Browsing by Author "Müller, Ralph-Walter"

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Open Access
Cultivation-independent analysis of the bacterial community associated with the calcareous sponge Clathrina clathrus and isolation of Poriferisphaera corsica Gen. Nov., Sp. Nov., belonging to the barely studied class Phycisphaerae in the phylum Planctomycetes
(2020) Kallscheuer, Nicolai; Wiegand, Sandra; Kohn, Timo; Boedeker, Christian; Jeske, Olga; Rast, Patrick; Müller, Ralph-Walter; Brümmer, Franz; Heuer, Anja; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Rohde, Manfred; Jogler, Mareike; Jogler, Christian
Marine ecosystems serve as global carbon sinks and nutrient source or breeding ground for aquatic animals. Sponges are ancient parts of these important ecosystems and can be found in caves, the deep-sea, clear waters, or more turbid environments. Here, we studied the bacterial community composition of the calcareous sponge Clathrina clathrus sampled close to the island Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea with an emphasis on planctomycetes. We show that the phylum Planctomycetes accounts for 9% of the C. clathrus-associated bacterial community, a 5-fold enrichment compared to the surrounding seawater. Indeed, the use of C. clathrus as a yet untapped source of novel planctomycetal strains led to the isolation of strain KS4T. The strain represents a novel genus and species within the class Phycisphaerae in the phylum Planctomycetes and displays interesting cell biological features, such as formation of outer membrane vesicles and an unexpected mode of cell division.
Open Access
In situ laboratory for plastic degradation in the Red Sea
(2022) Brümmer, Franz; Schnepf, Uwe; Resch, Julia; Jemmali, Raouf; Abdi, Rahma; Kamel, Hesham Mostafa; Bonten, Christian; Müller, Ralph-Walter
Degradation and fragmentation of plastics in the environment are still poorly understood. This is partly caused by the lack of long-term studies and methods that determine weathering duration. We here present a novel study object that preserves information on plastic age: microplastic (MP) resin pellets from the wreck of the SS Hamada, a ship that foundered twenty-nine years ago at the coast of Wadi el Gemal national park, Egypt. Its sinking date enabled us to precisely determine how long MP rested in the wreck and a nearby beach, on which part of the load was washed off. Pellets from both sampling sites were analyzed by microscopy, X-ray tomography, spectroscopy, calorimetry, gel permeation chromatography, and rheology. Most pellets were made of low-density polyethylene, but a minor proportion also consisted of high-density polyethylene. MP from inside the wreck showed no signs of degradation compared to pristine reference samples. Contrary, beached plastics exhibited changes on all structural levels, which sometimes caused fragmentation. These findings provide further evidence that plastic degradation under saltwater conditions is comparatively slow, whereas UV radiation and high temperatures on beaches are major drivers of that process. Future long-term studies should focus on underlying mechanisms and timescales of plastic degradation.