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12 páginas.- 1 figuras.- 1 tabla.- 47 referencias.- Comunicación oral presentada en el VIII Congreso Español sobre Cuevas y Minas Turísticas "Minas y Cuevas: Patrimonio Geológico y Turístico". J.M. Calaforra y J.J. Durán Valsero (eds.), Pulpí (Almería) 19-22 octubre 2022 .- Enlace al libro de Actas completo https://www.cuevasturisticas.es/actas-cuevatur-2022, Los tubos de lava se encuentran distribuidos por todo el mundo. Estas cuevas volcánicas, inicialmente formadas por el flujo de lava de un volcán en erupción, son habitadas por complejas comunidades microbianas una vez alcanzan la temperatura ambiente. En las paredes y techos del tubo de lava de la Cueva del Viento (Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife, España) se han encontrado colonizaciones microbianas que forman biopelículas de diferentes colores (blancas, amarillas y rojas). Esta cueva es uno de los tubos de lava más grande del mundo, y su nombre se debe a las importantes corrientes de aire que se producen en su interior. La Cueva del Viento presenta unas características geomorfológicas únicas y una gran diversidad de fauna subterránea. Sin embargo, la información disponible sobre la biodiversidad bacteriana presente en su interior es limitada. En este trabajo se llevaron a cabo técnicas de cultivo y análisis moleculares para la caracterización de las biopelículas microbianas y comprender su biodiversidad, así como el estado de conservación de esta cavidad volcánica. Se aislaron 42 cepas bacterianas, distribuidas principalmente en los filos Actinomycetota y Bacillota. El género más numeroso dentro de cada filo fue Streptomyces (ocho cepas), el cual es abundante en suelos, y Bacillus (nueve cepas), respectivamente. La especie Paenarthrobacter nicotinovorans, perteneciente al filo Actinomycetota y hallada en las muestras de colonias amarillas y blancas (cinco cepas), se caracteriza por degradar nicotina, atrazina y otros herbicidas nitrogenados, lo que evidenciaría una posible contaminación proveniente del suelo localizado sobre la cueva. La muestra más diversa correspondió a la biopelícula de color blanco, situada en una de las zonas más contaminadas de la cueva, donde se aislaron 14 cepas bacterianas. La caracterización de las comunidades microbianas presentes en la Cueva del Viento ayudará a comprender mejor su diversidad y a concienciar al público sobre la importancia de la conservación de este tubo de lava, proyectado hoy en día como un museo natural., Esta publicación es parte del proyecto de investigación TUBOLAN PID2019-108672RJ-I00 y del contrato Ramón y Cajal (RYC2019-026885-I), financiados por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033. Además, este trabajo ha recibido apoyo de la Fundaçao para a Ciencia e Tecnología de Portugal (FCT) en el marco del proyecto MICROCENO (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020), y del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) a través del proyecto intramural PIE_20214AT021.

12 páginas.- 5 figuras.- 2 tablas.- 39 referencias.- Comunicación oral presentada en el VIII Congreso Español sobre Cuevas y Minas Turísticas "Minas y Cuevas: Patrimonio Geológico y Turístico". J.M. Calaforra y J.J. Durán Valsero (eds.), Pulpí (Almería) 19-22 octubre 2022.- Enlace al libro de Actas completo https://www.cuevasturisticas.es/actas-cuevatur-2022, Las cuevas vienen siendo estudiadas desde diversos puntos de vistas: ambiental, geológico, geoquímico, microbiológico, turístico, etc. Sin embargo, las cuevas y otros ambientes subterráneos han sido poco explorados desde el punto de vista biotecnológico, aunque representan nichos ecológicos indispensables que podrían ofrecer nuevas moléculas de interés para la medicina y la farmacología. Se han investigado las bacterias de diversas cuevas de la Península Ibérica, así como de las Islas Canarias para comprobar su bioactividad. Entre ellas, han mostrado un interesante potencial antimicrobiano algunas de las bacterias aisladas de la Cueva de Altamira. Los análisis in vitro e in silico mostraron la inhibición de bacterias patógenas Gram- positivas, Gram-negativas y hongos. El interés de esta investigación se apoya en la conocida resistencia de las bacterias patógenas a los antimicrobianos, lo que se ha convertido en un problema mundial en las últimas décadas. Nuestros datos muestran la presencia de bacterias productoras de compuestos antimicrobianos en ambientes subterráneos; y el estudio de sus genomas indicarían la existencia de genes implicados en la síntesis de nuevos compuestos. Palabras clave: Cueva de Altamira, compuestos antimicrobianos, Crossiella, Pseudomonas, predicción de genes., Esta publicación es parte del proyecto de investigación 0483_PROBIOMA_5_E.

