Scientometric Analysis of the Research Productivity of Savitribai Phule Pune University

The study is about the Scientometric analysis of published articles under the Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune since 2001 to 2019. Total of 6449 documents were studied. Specialisation Index and the Research Priority Index have been used for analysing the subjects and their sub-subjects Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Engineering. The study provides an overview of research conducted by the University and tries to show the weaker and stronger areas in four major subjects. The study measures and illustrates the research efforts taken by the Savitribai Phule Pune University in comparison with research efforts taken by the Nation and the World in the same subjects. The study found ‘Physics’ as a specialised subject in the University which obtained 1.455 SI Index Value. The study also reveals that ‘Medical Chemistry’ with 333.2 PI Value in Chemistry, ‘Polymer Science’ with 757.87 PI Value in Physics, ‘Microbiology’ with 1090.51 PI Value in Biology, and ‘Biotechnology Applied Microbiology’ with 936.9 PI Value in Engineering have received the highest research priority and corresponds to the Nation’s research productivity efforts in the same Sub-subjects. The study provides different ranking such as author’s productivity, most cited authors, author’s impact (h-index, g-index, m-index), most-cited journals and most contributed journals.

Recent trend, biases and limitations of cultivation-based diversity studies of microbes

The current study attempts to analyze recent trends, biases and limitations of cultivation-based microbial diversity studies based on published, novel species in the past 6 years in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM), an official publication of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) and the Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology (BAM) Division of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). IJSEM deals with taxa that have validly published names under the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP). All the relevant publications from the last 6 years were retrieved, sorted and analyzed to get the answers to What is the current rate of novel species description? Which country has contributed substantially and which phyla represented better in culturable diversity studies? What are the current limitations? Published data for the past 6 years indicate that 500–900 novel species are reported annually. China, Korea, Germany, UK, India and the USA are at the forefront while contributions from other nations are meager. Despite the recent development in culturomics tools the dominance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria are still prevalent in cultivation, while the representation of archaea, obligate anaerobes, microaerophiles, synergistic symbionts, aerotolerant and other fastidious microbes is poor. Single strain-based taxonomic descriptions prevail and emphasis on objective-based cultivation for biotechnological and environmental significance is not yet conspicuous.

Applied Microbiology—An Open Access Journal

Welcome to Applied Microbiology, a new Open Access MDPI journal that will report original studies and reviews on the growing numbers of applications for microorganisms and their associated technologies [...]

Polymeric Materials Used for Immobilisation of Bacteria for the Bioremediation of Contaminants in Water

Bioremediation is a key process for reclaiming polluted soil and water by the use of biological agents. A commonly used approach aims to neutralise or remove harmful pollutants from contaminated areas using live microorganisms. Generally, immobilised microorganisms rather than planktonic cells have been used in bioremediation methods. Activated carbon, inorganic minerals (clays, metal oxides, zeolites), and agricultural waste products are acceptable substrates for the immobilisation of bacteria, although there are limitations with biomass loading and the issue with leaching of bacteria during the process. Various synthetic and natural polymers with different functional groups have been used successfully for the efficient immobilisation of microorganisms and cells. Promise has been shown using macroporous materials including cryogels with entrapped bacteria or cells in applications for water treatment and biotechnology. A cryogel is a macroporous polymeric gel formed at sub-zero temperatures through a process known as cryogelation. Macroporous hydrogels have been used to make scaffolds or supports for immobilising bacterial, viral, and other cells. The production of composite materials with immobilised cells possessing suitable mechanical and chemical stability, porosity, elasticity, and biocompatibility suggests that these materials are potential candidates for a range of applications within applied microbiology, biotechnology, and research. This review evaluates applications of macroporous cryogels as tools for the bioremediation of contaminants in wastewater.

Going virtual: a report from the sixth Young Microbiologists Symposium on ‘Microbe Signalling, Organisation and Pathogenesis’

The sixth Young Microbiologists Symposium on 'Microbe Signalling, Organisation and Pathogenesis' was scheduled to be held at the University of Southampton, UK, in late August 2020. However, due to the health and safety guidelines and travel restrictions as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the symposium was transitioned to a virtual format, a change embraced enthusiastically as the meeting attracted over 200 microbiologists from 40 countries. The event allowed junior scientists to present their work to a broad audience and was supported by the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, the Society of Applied Microbiology, the Biochemical Society, the Microbiology Society and the National Biofilms Innovation Centre. Sessions covered recent advances in all areas of microbiology including: Secretion and transport across membranes, Gene regulation and signalling, Host–microbe interactions, and Microbial communities and biofilm formation. This report focuses on several of the highlights and exciting developments communicated during the talks and poster presentations.