Microbiology and Biotechnology Research: An Overview Vol. 5

AI-Driven Anatomical Mapping of the Head and Neck: Advances in Immunology, Microbiome, and Structural Biomarker Discovery

2025-10-15T09:32:58+00:00

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the anatomical and molecular mapping of head and neck cancers by integrating immunological, microbiome, and structural biomarkers into cohesive diagnostic and prognostic frameworks. Advances in deep learning, digital pathology, radiomics, and spatial omics now allow automated segmentation, immune landscape characterisation, and multi-omics integration with high accuracy and reproducibility. AI-driven spatial profiling has enhanced understanding of tumour–immune interactions, while automated imaging analysis has refined structural biomarker discovery, supporting improved radiotherapy planning and outcome prediction. Concurrently, microbiome-focused machine learning approaches are revealing microbial signatures linked to immunotherapy response. Despite these advances, limitations remain, including small datasets, a lack of standardised protocols, and challenges in model interpretability. However, current literature remains fragmented, often evaluating immunological, microbial, or imaging biomarkers in isolation rather than through integrated AI frameworks. By bridging this gap, AI mapping can facilitate earlier diagnosis, personalise therapy selection, and improve survival outcomes in clinical practice. This review highlights the transformative role of AI in biomarker discovery and precision oncology for head and neck cancers, emphasising the need for multicenter validation, explainable AI, and harmonised methodologies to enable clinical translation.

Impact of Fertilizer, Herbicide, Algicide and Fungicide on Soil Microbial and Enzyme Activities in Maize and Rice Ecosystem

2025-10-15T09:35:27+00:00

To increase crop productivity, modern agricultural practices comprise fertilisers, algaecides, herbicides and fungicides. Fertiliser application profoundly impacts soil microbes and enzymes, with organic fertilisers generally promoting beneficial microbial communities and enzyme activities like phosphatase and dehydrogenase, while high-dose inorganic fertilisers can lead to negative effects, such as reduced microbial richness and inhibition of certain enzyme activities, often altering soil nutrient availability and pH. Long-term studies show that organic amendments can enhance microbial biomass and functional diversity, supporting nutrient cycling, while mineral fertilisers, especially in excess, may negatively affect soil health and microbial respiration. Fungicide application negatively impacts soil health by reducing microbial biomass, decreasing fungal populations, altering microbial community structure, and inhibiting enzyme activities, such as phosphatases, dehydrogenases, and ureases. These effects disrupt soil fertility and ecological functions, although the specific impact depends on the fungicide's type, dose, persistence, and soil conditions. Algicide application can negatively impact soil microbes and enzyme activities, decreasing microbial populations and altering community structure due to toxicity, while simultaneously affecting key enzymes like urease, phosphatase, and catalase involved in nutrient cycling and organic matter breakdown. However, studies show a complex relationship, with algicides sometimes causing an initial increase in certain microbial populations before a decline, highlighting the importance of application rates and exposure time. The overall effect can lead to reduced soil fertility and long-term ecological consequences. Herbicide application generally alters soil microbial communities and enzyme activities, often with an initial inhibitory effect on microbial respiration and enzyme activity, though this can be temporary. The specific impact varies significantly based on the herbicide's type, dose, and soil conditions. Some herbicides can be particularly detrimental to beneficial microbes, slowing crucial processes like nitrogen cycling, while others may promote the growth of specific microbes involved in herbicide breakdown. Combined herbicide applications often intensify negative effects, and long-term exposure can shift microbial community composition and function, influencing soil health and fertility.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil microbial population and soil enzyme activity by the use of fertiliser in maize and inorganic input in the rice ecosystem.

A field experiment (2021 to 2023) was carried out using synthetic fertiliser doses with maize crops, followed by rice crops using inorganic inputs. Soil microbial population and enzyme activities were examined.

Maize field experiment revealed that the plots treated with 75 % Standardised Dose of Fertiliser (SDF) of NPK had the highest populations of diazotrophs (124 × 10⁵cfu / g), Phosphobacteria (66.33 × 10⁵cfu / g), and Azospirillum (0.409 × 10⁵ MPN / g) than 100 % and 150 % SDF of NPK. The soil enzyme activity was higher in the unfertilized control plot than fertilised plot. These experimental results revealed that a low amount of fertiliser and no fertiliser favour the growth of soil microorganisms and soil enzyme activities, respectively. Followed by the rice field experiment, revealed that the soil microbial population was decreased by the application of inorganic inputs viz., fertiliser, algaecide, herbicide and fungicide. However, the maximum soil microbial population was found in algaecide application, followed by herbicide and fungicide.

The field experiment concluded that soil microbial population and enzyme activity were affected by inorganic amendments. Less inorganic fertilisers and no fertilisers improve soil microbial activities and soil enzyme activities.

