Background: Stenotrophomonasare ubiquitous gram-negative bacteria, which can survive in a wide range of environments. They can use many substances for their growth and are known to be intrinsically resistant to many antimicrobial agents. They have been tested for biotechnological applications, bioremediation, and production of antimicrobial agents.Method: Stenotrophomonas sp. Pemsol was isolated from a crude oil contaminated soil. The capability of this isolate to tolerate and degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as anthraquinone, biphenyl, naphthalene, phenanthrene, phenanthridine, and xylene was evaluated in Bushnell Hass medium containing PAHs as the sole carbon sources. The metabolites formed after 30-day degradation of naphthalene by Pemsol were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopic (FTIR), Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The genome of Pemsol was also sequenced and analyzed.Results: Anthraquinone, biphenyl, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and phenanthridine except xylene can be used as sole carbon sources for Pemsol’s growth in Bushnell Hass medium. The degradation of naphthalene at a concentration of 1 mg/mL within 30 days was tested. A newly formed catechol peak and the disappearance of naphthalene peak detected on the UPLC-MS, and GC-MS analyses spectra respectively confirmed the complete degradation of naphthalene. Pemsol does not produce biosurfactant and neither bio-emulsify PAHs. The whole genome was sequenced and assembled into one scaffold with a length of 4,373,402 bp. A total of 145 genes involved in the degradation of PAHs were found in its genome, some of which are Pemsol-specific as compared with other 11Stenotrophomonasgenomes. Most specific genes are located on the genomic islands.Stenotrophomonassp. Pemsol’s possession of few genes that are associated with bio-emulsification gives the genetic basis for its inability to bio-emulsify PAH. A possible degradation pathway for naphthalene in Pemsol was proposed following the analysis of Pemsol’s genome. ANI and GGDH analysis indicated that Pemsol is likely a new species ofStenotrophomonas.It is the first report on a complete genome sequence analysis of a PAH-degradingStenotrophomonas.Stenotrophomonassp. Pemsol possesses features that make it a good bacterium for genetic engineering and will be an excellent tool for the remediation of crude oil or PAH-contaminated soil.

In this study, two strains of Bdellovibrio were isolated from soil samples using the culture‐dependent technique and two members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (Klebsiella sp. and Salmonella sp.) as prey. The Bdellovibrio strains were bacteriolytic, plaque‐forming, and highly motile gram‐negative bacteria. We identified and confirmed the Bdellovibrio strains using microscopy, PCR amplification, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. They were observed to be different strains based on hit locus and prey range analyses. Here, the first report on Bdellovibrio strains isolated from soil in Mexico corroborates earlier report indicating that populations of Bdellovibrio found in soil are heterogeneous thereby the need to identify the various strains.

Bdellovibriospp. are predatory bacteria with great potential as antimicrobial agents. Studies have shown that members of the genusBdellovibrioexhibit peculiar characteristics that influence their ecological adaptations. In this study, whole genomes of two differentBdellovibriospp. designated SKB1291214 and SSB218315 isolated from soil were sequenced. The core genes shared by all theBdellovibriospp. considered for the pangenome analysis including the epibioticB. exovoruswere 795. The number of unique genes identified inBdellovibriospp. SKB1291214, SSB218315, W, andB. exovorusJJS was 1343, 113, 857, and 1572, respectively. These unique genes encode hydrolytic, chemotaxis, and transporter proteins which might be useful for predation in theBdellovibriostrains. Furthermore, the twoBdellovibriostrains exhibited differences based on the % GC content, amino acid identity, and 16S rRNA gene sequence. The 16S rRNA gene sequence ofBdellovibriosp. SKB1291214 shared 99% identity with that of an unculturedBdellovibriosp. clone 12L 106 (a pairwise distance of 0.008) and 95–97% identity (a pairwise distance of 0.043) with that of other culturable terrestrialBdellovibriospp., including strain SSB218315. InBdellovibriosp. SKB1291214, 174 bp sequence was inserted at the host interaction(hit)locus region usually attributed to prey attachment, invasion, and development of host independentBdellovibriophenotypes. Also, a gene equivalent toBd0108inB. bacteriovorusHD100 was not conserved inBdellovibriosp. SKB1291214. The results of this study provided information on the genetic characteristics and diversity of the genusBdellovibriothat can contribute to their successful applications as a biocontrol agent.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain SVIA2 was isolated from crude oil-contaminated soil from Tabasco, Mexico, and displayed a good potential for the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), using naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthridine, or biphenyl as the unique source of carbon. The SVIA2 genome contains essential genes involved in the degradation of PAHs.

Background: Stenotrophomonas species are multi-resistant bacteria with ability to cause opportunistic infections. Objective: We isolated 45 Stenotrophomonas species from soil, sewage and the clinic with the aim of investigating their susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobial agents. Methodology: The identities of isolates were confirmed with 16S rRNA gene sequence and MALDI-TOF analysis. Anti-mi- crobial resistance, biofilm production and clonal diversity were also evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentration technique as described by Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute: CLSI Guidelines (CLSI) was employed for the evaluation of isolate susceptibility to antibiotics. Result: Forty-five Stenotrophomonas species which include 36 environmental strains and 9 clinical strains of S. maltophilia were considered in this study. 32 (88.9 %) environmental strains were identified to be S. maltophilia, 2 (5.6 %) were Stenotrophomonas nitritireducens, and 2 (5.6 %) cluster as Stenotrophomonas spp. Stenotrophomonas isolates were resistant to at least six of the antibiotics tested, including Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (SXT). Conclusion: Environmental isolates from this study were resistant to SXT which is commonly used for the treatment of S. maltophilia infections. This informs the need for good public hygiene as the environment could be a reservoir of multi-resistant bacteria. It also buttresses the importance of surveillance study in the management of bacterial resistance. Keywords: Stenotrophomonas; environmental; biochemical characterization; clonal diversity; anti-microbial susceptibility.

University teachers have adapted to different situations during the development of distance learning due to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. This study was conducted by assigning a data collection instrument to 993 teachers who are part of 15 technological universities (TUs) and 7 polytechnic universities (PUs) to determine how they were affected by COVID-19. The questions asked were related to the social, economic, academic, emotional, and health effects experienced. The results show that 63% of the teachers working online complained that online teaching invaded their family privacy; 56% pointed out that working from home and the virtual classes affected their performance as teachers; 90% of the teachers thought that they dedicated too much extra to preparing for their classes; 15% were stressed; 4% felt negative under the new teaching scheme of virtual classes; finally, 38% of the teachers stated that repeated interaction with electronic devices had a lot of negative impacts on their emotional wellbeing. By means of a G-test, it was determined that gender was independent from the studied effects. Through a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), it was determined that, of the total number of teachers who responded to the questionnaire, half were comfortable with the online teaching model and the other half were not. The most impacted effects were the economic, training and connectivity independently from the gender.