Pablo Sobrado has been named the Richard K Vitek/FCR Endowed Chair of Biochemistry in the chemistry department at Missouri S&T “We are very excited to have Pablo join the chemistry department and spearhead the effort for a new bachelor’s degree in biochemistry,” says Dr chair and professor of chemistry at Missouri S&T “He has an outstanding record of both teaching and research and we are all looking forward to seeing how he can support S&T’s students.” Sobrado specializes in natural product biosynthesis and xenobiotic resistance in the fields of biochemistry and drug discovery funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture focus on explaining the mechanisms of enzyme reactions drug discovery and the development of biosynthetic approaches for commercial products Sobrado spent 17 years in the biochemistry department at Virginia Tech and associate director for the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery he served as a program officer in the Chemistry Division of the National Science Foundation in biochemistry from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Merrimack College He conducted postdoctoral training in cell biology at the University of Chile and in enzymology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sobrado serves as an associate editor for Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics and as an editorial board member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry The chair was established in 2005 through a lead gift from Richard K a 1958 Missouri S&T chemistry graduate It combines the expertise of faculty from the departments of chemistry and chemical and biological engineering.  major contributions were provided by Missouri S&T’s Foundation for Chemical Research (FCR) and other donors On October 21, 2024. Posted in College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Department of Chemistry and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research for her fundamental discoveries about RNA decay in the context of human diseases She shares the award with Alexander Varshavsky Janssen was an accomplished and passionate researcher who discovered and developed more than 80 medicines Maquat also received the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research for her study of RNA mechanisms that contribute to a wide range of diseases “Lynne’s scientific career is nothing short of outstanding and her contributions have brought RNA biology to the leading edge of medicine,” David C CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center and dean of URSMD Gohil is a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Texas A&M University. His lab investigates the biochemical and genetic basis of mitochondrial dysfunctions in rare genetic disorders He was recently named a 2024 Fellow of the Chancellor’s Enhancing Development and Generating Excellence in Scholarship program he received the Chairman’s Prize from the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation and the Martin Research Prize for Excellence in Basic Research from Massachusetts General Hospital Vitek/FCR Endowed Chair of Biochemistry in the chemistry department at Missouri University of Science and Technology Sobrado was a professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech Sobrado’s lab studies natural product biosynthesis, plant metabolism and defense and xenobiotic resistance in the fields of biochemistry and drug discovery He has received many awards including the Excellence in Basic Research Award from the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Shelton Horsley Research Award from the Virginia Academy of Sciences and the National Technology Prize from the Costa Rican Ministry of Science and Technology Sobrado is a member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry editorial board “We are very excited to have Pablo join the chemistry department and spearhead the effort for a new bachelor’s degree in biochemistry,” Chariklia Sotiriou–Leventis, chair and professor of chemistry at S&T, said in a press release “He has an outstanding record of both teaching and research and we are all looking forward to seeing how he can support S&T’s students.” Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly This article was written by a member or members of the ASBMB Today staff and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles developed STEM outreach initiatives for low-income and minority students in Lafayette which recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences Learn about the candidates running for ASBMB President Nominating Committee and Publications Committee Learn how the JBC associate editor went from milking cows on a dairy farm to analyzing kinases in the lab He was an associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder and co-founder of the biotech company Prometheus Materials MOSAIC scholar Stanna Dorn uses total synthesis to recreate rare bacterial natural products with potential therapeutic applications Vitek/FCR Endowed Chair of Biochemistry at Missouri S&T Ever wondered what gives foods like garlic horseradish and mustard their strong taste and smell It’s the chemical structure of the plant cells signaling and creating defenses But scientists still don’t completely understand the molecular functions and physiological roles of certain enzymes in similar plants.  With a $984,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Pablo Sobrado and his research group will study flavin-dependent monooxygenases (FMOs) which are enzymes from plants that synthesize special molecules used for their defense These molecules are what give some plants unique flavors and nutritional profiles which generate a diverse range of chemical reactions,” says Sobrado “The goal of this research project is to establish substrate specificity for these FMOs characterize the chemical mechanisms of them and understand their 3D structures.”  Sobrado believes that the research project can give new insights into how evolution solved difficult chemical problems using flavins as reaction centers Sobrado’s laboratory will partner with Dr at the University of Missouri-Columbia.   we hope this research will inspire the design of new catalysts and the engineering of biochemical pathways to produce high-value compounds,” says Sobrado “This could lead to crops of heartier plants with stronger roots and leaves.”   