Prevalence and Socio-economic Determinants of Tuberculosis among Patients in a Secondary Hospital in Southern Nigeria

2025-10-15T09:38:53+00:00

Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of mortality, especially in countries with low socio-economic status. Socio-economic determinants influence individuals’ health behaviours, access to healthcare resources, degree of exposure to certain diseases and environmental factors. The increase in Tuberculosis problem correlates with an increase in countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where intricate socio-economic factors such as malnutrition, poverty, homelessness, overcrowding, poor and delayed diagnosis, and poor drug susceptibility testing procedures are experienced. This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of tuberculosis and associated socio-economic determinants among patients attending Immanuel General Hospital in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 patients with presumptive tuberculosis diagnosis within a period of 12 months at Immanuel General Hospital Eket (IGHE). A structured questionnaire was administered to consenting patients for the collection of relevant data. Deep-cough sputum samples were collected from patients who were able to expectorate and processed according to the standard bacteriological method. Microscopic detection of acid-fast bacilli was carried out by the Ziehl-Neelsen method, while Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured in Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and colonies identity was further confirmed using the SD BIOLINE rapid diagnostic test. Data for the study were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire and analysed using SPSS software version 27. p-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. The confirmed prevalence of tuberculosis in this study was 27.3%. The infection rate was higher in males (29.4%) than in females (21.9%) and was significantly associated with age (P = .02) and employment status (P < .001) of patients. The study found a strong, significant association between TB prevalence and family size, number of people sleeping in a room, income level, number of times meals are taken per day, and previous TB exposure of patients (P ≤ .05). The prevalence of TB is high in IGHE and is significantly associated with some socioeconomic risk factors. The findings of this study support the social and economic determinants of health theory, highlighting the critical role of socio-economic factors in TB infection. This underscores the urgent need for targeted policy interventions by relevant government agencies to improve the socio-economic conditions of residents in Eket.

Molecular Docking Studies of Chloroquine Derivatives with Human HGPRTase

2025-10-15T09:44:18+00:00

In this study, molecular docking simulations were performed to investigate the binding interactions between chloroquine and its putative molecular targets. Analysis of the docking results provided insights into the key amino acid residues involved in ligand binding and the potential binding pockets within the target proteins. Human HGPRTase is the protein used for docking studies of chloroquine. Chloroquine is used as a standard. The compounds C₂ and C₆ displayed the best Mol Doc score –124.844 kcal/mol -137.776kcal/mol. The standard drug Chloroquine exhibited a Mol Doc score of -77.1536 kcal/mol.

Nucleic Acid-based Approaches for Nonsense Suppression and Their Applications: An Update

2025-10-15T09:48:06+00:00

Genetic modification and manipulation are valuable tools for improving our understanding of biological mechanisms. For decades, biologists have taken advantage of the molecular and genetic tools. One of these genetic methods, suppressor analysis, has been essential in helping us comprehend several biological processes and pathways, as well as identifying previously unknown combinatorial connections between genes and gene products. High-throughput techniques have helped in the identification of suppressors on a broad scale as technology has advanced over the years. They are increasingly being used in human genetics to treat various diseases, as well as in plant biology to improve crops and induce disease resistance. In the preceding section of this review, we look at some of the core principles and mechanisms of nucleic acid-based suppressors, followed by a detailed discussion of methods, approaches and limitations. We next discuss their applicability in human genetics and plant biology in depth. The review discusses the benefits of various approaches in the treatment of CNS illnesses, which have proven difficult for a variety of reasons. In plant biology, the use of answering basic questions and crop enhancement and disease resistance is explored. To summarise, nonsense suppression opens up new avenues for investigating fundamental biology questions like transcription and translation. The ever-expanding list of illness treatments in human genetics, the breadth of applications in plant sciences, and the newer toolkits all demonstrate the advantages of the method.

Antibiotic Resistance Pattern and Biochemical Characterisation of an Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in an Intensive Care Unit

2025-11-25T10:13:04+00:00

β-Lactamases production by bacteria remains the most important mechanism of natural and acquired resistance to β-lactams, particularly in Gram-negative bacteria. Over time, these β-enzymes have evolved in parallel with the massive use of β-lactams. Thus, we have witnessed the emergence and rapid diversification of new enzymes accompanied by broadening of their spectrum of activity and their diffusion among bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria producing beta-lactamase are of significant concern, particularly due to their prevalence in nosocomial infections. Remarkably, Enterobacter cloacae (E. cloacae) is recognised as a nosocomial pathogen that causes significant infections in hospitals, especially in recent years. During the nosocomial infections occurring in the intensive care unit of the military hospital of Tunis, the Enterobacter cloacae strain was isolated from a stool culture. This strain was found to have a high level of resistance to broad-spectrum β-lactams. The antibiotic susceptibility of the E. cloacae strain was determined on Mueller-Hinton agar by the standard disk diffusion procedure. Resistance profile against the various families of antibiotics was determined using the disc diffusion test. The minimal inhibitory concentration values showed that this strain was resistant to the β-lactams such as ampicillin and the extended spectrum cephalosporins (cefotaxime, ceftriaxon and cefpirome). Analysis of this strain by the disk diffusion test revealed synergies between amoxicillin-clavulanate (AMX-CA) and ceftriaxon, ceftazidime and cefotaxime. Cell sonicate of this isolate is very active against cefotaxime and showed a specific activity (AS) of 7.54 U/mg for the same antibiotic. This activity was inhibited by the sulbactam and the clavulanic acid. Isoelectrofocusing methods revealed that the crude extract of the E. cloacae strain showed 1 β- β-lactamase activity with an isoelectric point (pI) of about 8. This activity was transferred by conjugation and was highly expressed in the transconjugant. These findings provide an evaluation of the biochemical characteristics of a cefotaxime-hydrolysing β-lactamase encoded by a conjugative plasmid in Enterobacter cloacae, emphasising the need for continuous surveillance in a hospital setting.

