Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) group includes strictly aerobic organisms that can be found in a wide variety of natural and industrial environments. Traditionally known for their ability to incompletely oxidize many sugars and alcohols, they appear as beneficial organisms in vinegar production as well as detrimental in alcoholic beverages. Several carbohydrates act as building block for polysaccharides synthesis of which the most representative is cellulose. Looking at the ecophysiology of AAB in natural and anthropic environments, the versatility of their biochemical machinery, offers a platform for studying essential mechanisms allowing them to grow in harsh conditions, as well as for optimizing consolidated production and for shifting emerging applications from the research phase to the industrial one.
From the taxonomic point of view AAB have known several revisions especially within genera that are today recognized of great biotechnological relevance (Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Gluconacetobater, Komagataeibacter).
The high versatility of AAB in performing microbial bioconversion is industrially exploited mainly in foods and beverages, biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and agronomical fields. In this regard, the current state of omic technologies can be applied for a greater understanding of the physiological behavior, the recovery of new strains and/or those occurring in complex environments. Their metabolism, particularly the role of membrane-bound and soluble dehydrogenases, may offer new opportunities in the development of innovative processes based on their capability for carrying out the incomplete oxidation of several substrates. The new and efficient genetic modification methods could exploit the full potential of AAB for oxidative bioconversions. On the other hand, the resistance of AAB to some extreme conditions, i.e. low pH values, and adaptability to many different habitats make them highly competitive microorganisms; so, their interactions with other organisms and plants is a very important topic to be studied as well.
The ability of AAB in producing exopolysaccharides is also of great interest for both research and industrial purposes. They are considered as model organisms for understanding the mechanisms of cellulose synthesis and they are until now the most efficient organisms for producing it, under controlled conditions.
Also systematics of AAB is a hot topic, especially considering the taxonomic revisions and the recent advances, which include a progressive increase of species as well as the description of new genera. These are just some of the main goals which we would like to address in this Research Topic.
This Research Topic seeks to address recent advances and challenges in any aspect around AAB. We seek contributions including, but not limited to, the next areas/topics:
- Taxonomy.
- Physiology.
- Products and processes: acids, ketones, polysaccharides, others.
- Occurrence in complex environments: microbial composition, interactions, dynamics, new tools to discover the species diversity and strains functionality.
- Genetic adaptation and engineering approach for strain improvement.
- Omics aspects.
- Cultivability and viability of AAB. The role of the preservation.
- Symbiotic relationships with other organisms and plants.
- Biosensors.
Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) group includes strictly aerobic organisms that can be found in a wide variety of natural and industrial environments. Traditionally known for their ability to incompletely oxidize many sugars and alcohols, they appear as beneficial organisms in vinegar production as well as detrimental in alcoholic beverages. Several carbohydrates act as building block for polysaccharides synthesis of which the most representative is cellulose. Looking at the ecophysiology of AAB in natural and anthropic environments, the versatility of their biochemical machinery, offers a platform for studying essential mechanisms allowing them to grow in harsh conditions, as well as for optimizing consolidated production and for shifting emerging applications from the research phase to the industrial one.
From the taxonomic point of view AAB have known several revisions especially within genera that are today recognized of great biotechnological relevance (Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Gluconacetobater, Komagataeibacter).
The high versatility of AAB in performing microbial bioconversion is industrially exploited mainly in foods and beverages, biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and agronomical fields. In this regard, the current state of omic technologies can be applied for a greater understanding of the physiological behavior, the recovery of new strains and/or those occurring in complex environments. Their metabolism, particularly the role of membrane-bound and soluble dehydrogenases, may offer new opportunities in the development of innovative processes based on their capability for carrying out the incomplete oxidation of several substrates. The new and efficient genetic modification methods could exploit the full potential of AAB for oxidative bioconversions. On the other hand, the resistance of AAB to some extreme conditions, i.e. low pH values, and adaptability to many different habitats make them highly competitive microorganisms; so, their interactions with other organisms and plants is a very important topic to be studied as well.
The ability of AAB in producing exopolysaccharides is also of great interest for both research and industrial purposes. They are considered as model organisms for understanding the mechanisms of cellulose synthesis and they are until now the most efficient organisms for producing it, under controlled conditions.
Also systematics of AAB is a hot topic, especially considering the taxonomic revisions and the recent advances, which include a progressive increase of species as well as the description of new genera. These are just some of the main goals which we would like to address in this Research Topic.
This Research Topic seeks to address recent advances and challenges in any aspect around AAB. We seek contributions including, but not limited to, the next areas/topics:
- Taxonomy.
- Physiology.
- Products and processes: acids, ketones, polysaccharides, others.
- Occurrence in complex environments: microbial composition, interactions, dynamics, new tools to discover the species diversity and strains functionality.
- Genetic adaptation and engineering approach for strain improvement.
- Omics aspects.
- Cultivability and viability of AAB. The role of the preservation.
- Symbiotic relationships with other organisms and plants.
- Biosensors.