FAL March 2013

MAR 2013

A F F I L I AT E S L E T T E R The official newsletter for FEMS Affiliates

Handing over the reins: Chief Editor FEMS Reviews Also in this issue: Publications Pages: • Polar Research: - Thematic issue “Polar

and Alpine Microbiology” - FEMRE Editor working in

Dirck Gerritsz laboratory - Cool selection of FEMS

research articles Grants Corner: • FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants Society Feature: • Estonian Society for Microbiology DEADLINES List of FEMS-sponsored meetings Microbiology Tidbits

Handover meeting of Chief Editor of FEMS Reviews. From left to right: Goda Sporn (Editorial Coordinator), Alain Filloux (new Chief Editor), Jim Prosser (Publications Manager), Dieter Haas (former Chief Editor) and Gillian van Beest (Editorial Administrator).

After 4 years at the helm, Dieter Haas has retired as Chief Editor of FEMS Microbiology Reviews. At the handover meeting held in the FEMS office in Delft on 1st March, he was thanked for his tenure as Chief Editor and Professor Alain Filloux welcomed as his successor.

and the variety of its research fields.

He believes the success of the journal should be based on timely choice of original topics written by outstanding scientists that everyone would like to read but also by young rising stars offering their critical opinion. For further insight, read his Editorial.

On accepting the position, Professor Filloux said ‘This was not an easy decision since the commitment to this task will be immense, but the reward of contributing to the success of such a journal will be worth the effort. As a microbiologist, I have always valued the journal content and have published several reviews of which I have always been proud.’

In conclusion, he wishes all readers a good time in the company of our journal and in enjoying the diversity of the microbial life!

He confirmed that he and the specialist editorial team will strive in the highly competitive nature of scientific publishing to continue the work of Dieter Haas in placing FEMS Microbiology Reviews among the list of ‘must read’ journals.

Microbiology is a vast, fast moving, ever increasing, field in its complexity

www.fems-microbiology.org

Handing over the reins: Alain Filloux doing up his FEMS tie.

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Polar Research Thematic issue “Polar and Alpine Microbiology”, FEMS Microbiology Ecology Most of the Earth’s biosphere is characterized by low temperatures (below 5 °C) and cold-adapted microorganisms are now known to be widespread in nature. Scientists, politicians and the general public alike now share the conviction that understanding (micro)biology of polar and alpine systems is of paramount importance to many urgent questions related to global climate, shrinking of polar areas and disappearing of glaciers and other habitats. The latest thematic issue of FEMS Microbiology Ecology is dedicated to polar and alpine microbiology, featuring 26 papers with topics including the ecology of lakes, glaciers, tundra soils and polar deserts, with a broad range of microbes, including bacteria, archaea, yeast, filamentous fungi and lichens. The issue can be found here.

FEMSRE Editor working in Dirck Gerritsz laboratory Dutch scientists from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea research (NIOZ), including FEMS Microbiology Reviews Editor Corina Brussaard are providing an important contribution to climate change and biodiversity research with particular focus on research into algae and iron and other trace elements in the warming Antarctic seawater at the first Dutch laboratory on Antarctica.

Screenshot of Corina Brussaard during a television interview about the first Dutch laboratory on Antarctica.

Officially opened in January, the Dirck Gerritsz Laboratory consists of four sea containers that have been converted into laboratories and placed in a docking station. Who is Dirck Gerritsz? You may have heard of the polar explorers Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott but Dirck Gerritsz is not a name that we connect with polar research. Find out who he is and more in this blog: http://www.nioz.nl/nioz-blog-en.

P U B L I C AT I O N S PA G E

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- Cool selection of FEMS research articles Diversity and cold adaptation of culturable endophytic fungi from bryophytes of maritime Antarctica Zhang et al., FEMS Microbiology Letters, 341(1): 52-61

Endophytic fungi associated with three bryophyte species in the Fildes Region of King George Island, maritime Antarctica, were studied by culture-dependent method. The results herein demonstrate that the Antarctic bryophytes are an interesting source of fungal endophytes and the endophytic fungal composition is different among the bryophyte species, and suggest that these fungal endophytes are adapted to cold stress in Antarctica. Read more

Antarctic yeast as biocontrol agents for apple disease Vero et al., FEMS Yeast Research, 13(2): 189-199

• Selection of yeast based on ability to grow in apple juice at low temperatures • Use for control of postharvest diseases of apple in cold storage environment • Growth of biofilms to protect apples Read more

Key microbial drivers in Antarctic aquatic environments Wilkins et al., FEMS Microbiology Review, 37(3)

Antarctica is arguably the world’s most important continent for influencing the Earth’s climate and ocean ecosystem function. This review puts into perspective the insight that has been and can be gained about Antarctica’s aquatic microbiota by using molecular biology, and in particular, metagenomic approaches, by revealing deep insight into which microorganisms are present in cold environments, and what biogeochemical processes they perform. Read more

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P U B L I C AT I O N S PA G E

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CALL for APPLICATIONS FEMS MEETING ATTENDANCE GRANTS FEMS starts each spring with the deadline for the FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants on 1 April.

These are grants awarded to young European scientists wishing to attend microbiology meetings that are not supported by a FEMS Meetings Grant.

Meeting Attendance Grants may support attendance at meetings worldwide, but preference will be given for meetings within the European area.

The maximum amount of a Meeting Attendance Grant is €600 while the minimum is €250.

We are calling on young scientists wishing to apply for a Meetings Attendance Grant to first familiarize themselves with the regulations governing FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants.