Optimization of Antimicrobial Metabolite Production by Streptomyces cinnamonensis VLCH-1 from Mangrove Sediments

2025-11-25T10:16:39+00:00

Microbial secondary metabolites are one of the immense reservoirs of natural chemical diversity with potent biological activity. Actinomycetes, specifically members of the genus Streptomyces, have the ability to produce potential secondary metabolites possessing antimicrobial properties, including beta-lactams, macrolides, aminoglycosides, etc. The production of secondary metabolites by Streptomyces can be enhanced by altering nutritional and culture parameters. The aim of the present work is to evaluate cultural parameters influencing the production of bioactive secondary metabolites by Streptomyces cinnamonensis VLCH-1 isolated from mangroves located at Machilipatnam of Andhra Pradesh, India. Employing different pretreatment techniques as well as culture media, 50 actinobacterial strains were isolated from mangrove sediments. All the strains were screened for their ability to produce bioactive metabolites. Among them, one strain exhibited broad-spectrum antagonistic activity. It was identified as Streptomyces cinnamonensis VLCH-1 based on cultural, morphological, physiological and molecular approaches. To enhance the production of bioactive metabolites by this strain, attempts are made to optimise culture conditions. High antimicrobial metabolite production was obtained from six-day-old culture grown in ISP-2 (yeast extract, malt extract, dextrose) broth. The strain productivity was improved by amending the culture medium with dextrose (1%), tryptone (1%) and K₂HPO₄(0.50%) as carbon, nitrogen and mineral sources. NaCl @3% supported good growth as well as enhanced the production of bioactive metabolites. The secondary metabolites produced by the strain under optimal conditions showed strong antagonistic activity against pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus megaterium), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and Candida albicans. The study suggested that actinobacteria from unexplored mangrove habitats of the south coast of Andhra Pradesh serve as a source for antimicrobial compounds.

Evaluation of the Effect of Local Aromatic Plant Marinades and Cooking Regimes on Colour and Quality of Borgou Beef in Benin

2025-11-25T10:19:28+00:00

Meat production in Benin is primarily supplied by the national cattle herd, which comprises a genetic diversity predominated by the Borgou breed. The quality attributes of beef are directly influenced by processing techniques such as marination and cooking. Marination plays a crucial role in improving tenderness, juiciness, and flavour while also conferring antioxidant and antimicrobial effects that enhance meat safety and shelf life. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of marination and cooking duration and temperature on the technological properties and sensory profile of Borgou beef. This study was conducted from April 2020 to December 2023, at the central slaughterhouse of Parakou and at the Quality Control Unit of the laboratory of Nutrition and Food Sciences of the University of Parakou, located in the Department of Borgou in Benin. To this end, 10 composite samples of Longissimus thoracis muscles of Borgou cattle were sampled and used for the analyses according to the recommended AOAC and ISO standards. The study showed that the values of the ratio L1*/L0* and a/a₀ differ significantly between meat cooked at 99°C and 66°C. The various stages of heating are visually reflected by the change in colour from red to white-gray, then brown, and finally black. At 66°C and 99°C, samples whiten and do not change colour until the end of cooking, except for some brown traces. Marination affects the technological properties of both raw and cooked meat. The luminance of marinated meat is significantly higher than that of control (non-marinated) samples (p<0.01). Conversely, the red index of marinated meat is significantly lower than that of control samples (p<0.05). Regarding the yellow index, the highest value was recorded in meat marinated with Curcuma longa (p<0.05). The most intense hue was observed in the control lot. Only the chroma of the meat was unaffected by marination. The pH of marinated meats is significantly more acidic than that of the control lot. Turmeric marination significantly reduces cooking loss, whereas bay leaves promote higher water release during cooking (p<0.001). The integration of traditional aromatic plants not only improves physicochemical stability and sensory attributes but also provides natural antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits. Future studies should investigate the antimicrobial activity of the different marinades used in the study and assess the microbiological safety of the marinated beef.