Comunicación oral presentada en el 1st European Meeting on Geomicrobiology of volcanic caves. días 2-3 de marzo de 2023 celebrado en la Casa de la Ciencia-CSIC de Sevilla, Volcanic caves are distributed worldwide. Numerous studies have revealed highly diverse microbial communities in lava tubes, forming colored microbial mats on the walls and ceilings of these caves. Several studies on bacterial biodiversity in lava tubes based on molecular techniques have been conducted, but there is limited information available on the diversity of culturable bacteria present in these caves. Culture-dependent techniques and molecular analyses were used in this study to characterize the microbial biofilms found in several lava tubes located in the Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Spain) and the Selvagens Islands (Portugal). One hundred and thirty-seven bacterial isolates were obtained thus far, mainly distributed within the phylum Bacillota. Most of the bacteria isolated from the lava tubes of Lanzarote and Selvagens Islands tolerate high salt concentrations, and some of them can produce antibiotics, such as Bacillus paralicheniformis and Streptomyces zaomyceticus (isolated from Selvagens Islands) or enzymes of industrial importance such as cellulose produced by Alkalihalobacillus akibai, urease produced by Sporosarcina newyorkensis (isolated from Lanzarote) or pectinase made by Sinomicrobium pectinilyticum (isolated from Selvagens Islands). Other interesting strains present in the lava tubes of the Selvagens Islands were Arthrobacter bussei and Kocuria palustris due to their antioxidant and fungicidal activity. The characterization of the microbial communities present in these lava tubes will help to better understand their diversity and the conservation of these volcanic cavity. Lava tubes could also be a good scenario to study the characterization of new bacterial species and to study the production of bioactive substances produce by these bacteria., The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is acknowledged for funding the MICROCENO project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020). The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation from the Spanish State Agency (AEI) is also acknowledged for funding the TUBOLAN project (PID2019-108672RJ-I00). This work was also supported by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) through the intramural project PIE_20214AT021

Póster presentado en EGU 2019, Viena (Austria) 7 al 12 de abril de 2019. Puede ver el Abstract en https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/EGU2019-9604.pdf, Due to their extraordinary properties, Actinobacteria can thrive in extreme environments, such as limestone caves, lava tubes and stone monuments. They grow forming microbial mats and speleothems on the walls and ceilings of caves, ranging from extensive coatings to small colonies (Riquelme et al. 2015). Their colour includes yellow, tan, orange, grey, pink and white. Recently, we have found abundant yellow and white-coloured bacterial mats coating the cave walls and secondary mineral deposits (speleothems) of lava tubes from La Palma Island, Canary Islands, Spain (Gonzalez-Pimentel et al. 2018) and Mount Etna in Catania (Sicily, Italy). Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) of the coloured microbial mats revealed abundant Actinobacteria-like cells, including a variety of filaments and spore structures with smooth surface ornamentation or profuse surface appendages. The DNA-/RNA-based analyses confirmed that these microbial mats are mainly composed of metabolically active Actinobacteria (Gonzalez-Pimentel et al. 2018). It is well known that Actinobacteria, mainly isolated from marine and soil ecosystems, are an important source of bioactive compounds, with Streptomyces ranking first with a huge number of bioactive secondary metabolites (Guo et al. 2015). These compounds, not only produced by Streptomyces but also by Bacillus, are very important to the industrial sector, such as pharmacology, biofuel and food industries, as well as to the conservation of stone cultural heritage, due to their antimicrobial properties (Silva et al. 2017). In the last decades, these sectors have intensified demands for exploring novel eco-friendly bioactive compounds, which stresses the need to investigate new groups of Actinobacteria from underexplored habitats. Yet, Actinobacteria from caves have not been the target of intensive screening for bioactive secondary metabolites. Hence, Actinobacterial-like microbial mats were collected and isolated from lava tubes in La Palma and Mount Etna to investigate their biotechnological potential. The screening of antimicrobial activity was based both on culture-dependent techniques using the agar diffusion assay and on metagenomics. Our study has howed that the strain Streptomyces sp. MZ0467C isolated from La Palma lava tube has antimicrobial activity against Microbacterium sp., Rhodococcus sp., Arthrobacter sp., Kocuria sp., Sphingomonas sp. and Paenibacillus sp. due to its ingenious adaptations and metabolic strategies to survive under extreme environmental conditions. This demonstrates that Actinobacteria from subterranean environments are promising sources of antibacterial compounds with interest for cultural heritage conservation., References: - Gonzalez-Pimentel JL. et al. 2018. Yellow coloured mats from lava tubes of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) are dominated by metabolically active Actinobacteria. Sci. Rep. 8, 1944. - Guo X. et al. 2015. Red soils harbor diverse culturable actinomycetes that are promising sources of novel secondary metabolites. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 81, 3086-3103. - Riquelme C. et al. 2015. Actinobacterial diversity in volcanic caves and associated geomicrobiological interactions. Front. Microbiol. 6, 1342. - Silva M. et al. 2017. Green mitigation strategy for cultural heritage: Bacterial potential for biocide production. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 24, 4871-4881.