Completed applications should be received at FEMS Central Office by: • 1 April, for attendance at meetings opening between 1 May – 30 September.

• 1 September, for attendance at meetings opening between 1 October – 30 April.

The regulations and application forms are available electronically. Please read them carefully and check the list at the right before contacting the FEMS Office.

G R AN T S CO R NER

CHECKLIST FOR YOUR FEMS MEETING ATTENDANCE GRANT APPLICATION FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants regulations apply to each application for the FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants; the requirements consist of but are not limited to the following: • You are a member of a FEMS Member Society • You are not older than 36 years at the closing date of the meeting • You are an active microbiologist • An abstract for which you are the presenting author is added • The meeting that you are attending is not supported by a FEMS Meeting Grant • You have read the regulations for your application and you fulfill ALL requirements • You have completely filled-up the application form • The following should be submitted along with your application form: 1. a curriculum vitae including a list

of publications 2. one letter of recommendation 3. the abstract 4. a letter confirming its acceptance by

the meeting organisers 5. a photograph 6. a letter confirming the membership by

the FEMS Society • Please send the complete application to grants@fems-microbiology.org before the deadline of 1 April 2013.

www.fems-microbiology.org

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Estonian Society for Microbiology The Estonian Society for Microbiology (EMS) was established in 1992 as a successor of the Estonian branch of Microbiological Society of the former Soviet Union.

The two past Chairs are Professor Tiina Alamäe and Ene Talpsep; currently, Professor Jaak Truu holds this position. Our logo representing a Petri dish with letters EMS on the cover was designed by a student Aiki Järviste. Our society is small (the average number of members being approximately 80) as befits a very small country with a population of just over a million. Importantly, students comprise over 30% of our members.

Microbiologists belonging to our Society come mostly from two big towns of Estonia, Tartu and Tallinn where the universities and other major Estonian scientific institutions are situated. Despite our smallness, we have been active in distributing information on microbiology-related events through our mailing lists, organizing conferences and seminars and promoting our young members. The Society highly appreciates belonging to FEMS, in particular our young members receiving FEMS grants enabling them to work in research laboratories all over Europe.

Prof. Maia Kivisaar ‘s opening words at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop in Tartu in 2004. On the left is Dr. Hermann Heipieper, one of the current MiniReviews editors of FEMS Microbiology Letters.

Our society has organized conferences of our own, as well as several joint events, one example being a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on bioremediation of soils contaminated with aromatic compounds. An up-to-date overview of microbiology-related research and people in Estonia is available at Estonian Research Portal ETIS.

The members of our Society are engaged in a wide array of microbiology-related research including mutational processes and physiological adaptation of bacteria to environmental stress, microbial communities in the environment and the effect of pollution, and bacterial enzymes of biotechnological importance to name a few topics. High-quality technological research is carried out at the Competence Centre of Food and Fermentation Technologies (Tallinn) which deals with advanced cultivation technologies of microorganisms and different novel aspects of food. The next big challenge for our Society is organization of the Second Congress of Baltic Microbiologists in Tartu in 2014.

Microbiologists engaged in jenka dance at final dinner of the Conference of the Society in 1996 at National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn.

Group of our members attending the First Congress of Baltic Microbiologists in Riga, 2012. Prof. Jaak Truu, our current chairman is standing second from the right.

www.fems-microbiology.org

S O C I E T Y F E AT U R E

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MICROBIOLOGY TIDBITS

DEADLINES

Prokaryotic genes enabled evolution of extremophilic alga The red alga Galdieria sulphuraria is an extraordinary extremophile. The alga lives in hot, toxic metal-rich, acidic springs and shows an enormous metabolic flexibility. In a recent issue of Science, Schönknecht et al. report that this alga has acquired at least 5% of its protein-coding genes from various bacteria and archaea through horizontal gene transfer, which likely facilitated the environmental adaptation of this eukaryote.

1 April 2013 1 September 2013 FEMS Meeting Attendance Grants 15 June 2013 1 December 2013 FEMS Research Fellowships 1 June 2013 15 December 2013 FEMS National & Regional Congresses Grants

Source: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf

NASA rover rock analysis points to potentially past life on Mars The NASA rover Curiosity has analysed its first sample from the interior of a rock on Mars. The rock was selected because it may hold evidence of wet environmental conditions long ago. Scientists identified sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon, which are key ingredients for life and could therefore have supported microbial life on Mars.

FEMS-Sponsored Meetings, Spring 2013

Source: NASA

Vibriophages hijack immune system of cholera bacteria Scientists have revealed that vibriophages harbour DNA sequences encoding a fully functional immune system. The viral immune system disables the immune system of cholera bacteria, allowing the phage to kill the bacteria and multiply to produce more phage offspring. This is the first evidence that viruses can acquire a wholly functional and adaptive immune system.

2 4 A p r i l 2 013 Biodeterioration of Wood and Wood Products, BWWP 2013, Tartu, Estonia 2 6 A p r i l 2 013 4th Microbial Genome Maintenance Meeting Oslo, Norway

Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute

2 5 M ay 2 013 Molecular Mechanisms of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Virulence in Human Fungal Pathogens, HFP2013, Paris, France

Micro-algae used as new energy source Researchers from the Ennesys Lab in France have developed a carbon neutral system that produces energy from waste water by cultivating micro-algae. The algae consume the pollution in the water, allowing them to grow and to produce biofuel.

Source: Ennesys

The FEMS Affiliates Letter is a production of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

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