Researchers at the Technion and Reichman University show that Bacillus bacteria form a microscopic biofilm inside dust grains that come from the Sahara and Egypt to Israel — protecting against dryness, radiation, and nutritional deficiency — and expanding our understanding of the “air microbiome.”
Dr. Naama Lang-Yona's lab from the Technion's Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering has previously demonstrated that bacterial species, including Bacillus, are Active factors in dust stormsNow, in a joint study with the research group of Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal from Reichman University, the researchers discovered that these bacteria can organize into a microscopic bacterial layer (biofilm) inside dust grains. The researchers show that these structures protect the bacteria from dryness, extreme radiation, and severe nutrient deprivation.
The study, published in Communications Earth and Environment From the Nature group, it is part of the field called Atmospheric microbiologyThis field studies the movement of microorganisms in the atmosphere – sometimes over distances of thousands of kilometers – and its effects on nature and humans. These processes have significant effects on morbidity, ecology, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, plant diseases, and even the development of antibiotic resistance.
According to Dr. Lang-Yona, "Characterizing the community of living, metabolically active bacteria is important for understanding the interactions between the microbiome and the environment. Our study suggests that the air we breathe may contain entire communities of bacteria originating from remote areas. These communities bring with them new genetic traits that can integrate into natural ecosystems and even humans." In this study, the researchers were able to characterize and grow bacteria that arrived with dust storms under atmospheric conditions, with a focus on a community of beneficial bacteria of the genus Bacillus, known for their positive applications in agriculture, construction, and medical probiotics.
The researchers believe that the selection process during dust storms “favors” more innovative strains of bacteria—a phenomenon that could directly contribute to improving the applications of this bacterium in various fields. Furthermore, this study changes the traditional concept of the soil microbiome by extending it to the air microbiome and expanding the repertoire of behaviors associated with the survival of these organisms.
For an article in Communications Earth and Environment
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