Póster presentado en EGU 2019, Viena (Austria) 7 al 12 de abril de 2019. Puede ver el Abstract en https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/EGU2019-8949.pdf, Etruscan and Roman necropolises are cemeteries with different types of burial practices, which are remarkable for their magnificent mural paintings. The conservation of these paintings is difficult, mainly derived from environmental factors and the opening of the tombs to public visits. One of the most complex phenomena observed on these sites is biodeterioration. The Circular Mausoleum tomb (Roman Necropolis of Carmona, Seville, Spain) is characterized by a heavy colonization of phototrophic microorganisms on the walls and ceiling. In addition, some areas near the ceiling exhibited an important number of violet stains of unknown origin. Previously, Agarossi (1994) found similar violet stains, attributed to streptomycetes, in two Etruscan tombs. However, no data on the species involved or the chemical structure of the pigments were reported. Here we show that the violet stains observed in the Circular Mausoleum are produced by a strain of the actinobacterium Streptomyces isolated from the mortar walls, and able to synthesize the same violet pigment in the laboratory. Streptomyces parvus MC05 was identified after whole genome study by means of Next Generation Sequencing methods. Pairwise comparisons carried out for genomes of the type strain of S. parvus DSM40348T and the MC05 strain were performed using Jspecies service. While results observed for ANIb, ANIm and Tetra indexes indicated that both strains belong to the same species, the S. parvus MC05 strain differs from the DSM20348T type strain in genome size and secondary metabolites production. AntiSMASH analysis implemented for both strains showed that the S. parvus MC05, isolated from the tomb, presents the capacity of synthesize bioactive compounds which were absents in the type strain. HPLC-MS of the culture extracts from S. parvus MC05 showed the production of three main granaticin derivatives (dihydrogranaticin A, granaticin A and granaticin B) in addition to minor products of other granaticin analogues. Granaticin pigments exhibited antibacterial activity, which justified the low number of clones of Gram positive bacteria found in the whole microbial community study. Gram negative bacteria were not affected (DominguezMoñino et al. 2017). To conclude, the origin of the violet stains in the walls of the Circular Mausoleum is the presence of S. parvus MC05, a member of the complex microbial community thriving on the tomb. In growing periods (rainy season) the bacterium excretes the soluble violet granaticins, compounds with a benzoisochromanequinone structure, which diffuses to the mortar and surrounding substrata in wetting periods., References - Agarossi, G. 1994. In Studi e Ricerche sulla Conservazione delle Opere d’Arte Dedicati alla Memoria di Marcello - Paribeni. F. Guidobaldi (ed.), CNRS, pp. 1−11. - Dominguez-Moñino, I. et al. 2017. Science of the Total Environment 598, 889-899.

The first tomb of a Roman Necropolis in the area of Carmona (Seville, Spain) was accidentally discovered in 1830. Few more tombs were exhumed between 1868 and 1869. These tombs were plundered until the beginning of the archaeological excavations in 1882. This necropolis, located in the town of Carmona, represents one of the most significant Roman burial sites in Southern Spain, and was in use during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Initially, the necropolis was used as quarry from which stone blocks were extracted and used for building construction. The quarry was then abandoned and reused as necropolis due to the workability of the rock. The Necropolis has suffered numerous and extensive interventions since its discovery. The first one was the adaptation of the necropolis for visits in 1885, including the construction of a trail, design of gardens around the tombs and plantation of trees. Nowadays, the gardens are considered one of the most deteriorating factors affecting the conservation of the tombs due to irrigation and consequent percolation of water inside the tombs, in addition to the damage caused by roots. Taking into account the cultural, artistic and religious importance of the Necropolis of Carmona, its preservation and conservation are a major issue, both from cultural and economic points of view. This importance emphasizes the need to define accurate and sustainable intervention protocols based on a deep understanding of the environmental and/or anthropogenic-induced deterioration processes. The design of effective preservation and/or conservation strategies should be based on exhaustive in situ surveys and laboratory investigations. Here we review 10 years of research in the Necropolis and we focus on the Circular mausoleum, as a case study, including an assessment of its conservation state, and the identification of the main deteriorating agents. In addition, an intervention proposal for the preservation of the Circular Mausoleum was presented.

