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With a little help from my friends: "understanding the roles and importance of the millipede gut microbiome"
NWEZE, Julius Eyiuche
This research aimed to elucidate the role and importance of the millipede gut microbiome in cellulose digestion by using inhibitors to disrupt potential host-symbiosis and assessing their effects on millipede digestion and overall health. It involved the first comprehensive profiling of microbial communities within the hindgut and faeces of two distinct millipede species: Epibolus pulchripes, a tropical species found on the East African coast, and Glomeris connexa, a temperate species native to Central Europe. Although both species share a similar detritivorous lifestyle, they differ in size and gut redox conditions, with G. connexa being smaller (10-17 mm) than E. pulchripes (130-160 mm). The study also revealed the potential of the hindgut bacterial community in breaking down complex polysaccharides and recycling nutrients. It described the active bacterial community vital for certain processes and the extent of the millipedes' dependence on them. Additionally, the research provided a comprehensive investigation of viral communities in the hindguts of the two millipedes and their role in enhancing metabolism and modulating microbial composition. Furthermore, it introduced a new perspective that millipedes primarily ingest litter to gain access to microbial biomass (primarily fungal), which they and their gut microbiota consume.
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Ecology of Gemmatimonadota
MUJAKIĆ, Izabela
Phylum Gemmatimonadota is a common group present in many natural environments. Yet, this interesting bacterial group is rarely studied. Since its discovery 20 years ago, only six cultured species have been described. Abundances of Gemmatimonadota in various environments are usually low (<1%), with the exception of soils, where they are one of the more abundant phyla. Probably for this reason, at the onset of this work, most of the knowledge about Gemmatimonadota came from studies of soil environments, while information about their ecology in freshwater lakes was missing. An interesting discovery relating to the unexplored diversity of Gemmatimonadota in freshwaters was the isolation of the first phototrophic member of this group, Gemmatimonas phototrophica, which was cultured from a shallow freshwater lake. To learn more about the ecology of Gemmatimonadota in freshwaters, the main focus of this thesis was the analysis of their distribution and diversity in several freshwater lakes, with emphasis on presence of photoheterotrophic Gemmatimonadota. The potential ecological roles of this group, metabolic capabilities and general genomic characteristics have also been addressed, thereby allowing a broader scope comparison with Gemmatimonadota from other environments such as soil, marine waters, or wastewaters.
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