@article {1421,
	title = {Biodegradation of low concentrations of 1,2-dibromoethane in groundwater is enhanced by phenol.},
	journal = {Appl Microbiol Biotechnol},
	volume = {98},
	year = {2014},
	month = {2014 Feb},
	pages = {1329-38},
	abstract = {<p>The lead scavenger 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB), a former additive to leaded gasoline, is a common groundwater contaminant, yet not much knowledge is available for its targeted bioremediation, especially under in situ conditions. The study site was an aviation gas spill site, which, although all hydrocarbons and most of the EDB were remediated in the mid-1990s, still exhibits low levels of EDB remaining in the groundwater (about 11 \&mu;g EDB/l). To evaluate the effect of phenol on biostimulation of low concentration of EDB, microcosms were established from an EDB-contaminated aquifer. After 300 days at environmentally relevant conditions (12\&thinsp;\&plusmn;\&thinsp;2 \&deg;C, static incubation), EDB was not significantly removed from unamended microcosms compared to the abiotic control. However, in treatments amended with phenol, up to 80 \% of the initial EDB concentration had been degraded, while added phenol was removed completely. Microbial community composition in unamended and phenol-amended microcosms remained unchanged, and Polaromonas sp. dominated both types of microcosms, but total bacterial abundance and numbers of the gene for phenol hydroxylase were higher in phenol-amended microcosms. Dehalogenase, an indicator suggesting targeted aerobic biodegradation of EDB, was not detected in either treatment. This finding suggests phenol hydroxylase, rather than a dehalogenation reaction, may be responsible for 1,2-dibromoethane oxidation under in situ conditions. In addition, biostimulation of EDB is possible through the addition of low levels of phenol in aerobic groundwater sites.</p>
},
	keywords = {Bacteria, Biota, Ethylene Dibromide, Groundwater, Metabolic Networks and Pathways, Phenol, Water Pollutants},
	issn = {1432-0614},
	doi = {10.1007/s00253-013-4963-1},
	author = {Baek, Kyunghwa and Wang, Meng and McKeever, Robert and Rieber, Kahlil and Park, Chul and N{\"u}sslein, Klaus}
}
@article {1423,
	title = {Conversion of the Amazon rainforest to agriculture results in biotic homogenization of soil bacterial communities.},
	journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A},
	volume = {110},
	year = {2013},
	month = {2013 Jan 15},
	pages = {988-93},
	abstract = {<p>The Amazon rainforest is the Earth\&$\#$39;s largest reservoir of plant and animal diversity, and it has been subjected to especially high rates of land use change, primarily to cattle pasture. This conversion has had a strongly negative effect on biological diversity, reducing the number of plant and animal species and homogenizing communities. We report here that microbial biodiversity also responds strongly to conversion of the Amazon rainforest, but in a manner different from plants and animals. Local taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of soil bacteria increases after conversion, but communities become more similar across space. This homogenization is driven by the loss of forest soil bacteria with restricted ranges (endemics) and results in a net loss of diversity. This study shows homogenization of microbial communities in response to human activities. Given that soil microbes represent the majority of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems and are intimately involved in ecosystem functions, we argue that microbial biodiversity loss should be taken into account when assessing the impact of land use change in tropical forests.</p>
},
	keywords = {Agriculture, Animals, Bacteria, Biodiversity, Brazil, Cattle, Ecosystem, Humans, Phylogeny, Rain, Soil Microbiology, Trees, Tropical Climate},
	issn = {1091-6490},
	doi = {10.1073/pnas.1220608110},
	author = {Rodrigues, Jorge L M and Pellizari, Vivian H and Mueller, Rebecca and Baek, Kyunghwa and Jesus, Ederson da C and Paula, Fabiana S and Mirza, Babur and Hamaoui, George S and Tsai, Siu Mui and Feigl, Brigitte and Tiedje, James M and Bohannan, Brendan J M and N{\"u}sslein, Klaus}
}
@article {722,
	title = {Molecular approach to evaluate biostimulation of 1,2-dibromoethane in contaminated groundwater.},
	journal = {Bioresour Technol},
	volume = {123C},
	year = {2012},
	month = {2012 May 29},
	pages = {207-213},
	abstract = {This study investigated the effect of co-substrate amendments on EDB biodegradation under aerobic conditions. Microcosms were established using contaminated soil and groundwater samples and maintained under in situ conditions to determine EDB degradation rates, and the diversity and abundance of EDB degrading indigenous bacteria. After 100days of incubation, between 25\% and 56\% of the initial EDB was degraded in the microcosms, with added jet fuel providing highest degradation rates (2.97{\textpm}0.49yr(-1)). In all microcosms, the quantity of dehalogenase genes did not change significantly, while the number of BTEX monooxygenase and phenol hydroxylase genes increased with jet fuel amendments. These results indicate that EDB was not degraded by prior dehalogenation, but rather by cometabolism with adapted indigenous microorganisms. This is also reflected in the history of the plume, which originated from an aviation gasoline pipeline leak. This study suggests that biostimulation of EDB is possible at aerobic groundwater sites.},
	issn = {1873-2976},
	doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2012.05.119},
	author = {Baek, Kyunghwa and McKeever, Robert and Rieber, Kahlil and Sheppard, Diane and Park, Chul and Ergas, Sarina J and N{\"u}sslein, Klaus}
}