Significant concerns have been raised due to increasing pollution of surface and ground waters. In the vast majority of water treatment plants, depth filtration is incorporated through the use of non-compressible filters made of granular activated carbon (GAC), but the efficiency of GAC for removal of pathogens is very poor. In addition, the removal of small organic polar molecules is not usually satisfactory. Therefore, there is a growing interest in the development of composites that improve the performance of GAC or even can be an alternative to its use. The current research describes the synthesis, characterization and potential use of clay-polymer composites for their use in water purification by filtration. The advantages of these clay-polymer composites are that they can be easily scaled for production at industrial levels; and they were formed by inexpensive materials, a day mineral (bentonite), and cationic starches which are widely used as additives in paper-making, textile and cosmetic industry. These starches are derivatized by the introduction of the cationic functional moiety 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium. The interactions of three polymers with different degree of substitution with the surface of a commercial bentonite were examined. Sorption of the polymers and analysis of the surface charge of the complexes formed showed that charge neutralization at the external surface was observed at loadings lower than the CEC of this day. The lower values for the point of zero charge than the CEC of the clay can be explained by the high screening of the clay surface by non-charged segments of the polycation after sorption. The loading of polymer on the clay was highest for the polymer with the lowest charge density adopting a loop-and-train conformation on the clay surface, whereas a planar conformation was elucidated for the other two higher charged polymers. Several polymer-clay complexes were synthesized and tested for the inactivation and killing of the enteroindicator Escherichia coli as a function of the polymer loading and surface charges. The critical parameters affecting the bactericidal activity were the surface potential and the concentration of cationic monomers in excess over that needed for neutralization of the clay surface. The clay-polymer composite with higher bactericidal activity was also tested for the removal of the emerging contaminants diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole. This study showed that the introduction of functional moieties that are capable to create a network of H-bonds with the pollutants promoted their sorption in addition to electrostatic interactions. Filtration experiments showed a better performance of the columns including clay-polymer composites over that of GAC for the removal of E. coli, diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole. The performance of fillers based on the composites under different constructive and operational parameters, such as the flow rate, and concentration of bacteria, or pharmaceuticals added, was investigated and modeled. The success in the modeling of these filtration processes by using an adsorption-convection model enabled predictions under different operational conditions, and economic projections based on the estimated capacity. Since regeneration of the filters was achieved by the use of dilute and inexpensive HCI or NaOCI solutions, implication is that the effective capacity of the filters is larger than that preliminary determined and consequently the price for successive water treatments will be significantly reduced., This research was funded by the grant NANOWAT (ref. [.812.1/049) within the ENPI·CBC-MED programme ofthe European Uníon; and the Spanísh Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the project CTM2013·42306-R supported by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).

4 páginas.-- 1 figura.-- 1 tabla.-- 2 referencias.-- Poster presentado en The 13th Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies. Jerez de la Frontera (España). 2016. "Evaluating Impacts of Innovation" 13-16 june (2016) Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) España, Clay-polymer composites were designed for use in filtration processes for disinfection during the course of water purification. The composites were formed by sorption of polymers based on starch modified with quatemary ammonium ethers onto the negatively charged clay mineral bentonite. The antimicrobial effect exerted by the clay-polymer system was due to the cationic monomers adsorbed on the clay surface, which resulted in a positive surface potential of the complexes and charge reversal. Clay-polymer complexes were more toxic to bacteria than the polymers alone. Filtration employing our optimal clay-polymer composite yielded 100 % removal of bacteria after the passage of 3 L, whereas an equivalent filter with granular activated carbon (GAC) hardly yielded removal of bacteria after 0.5 L.

[EN] The invention relates to a method for the treatment and purification of water, aimed at eliminating micro-organisms, especially bacteria, but also useful for viruses and protozoa. The method is advantageous compared to current methods as it minimises the appearance of unwanted effects such as the formation of carcinogenic products, for example trihalomethanes or haloacetic acids generated in chlorination treatments or nitrosamines in chloramination treatments. The method is based on the filtration of water through complex materials comprising cationic polymers on clay mineral sheets., [ES] El objeto de la presente invención es un procedimiento para el tratamiento y purificación de aguas, dirigido a la eliminación de microorganismos, especialmente bacterias, pero de utilidad también para virus o protozoos. El procedimiento presenta ventajas frente a los métodos actualmente existentes ya que minimiza la aparición de efectos no deseados, tales como la formación de productos carcinógenos, por ejemplo los trihalometanos o ácidos haloacéticos que se generan en los tratamientos mediante cloración o las nitrosaminas en tratamientos por cloraminación. El procedimiento se basa en la filtración de agua a través de materiales complejos que comprenden polímeros catiónicos sobre láminas de minerales de arcilla., Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, A1 Solicitud de adición a la patente

Comunicación presentada en The Second International Congress on Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage was held in Seville, Spain, June 24-27, 2014, Sedimenlary rocks, and in particular, limeslone have been exlensively used in the Mediterranean Basin for the construction of monuments and hisloric buildings. In spite of its reputation of "eternal", limestone is not immune to weathering factors, such as biological decay or biodeterioration. Moreover, the high receptivity of the fragile calcium carbonate matrix results in a progressive deterioralion of the stone material and, over time, in the progressive loss of our cultural heritage. Biocides used lo prevent the growth of micro- and maeroflora responsible for stone biodeterioration are mostly based on the use of chemical methods. Nevertheless, they show restricted efficiency and can eause discolorations on the surtaces and even severe damages to the cultural assets. Recently, the use of natural biocides (derived from living organisms as microorganisms or planls) has attracted particular interest due to their low loxicity, specificily, effecliveness using small dose and fast decomposition rate when compared to synthetic biocides. The aim of this work is to assess the tertiary bioreceptivity of Hontoria limestone treated with secondary melabolites (organic compounds produced in certain stages of development in microorganisms and in specific parts of plants) lo phototrophic microorganisms. Three natural biocides were selecled: (i) cells free filtrate of bacterium Burkholderia gladioli pv. agaricicola ICMP 11096 strain (Bga); (ii) cells free filtrate of fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain T-22; and (iii) glycoalkaloids extracts from unripe berries of Solanum nigrum (European Black Nightshade), a spontaneous plant belongs to Solanaceae family. During three months of incubalion, spectrophotometric deterrnination of chlorophyll a was monthly pertormed in order to evaluate the total amount of photosynthetie biomass. In addition, the efficiency as biocides of the metabolites tested was assessed by digital image analysis (Principal Components Analysis) for the quantification of surtaee covered areas, and by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Preliminary results revealed that the glycoalkaloids are the mosl efficient biocidal treatment, whereas the Trichoderma harzianum filtrate haslened Ihe development of pholotrophic microorganisms on the stone probes. As a conclusion, the use of natural biocides could be a greater safe and eeo-friendly alternative Ihan most common biocides. They can also be used as a preventive method to minimize biodeterioration and thereafter reduce maintenance interval and costs.

