May 2017

Diversity and bioprospecting potential of rhizo and endophytic bacteria from two mangrove plants in Saudi Arabia

Mangrove plants are located on coastal area of sea and harbor diverse communities of microorganisms. The aim of our present study was to isolate bacteria from two different mangroves collected from the coastal area of Thuwal, Saudi Arabia and to further screen them for their antimicrobial activities. We have isolated 317 different rhizo and endophytic bacteria from mangroves using soil, roots and leave tissues. Bacteria...

Author(s): Fehmida Bibi, Ikram Ullah, Sana Akhtar, Muhammad Yasir, Eman Ahmed Kensarah, Ahmed Abdullah Khalaf Al-Ghamdi, Esam I. Azhar,

May 2017

Characterisation and evaluation of thiol-releasing and lower volatile acidity forming intra-genus and inter-genus hybrid yeast strains for Sauvignon Blanc wine

Wine yeast expressed proteins are influential during the production of varietal aromatic Sauvignon Blanc wines as they release or mediate aroma compounds and undesirable volatile acidity (VA). As Torulaspora delbrueckii in conjunction with Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as a S. cerevisiae/T. delbrueckii inter-genus hybrid were previously shown to produce white wine with enhanced aroma and/or lower VA, intra- and novel...

Author(s): R. S. Hart, B. K. Ndimba, and N. P. Jolly

May 2017

Colorimetric gold nanoparticles-based assay for direct detection of Clostridium difficile in clinical isolates from Qatar

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant health problem worldwide. Control and prevention strategies of C. difficile horizontal transmission require assays with fast detection with high specificity and sensitivity. Conventional diagnostic methods are time consuming and costly for clinical field settings. This study aims to develop gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-based assay for direct qualitative detection of...

Author(s): Tahani M. Al-Saadi, Nahla O. Eltai, Wedad S. Hamdi, Fadheela Dad Bakhsh, Hassan Azzazy, Nasser Al-Ansari and Asmaa Al-Thani,

May 2017

Diversity and distribution of fungal communities within the hot springs of soda lakes in the Kenyan rift valley

Fungi are highly diverse and versatile, with members growing under different environmental conditions including extreme environments. Although fungal communities in some extreme environments have been investigated in recent years, little is known about their structure and richness within the hot springs of soda lakes in Kenya. The aim of the study was to determine the biogeography and diversity of fungi from the hot...

Author(s): Odilia Atamba Salano, Huxley Mae Makonde, Remmy Wekesa Kasili, Laura Nyawira Wangai, Mildred Pauline Nawiri and Hamadi Iddi Boga