate and bio-transform metals by means of extracellular electron transfer and secretion of metabolites; they also promote biomineralization, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), biofouling and bioleaching, among other processes. The interaction between microorganisms and materials also promotes the cycle of carbon, nitrogen, iron, sulfur and other elements. The corrosive microorganisms likely contribute to the cycling of carbon, iron and sulfur worldwide.

Although there have been many achievements in this area in the past few decades, the interaction between metallic elements and microorganisms awaits further investigation.

In this Special Issue, we aim to present the latest findings on MIC, fouling, biomineralization, bioleaching, element cycling, etc. Submissions of high-quality original research, reviews, mini reviews, and perspective articles pertaining to this multi-disciplinary area are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Ruiyong Zhang
Dr. Hongwei Liu
Dr. Fang Guan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • microbiologically influenced corrosion
  • biofouling
  • biomineralization and bioleaching
  • elements cycle
  • microbial degradation.

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 4188 KiB  
Article
Straw Soil Conditioner Modulates Key Soil Microbes and Nutrient Dynamics across Different Maize Developmental Stages
by Jianfeng Zhang, Libo Ye, Jingjing Chang, Enze Wang, Changji Wang, Hengfei Zhang, Yingnan Pang and Chunjie Tian
Microorganisms 2024, 12(2), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12020295 - 30 Jan 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1655
Abstract
Soil amendments may enhance crop yield and quality by increasing soil nutrient levels and improving nutrient absorption efficiency, potentially through beneficial microbial interactions. In this work, the effects of amending soil with straw-based carbon substrate (SCS), a novel biochar material, on soil nutrients, [...] Read more.
Soil amendments may enhance crop yield and quality by increasing soil nutrient levels and improving nutrient absorption efficiency, potentially through beneficial microbial interactions. In this work, the effects of amending soil with straw-based carbon substrate (SCS), a novel biochar material, on soil nutrients, soil microbial communities, and maize yield were compared with those of soil amendment with conventional straw. The diversity and abundance of soil bacterial and fungal communities were significantly influenced by both the maize growth period and the treatment used. Regression analysis of microbial community variation indicated that Rhizobiales, Saccharimonadales, and Eurotiales were the bacterial and fungal taxa that exhibited a positive response to SCS amendment during the growth stages of maize. Members of these taxa break down organic matter to release nutrients that promote plant growth and yield. In the seedling and vegetative stages of maize growth, the abundance of Rhizobiales is positively correlated with the total nitrogen (TN) content in the soil. During the tasseling and physiological maturity stages of corn, the abundance of Saccharimonadales and Eurotiales is positively correlated with the content of total carbon (TC), total phosphorus (TP), and available phosphorus (AP) in the soil. The results suggest that specific beneficial microorganisms are recruited at different stages of maize growth to supply the nutrients required at each stage. This targeted recruitment strategy optimizes the availability of nutrients to plants and ultimately leads to higher yields. The identification of these key beneficial microorganisms may provide a theoretical basis for the targeted improvement of crop yield and soil quality. This study demonstrates that SCS amendment enhances soil nutrient content and crop yield compared with conventional straw incorporation and sheds light on the response of soil microorganisms to SCS amendment, providing valuable insights for the future implementation of this material. Full article
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16 pages, 4878 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Mn-Removal Efficiency of Acid-Mine Bacterial Consortium: Performance Optimization and Mechanism Study
by Dongmei Hou, Lan Zhang, Chuncheng Li, Lutong Chen and Jianping Zou
Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2185; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092185 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1205
Abstract
In this study, an acclimated manganese-oxidizing bacteria (MnOB) consortium, QBS-1, was enriched in an acid mine area; then, it was used to eliminate Mn(Ⅱ) in different types of wastewater. QBS-1 presented excellent Mn removal performance between pH 4.0 and 8.0, and the best [...] Read more.
In this study, an acclimated manganese-oxidizing bacteria (MnOB) consortium, QBS-1, was enriched in an acid mine area; then, it was used to eliminate Mn(Ⅱ) in different types of wastewater. QBS-1 presented excellent Mn removal performance between pH 4.0 and 8.0, and the best Mn-removal efficiency was up to 99.86% after response surface methodology optimization. Unlike other MnOB consortia, the core bacteria of QBS-1 were Stenotrophomonas and Achromobacter, which might play vital roles in Mn removal. Besides that, adsorption, co-precipitation and electrostatic binding by biological manganese oxides could further promote Mn elimination. Finally, the performance of the Mn biofilter demonstrated that QBS-1 was an excellent inoculant, which indicates good potential for removing Mn contamination steadily and efficiently. Full article
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16 pages, 6983 KiB  
Article
Effect of Anthropogenic Disturbances on the Microbial Relationship during Bioremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Sediment
by Quanliu Yang, Shiqi Jie, Pan Lei, Min Gan, Peng He, Jianyu Zhu and Qingming Zhou
Microorganisms 2023, 11(5), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051185 - 30 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1787
Abstract
Soil, sediment, and waters contaminated with heavy metals pose a serious threat to ecosystem function and human health, and microorganisms are an effective way to address this problem. In this work, sediments containing heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, As) were treated [...] Read more.
Soil, sediment, and waters contaminated with heavy metals pose a serious threat to ecosystem function and human health, and microorganisms are an effective way to address this problem. In this work, sediments containing heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, As) were treated differently (sterilized and unsterilized) and bio-enhanced leaching experiments were carried out with the addition of exogenous iron-oxidizing bacteria A. ferrooxidans and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria A. thiooxidans. The leaching of As, Cd, Cu, and Zn was higher in the unsterilized sediment at the beginning 10 days, while heavy metals leached more optimally in the later sterilized sediment. The leaching of Cd from sterilized sediments was favored by A. ferrooxidans compared to A. thiooxidans. Meanwhile, the microbial community structure was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which revealed that 53.4% of the bacteria were Proteobacteria, 26.22% were Bacteroidetes, 5.04% were Firmicutes, 4.67% were Chlamydomonas, and 4.08% were Acidobacteria. DCA analysis indicated that microorganisms abundance (diversity and Chao values) increased with time. Furthermore, network analysis showed that complex networks of interactions existed in the sediments. After adapting to the acidic environmental conditions, the growth of some locally dominant bacteria increased the microbial interactions, allowing more bacteria to participate in the network, making their connections stronger. This evidence points to a disruption in the microbial community structure and its diversity following artificial disturbance, which then develops again over time. These results could contribute to the understanding of the evolution of microbial communities in the ecosystem during the remediation of anthropogenically disturbed heavy metals. Full article
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Review