Comunicación presentada en el International Workshop "The Conservation of Subterranean Cultural Heritage", held 25-27 March 2014, in Seville, Spain.-- The workshop is organized by the Spanish Network of Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (TechnoHeritage), With today’s leisure tourism, the frequency of visits to many caves makes it necessary to know about possible potentially pathogenic microorganisms in caves, determine their reservoirs, and inform on the consequences of such visits for people who are immunosuppressed, undergoing chemotherapy, or have lowered defences. Unfortunately, information on this topic is not well known, and visitors remain unaware. Determining the extent of the potential danger of cave visits is of great interest ― not only scientific, but also medical and social. Our data reveal that Altamira Cave visits could represent a potential danger to visitors. In addition to the presence of bacteria related to human activities (e.g. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Ochrobactrum anthropi), other opportunist microorganisms, whose existence and possible development in humans is currently unknown, were isolated. The most-frequent diseases produced by the microorganisms identified in the cave are located in the respiratory system and skin, therefore it is recommended that in the case of a visit, the visitors should wear protective masks and clothings. Visits to any subterranean environment should possibly no longer be looked upon as a simple, riskless tourist activity, rather as one with potential risks for human health, particularly for the ill and elderly.

397 Páginas.-- Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira, El planteamiento del presente estudio partió de las conclusiones obtenidas en el anteriorproyecto de investigación (2003-2005). En él se determinó que los problemas para la con-servación de la cueva y su arte estaban directamente relacionados con la perturbaciónmicroambiental provocada por las actividades antrópicas en su interior y su exterior inme-diato. Dichas perturbaciones se debían, en gran medida, al intercambio directo de materiay energía con la atmósfera externa por la puerta de acceso y se traducían en un grave pro-blema para la conservación: el desarrollo y proliferación de colonias de microorganismoshacia el interior de la cavidad.Tras ese estudio se realizaron una serie de recomendaciones enfocadas, por una parte, adisminuir esos procesos de intercambio, mediante la modificación de los cierres de la cavi-dad y, por otra, a la disminución de la llegada de elementos nutrientes a la cueva desde elexterior.Las investigaciones desarrolladas entre 2007 y 2009 se han centrado en evaluar la eficaciade las medidas correctoras propuestas y analizar los cambios microambientales que conlle-van los nuevos cierres de la cueva, así como el mantenimiento de la cobertera vegetal exter-na propuesto en su momento. El objetivo era determinar como influyen esos cambios micro-ambientales en la colonización microbiológica de las paredes y techos de la cueva. Para ello ha sido necesario llevar a cabo una caracterización del ecosistema-cavidad bajo susactuales condiciones físicoquímicas (microcilima e hidroquímica) con un análisis de detallede la diversidad y la actividad microbiana existente. El objetivo científico concreto ha sidodeterminar las condiciones ambientales que favorecen o dificultan la presencia y prolifera-ción microbiana y el origen y el tipo de nutrientes necesarios y/o útiles para los microorga-nismos presentes en la cueva. Los trabajos de investigación necesarios para lograr esos resultados se planearon con ante-rioridad estructurándose el estudio en cuatro aspectos fundamentales:•Cobertera edáfica exterior, geología y geomorfología.•Hidrogeoquímica •Microclima •Estudio y control microbiológico. A continuación se muestra un resumen de los principales resultados obtenidos en cada casoy de las implicaciones que dichos resultados pueden tener en la conservación del medio sub-terráneo y del patrimonio que alberga., Convenio específico de colaboración entre la Dirección General de Bellas Artes y Bienes Culturales (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte) y el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación).

Los procesos de desinfección son cruciales en servicios de tratamientos de agua. La desinfección se realiza tradicionalmente en plantas de tratamiento de aguas mediante cloración, que reduce enormemente los patógenos presentes en el agua, pero puede presentar un serio riesgo para la salud humana por la formación de bioproductos de desinfección. Los procesos de desinfección mejoran enormemente al combinarlos con otros procesos de tratamiento. La filtración en lecho se encuentra incorporada en la gran mayoría de plantas de tratamíento de aguas. El material mas usado en filtración es carbón activo granular (GAC). Este materíal tiene muy poca resolución en la eliminación de patógenos. De aquí que la investigación actual esté incidiendo en la síntesis de nuevos materiales compuestos para su uso en la eliminación de microorganismos. En el presente trabajo se han desarrollado composites polímeros-minerales de arcilla que presentan propiedades antimicrobianas y de gran eficacia en la eliminación de microorganismos en aguas contaminadas mediante procesos de filtración.

Procedimiento para la eliminación de microorganismos en aguas por filtración. El objeto de la presente invención es un procedimiento para el tratamiento y purificación de aguas, dirigido a la eliminación de microorganismos, especialmente bacterias, pero de utilidad también para virus o protozoos. El procedimiento presenta ventajas frente a los métodos actualmente existentes ya que minimiza la aparición de efectos no deseados, tales como la formación de productos carcinógenos, por ejemplo los trihalometanos o ácidos haloacéticos que se generan en los tratamientos mediante cloración o las nitrosaminas en tratamientos por cloraminación. El procedimiento se basa en la filtración de agua a través de materiales complejos que comprenden polímeros catiónicos sobre láminas de minerales de arcilla., Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), B1 Patente sin examen previo

6 páginas.-- 3 figuras.-- 3 tablas.-- 35 referencias.-- Preprint submitted to Wiley, The bacterial community of a soil contaminated by a mothball chemical industry mainly consisted of Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria (with Achromobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., respectively, as the most representative genera). Upon addition of phenanthrene, species of these two genera were found in the enrichment cultures as well as among the isolated strains. The isolated bacteria were tested for phenanthrene degradation, but only Pseudomonas xanthomarina, either as single culture or in a consortium, showed this capability. Here we show that in aged contaminated soils some members of the bacterial community are active in biodegradation processes, can be easily isolated, and may result appropriated for bioremediation uses.

Poster presentado en Pollutants in the Environment: Fate and Toxicity. Focused Topic Meeting SETAC. 24-27 August 2011, Mérida, Mexico, Diuron is a biologically active pollutant in the environment, and both, diuron and its principal metabolite, 3,4-dichloroaniline, exhibit a high toxicity and persistence in soil, and are potential poising environmental contaminants. Hence, determining the main factors influencing diuron degradation in the soil-water system could prove a basis for development of bioremediation tools. In this sense, only biodegradation studies should not be considered sufficient to manage risk assessments, and mineralization experiments ought to be planned to assert that the environmental risk has disappeared. The bioavailability of organic pollutants governs their toxicology and degradation in contaminated soils, especially in those with high organic matter content. Environmental microbiologist defines bioavailability as the contaminant fraction which represents its accessibility to a living organism for assimilation, degradation and ecotoxicology expression. The influence of sorption on soils with different properties the biodegradation of organic compounds has been recognized as important, albeit poorly understood phenomenon, in bioremediation. In environmental chemistry, cyclodextrins (CDs) have been used to enhance desorption of pollutants from soil contributing to increase their bioavailability. In fact, the inclusion of Diuron in hydroxypropil-beta-CD (HPBCD) in solution gave as result up to 24-fold increase in its aqueous solubility. Consequently, as a first step to investigate the behaviour on this herbicide in soil, diuron adsorption-desorption experiments on two selected soils, with a significant difference in their organic matter contents (1 and 14%), were carried out employing 0.01 M HPBCD and aqueous solution as extractants. Positive hysteresis was observed in the soil with higher organic matter content when aqueous solution was used, indicating that diuron desorption from this soil was not completely reversible. On the contrary, the application of HPBCD solution increased very much its desorption, and a negative hysteresis was obtained, that is, more diuron was desorbed with respect to diuron adsorption isotherm. In the case, of the soil with lower organic matter content, all the herbicide could be desorbed with both extractant solutions. From these results it could be concluded that HPBCD solutions are able to enhance the bioavailability of this hydrophobic herbicide in soil, allowing its further biodegradation. Respirometry methodology was used for mineralization experiments in the investigated soils with the aim of assessing the effect of bioremediation processes. For this purpose, radiolabelled [ring-U-14C]-diuron was employed in order to determine the 14CO2 from biotic degradation (endogenous flora). HPBCD solution was added to the respirometer after mineralization plateau was reached, in order to observe an increasing of the degradation rate. The use of CD solutions contributed to increase the diurón hydrosolubility and improved its desorption and mineralization in soil, which makes that the use of these solutions can be considered as an effective in situ soil bioremediation tool for this herbicide.