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24 pages, 2828 KiB  
Review
Comprehensive Review on the Use of Biocides in Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion
by Xin Shi, Ruiyong Zhang, Wolfgang Sand, Krishnamurthy Mathivanan, Yimeng Zhang, Nan Wang, Jizhou Duan and Baorong Hou
Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2194; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092194 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3820
Abstract
A microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) causes huge economic losses and serious environmental damage every year. The prevention and control measures for MIC mainly include physical, chemical, and biological methods. Among them, biocide application is the most cost-effective method. Although various biocides have their [...] Read more.
A microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) causes huge economic losses and serious environmental damage every year. The prevention and control measures for MIC mainly include physical, chemical, and biological methods. Among them, biocide application is the most cost-effective method. Although various biocides have their own advantages in preventing and treating MIC, most biocides have the problem of polluting the environment and increasing microorganism resistance. Therefore, it has stimulated the exploration of continuously developing new environmentally friendly and efficient biocides. In this review, the application advantages and research progress of various biocides used to prevent and control MIC are discussed. Also, this review provides a resource for the research and rational use of biocides regarding MIC mitigation and prevention. Full article
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21 pages, 4993 KiB  
Review
Review on Microbially Influenced Concrete Corrosion
by Dongsheng Wang, Fang Guan, Chao Feng, Krishnamurthy Mathivanan, Ruiyong Zhang and Wolfgang Sand
Microorganisms 2023, 11(8), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11082076 - 12 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3015
Abstract
Microbially influenced concrete corrosion (MICC) causes substantial financial losses to modern societies. Concrete corrosion with various environmental factors has been studied extensively over several decades. With the enhancement of public awareness on the environmental and economic impacts of microbial corrosion, MICC draws increasingly [...] Read more.
Microbially influenced concrete corrosion (MICC) causes substantial financial losses to modern societies. Concrete corrosion with various environmental factors has been studied extensively over several decades. With the enhancement of public awareness on the environmental and economic impacts of microbial corrosion, MICC draws increasingly public attention. In this review, the roles of various microbial communities on MICC and corresponding protective measures against MICC are described. Also, the current status and research methodology of MICC are discussed. Thus, this review aims at providing insight into MICC and its mechanisms as well as the development of protection possibilities. Full article
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