8 páginas, 9 figuras, 2 tablas, 11 referencias. Congreso celebrado en Madrid, 8-10 Octubre, 2007. Los autores agradecen a la Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Andalucía, las facilidades dadas para el estudio., [EN]The tombs of the Roman Necropolis of Carmona are affected by different deterioration processes. Biodeterioration appears as green cyanobacterial and algal biofilms, and also smaller stains from bacterial colonization. In the Circular Mausoleum several violet stains, produced by a Streptomyces strain were monitored from a multitemporal photographic series ranging from 1997 to 2005. The utilization of image analysis based on Principal Component Analysis allowed the spatial detection of growing areas of the stains, quantified thereafter. These results are of interest for determining a growth pattern., [ES]Las tumbas de la Necrópolis Romana de Carmona experimentan diversos grados de deterioro. En su interior, el biodeterioro se manifiesta como biofilms verdes de cianobacterias y algas, así como pequeñas manchas, más localizadas, de diversos colores, de procedencia bacteriana. En el Mausoleo Circular, varias manchas violetas atribuidas a una cepa de Streptomyces productora de pigmentos se monitorizaron a partir de una serie multitemporal de fotografías que abarcaba desde 1997 a 2005. La aplicación de análisis de imagen basado en el Análisis de Componentes Principales permitió la detección espacial de áreas de crecimiento de las manchas, que fueron posteriormente cuantificadas. Estos resultados son básicos para la modelización del comportamiento futuro de las manchas., Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco de los proyectos P06-RNM-02318 (Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía) y PIF 200540F0023 (CSIC).

Trabajo publicado en el Capítulo: Calidad del Suelo. Congreso celebrado del 21-24, septiembre, 2010, en Granada, España., El objetivo de este trabajo es predecir la biodisponibilidad en suelos de un herbicida como potencial contaminante, concretamente del diuron. Teniendo en cuenta la problemática ambiental que supone la persistencia de este contaminante en el suelo, debido a su toxicidad, es de un interés especial el estudio de su biodisponibilidad. Para poder predecir la persistencia del diuron se llevaron a cabo los denominados experimentos de mineralización intrínsecos, en los cuales es la flora autóctona del propio suelo la encargada de biodegradar al contaminante.

Comunicación oral presentada en la citada conferencia, celebrada del 29 de agosto al 3 de septiembre, 2010, en Postojna, Polonia.-- Publicada en el libro de Resúmenes., The last decade has seen a progressive colonization of visitable caves by microorganisms. The caves of Lascaux, Montignac, France, and of Castañar de Ibor, Cáceres, have suffered outbreaks of Fusarium solani, a fungus that has also been found in the air and sediments of the Doña Trinidad Cave, Ardales, Málaga.

8 páginas, 1 figura, 1 tabla., [EN]: The last decade has seen a progressive colonisation of visitable caves by microorganisms. The caves of Lascaux, Montignac, France, and of Castañar de Ibor, Cáceres, have suffered outbreaks of Fusarium solani, a fungus that has also been found in Doña Trinidad Cave, Ardales, Málaga. This work sets out the bases for the creation of a Cave Microbiological Observatory for controlling the fungi present in the ecosystem and the timely detection of outbreaks that could compromise the integrity of the cave and any cave paintings present. At the same time, it is intended to study the relationships between the fungal community and cave inhabitants (insects, rodents, etc.), as many of the fungi present are parasites, and use the inhabitants to enter the cave and disperse in it. The execution of this study entails monitoring the air of the cave, and the use of molecular techniques such as the amplification of gene sequences of 18S and ITS ribosomal RNA to identify the members of the fungal communities. The spatial and temporal distribution of the components of the fungal community will be examined by samplings in different seasons of the year in the various halls of the caves. The presence of metabolically active fungi in various niches of the caves will be tested. Knowing the processes of spore dispersion and modelling it taking into account air currents and temperature gradients, the eventual colonisation of different materials by microbial communities, the trophic nature of the latter, and the relationships between the different inhabitants of the cave, should enable the design of a control strategy to guarantee its conservation., [ES]: En la última década se está asistiendo a una progresiva colonización de cuevas visitables por microorganismos. Así, las cuevas de Lascaux, Montignac, Francia, y de Castañar de Ibor, Cáceres, sufrieron brotes de Fusarium solani, hongo que ha sido encontrado también en la cueva de Doña Trinidad, Ardales, Málaga. En este trabajo se plantean las bases para la creación de un Observatorio Microbiológico de Cuevas, desde donde se pueda controlar los hongos presentes en el ecosistema, y detectar a tiempo aquellos brotes que pudieran comprometer la integridad de la cueva y sus pinturas rupestres, en el caso que las tuviera. Al mismo tiempo, se pretende estudiar las relaciones entre la comunidad fúngica y los habitantes de las cuevas (insectos, roedores, etc.), ya que muchos de los hongos presentes son parásitos de otros organismos y los utilizan para su entrada y dispersión en la cueva. Para el desarrollo de este estudio es fundamental el control del aire de la cueva, así como la utilización de técnicas moleculares como la amplificación de secuencias de los genes de ARN ribosómico 18S e ITS con el fin de identificar los miembros de las comunidades fúngicas. La distribución espacial y temporal de los componentes de la comunidad fúngica se llevará a cabo mediante muestreos en distintas estaciones del año en las diferentes salas de las cuevas. Al mismo tiempo se determinará la presencia de hongos metabolicamente activos en distintos nichos. El conocimiento de los procesos de dispersión de esporas y su modelización teniendo en cuenta las corrientes de aire y los gradientes de temperatura, la eventual colonización de distintos materiales por comunidades microbianas, las características tróficas de estas comunidades y las relaciones entre los distintos habitantes de la cueva deben permitir el diseño de una estrategia de control que garantice su conservación., Se agradece a la Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa la financiación del proyecto RNM-5137.

43 páginas, 63 figuras, 13 referencias., Sin duda el elemento más representativo de todo el conjunto del Alcázar de Sevilla se la fachada construida por Pedro I para su palacio. Se trata de una pieza emblemática dentro de la arquitectura hispana y seguramente por ello sea la más admirada y reproducida en imágenes de todo el Alcázar. Dentro de la planificación general de conservación que lleva adelante el Patronato del Real Alcázar, se encomendó a la Escuela de Estudios Árabes del Consejo superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) analizar el estado de conservación de este importante elemento del conjunto y proponer las acciones a desarrollar. con este motivo se planteó un programa de actuaciones en distintas fases con el fin de lograr el objetivo propuesto de garantizar su conservación futura en las mejores condiciones posibles. concluidas las fases de estudios previos y la primera fase de restauración que ha afectado al cuerpo central de la fachada, se presenta en este artículo un avance de los resultados obtenidos que esperamos tengan su desarrollo completo en una amplia monografía cuando todo el proceso haya llegado a su fin.

Trabajo presentado al citado Congreso que tuvo lugar del 21-24, de septiembre, 2009, en Almería, España., Las comunidades microbianas de los suelos contaminados con hidrocarburos aromáticos poli cíclicos (PAHs) presentan gran biodiversidad. Esta biodiversidad puede relacionarse con la respuesta a niveles elevados de PAHs. En este trabajo se presenta el estudio y la caracterización de las comunidades microbianas de un suelo contaminado principalmente con hidrocarburos aromáticos poli cíclicos (5LO), mediante técnicas basadas en ADN y técnicas de cultivo. Se ha estudiado la evolución de las comunidades como respuesta al aumento de la concentración de fenantreno.

3 páginas, 13 referencias. Póster publicado en el Libro de Resúmenes de la 9ª Reunión de la Red Temática del CSIC de Patrimonio Histórico y Cultural. Sevilla, 4 y 5, marzo,2008., La Necrópolis de Carmona fue descubierta a finales del siglo XIX. Está formada por un gran número de tumbas excavadas en la roca, de las que se conocen más de 600 y otras muchas, aún por descubrir. Fue utilizada por los romanos durante los siglos I y II antes de Cristo y es uno de los yacimientos de la Península Ibérica que conservaba mayor número de pinturas, pues las tumbas se decoraban con enlucidos de cal para ocultar la roca. Sin embargo, la Necópolis se encuentra en mal estado de conservación y las pocas pinturas existentes presentan un acusado biodeterioro. Por ello, en los últimos años, se han realizado varios estudios encaminados a caracterizar y controlar el biodeterioro de estas tumbas (Ariño y Sáiz- Jiménez 1997, Piñar et al. 2001, Akatova et al. 2007)., LL y JMG agradecen al CSIC los proyectos 200740I011 y 200640I197, respectivamente. EA y VJ agradecen los contratos Marie Curie Action MEST-CT2004-513915 e I3P-postdoctoral (CSIC-ESF) respectivamente. Este trabajo ha sido financiado por la Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, proyecto P06-RNM-02318.

2 páginas, 6 referencias. Comunicación oral que publica el Libro de Resúmenes de la 9ª Reunión de la Red Temática del CSIC de Patrimonio Histórico y Cultural. Sevilla, 4 y 5, marzo, 2008., En los últimos años, muchos autores conceden gran importancia al deterioro biológico, o biodeterioro de materiales de construcción, considerando que la colonización biológica es uno de los principales problemas para la conservación del Patrimonio Cultural en piedra. Por ello, la comprensión de las causas del biodeterioro de monumentos y edificios históricos tiene importancia fundamental en la adquisición de nuevos tratamientos de restauración y prevención., El presente estudio se ha llevado a cabo en el marco de los proyectos “Aplicación de técnicas de teledetección a la monitorización del biodeterioro y documentación de bienes culturales en ambientes hipogeos”, PIE 200440E327 (CSIC), “Comunidades microbianas asociadas al desarrollo de eflorescencias en monumentos andaluces: determinación de su actividad metabólica mediante técnicas moleculares y papel en el biodeterioro”, P06-RNM-02318 (Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía) y “Monitorización de la bioreceptividad de materiales empleados en el Patrimonio Cultural”, 2007PT0041 (CSIC-FCT). LL agradece al CSIC el proyecto 200740I011. Se agradece a la Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – MCIES la beca predoctoral de AZM.