The research team will also study FMOs known as YUCCA enzymes which are responsible for synthesizing a plant growth hormone called auxin Despite plants containing multiple YUCCA genes the molecular functions and physiological roles of YUCCA enzymes are not completely understood.   “Our research team was the first to characterize a YUCCA enzyme from plants and established their role in plant growth and regulation,” says Sobrado Sobrado also says the research project will aim to establish new action mechanisms of the plants and potentially new structural folds – often thought of as the “muscles” of a plant.  For more information about Missouri S&T’s chemistry programs, visit chem.mst.edu.  On January 13, 2025. Posted in College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Department of Chemistry, Research, Science & Tech Marbled veins of blue line the otherwise antique white surface But there’s far more to blue cheese than just the stink and other biological properties in high doses also known as natural products efficient way to synthesize some of these beneficial blue cheese compounds in a way that avoids the use of harmful chemicals the synthesization of these compounds was either extremely low in yield or required the use of harmful or dangerous chemicals “This discovery explains the mechanism behind a new reaction in our field filling a knowledge gap,” said Sydney Johnson Ph.D the lead author who earned her doctorate in biochemistry Antibacterial resistance has become a growing problem for society which was caused by the overuse of natural products used on the market for decades By finding a way to synthesize on a large scale a naturally occurring compound that hasn’t previously been used for antibacterial applications Virginia Tech researchers were able to evade the existing antibacterial resistances “We work with an enzyme that can help create a natural product that has a unique structure that would make it very difficult for pathogens to become resistant,” Johnson said “Existing pathogens would have to evolve to be resistant to this new compound.” The paper was recently published in ACS Biochemistry “I like to train innovative scientists that work on trying to move the science forward by developing projects that move the entire field forward,” said Pablo Sobrado professor of biochemistry who leads the Sobrado Lab and is also a researcher on the paper “Sydney achieved that with this research.” Enzymes are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions researchers used an enzyme that produces something called roquefortine L Parts of its chemical structure are biologically active which means that it can have beneficial properties such as antimicrobial activities the production of roquefortine L is central to the production of other molecules called glandiclone which have been shown to have broad antimicrobial properties and promising anticancer effects against human breast and leukemia cancer cells This enzyme attaches two hydroxyl groups to a nitrogen atom which are functional groups found in sugars and alcohols A hydroxyl group consists of one hydrogen and one oxygen atom the hydroxyl groups then develop an entirely different functionality “This has not been studied in detail before and Sydney showed how the enzyme holds on first to the product that has the one hydroxyl group and then obtains the final product,” Sobrado said Many fungal species make this compound naturally and it’s relatively new in the biochemistry field to research how to synthesize these processes at a large scale the reaction mechanism and the actual chemistry that takes place on the involved nitrogen atom is completely novel from other publications “This publication lays the foundation to utilize the enzyme to synthesize the natural products,” Johnson said “The improvements make this process much more marketable we could get a drug containing one of these compounds or something similar to it to the market.” This article is republished from the Virginia Tech News page. Read the original here Max has served as the editor of the college’s flagship publication which has won national awards and landed media placements in outlets ranging from NPR’s Science Friday to Rolling Stone Scientists find that liver protein inhibits of pertussis toxin offering a potential new treatment for bacterial respiratory disease Read more about this recent study from the Journal of Biological Chemistry Scientists discover that triacylglycerol synthesis enzyme drives lipoproteins secretion rather than lipid droplet storage Researchers analyze protein and RNA data across 13 cancer types to find similarities that could improve cancer staging Read about this recent article published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics Scientists develop a software tool to categorize microbe species and antibiotic resistance markers to aid clinical and environmental research Scientists develop a bioinformatics program that maps omics data to metabolic pathways Read about this recent article published in Molecular &amp; Cellular Proteomics Catasauqua football's Javier Sobrado (Josh Folck | For lehighvalleylive.com) When Travis Brett became coach of the Rough Riders program Sobrado was a wide receiver searching for a spot on the team I got him in the weight room and he listened to the program He followed the program and he busted his hump to get where he’s at defensively and offensively,” Brett continued about the senior Along with Sobrado’s growth and improvement The Rough Riders went 0-11 during his freshman season and then moved to 2-6 in his sophomore campaign Catasauqua won seven of its first nine games and finished the season with a 7-5 record The Rough Riders rebounded from an 0-3 start to this season and advanced to the District 11 Class 2A championship game before losing a heartbreaker to Executive “To go from 0-10 to making it to a district final in three years “I think the seniors really started to take over and lead the underclassmen give them the right example,” Sobrado added about the difference the last two seasons The lineman has taken it upon himself to make a difference with the underclassmen “I try to show them how to do things right,” Sobrado said He has been one of the leaders on the Rough Riders defense which shut out Mahanoy and Panther Valley this season “Javier’s been great on defense for us,” Brett said The Rough Riders are coming off as tough of a loss as is possible. Executive beat Catasauqua on a 62-yard touchdown with three seconds left in the fourth quarter to post a 32-29 victory in the district championship game But I think for most of us it just made us work harder Realizing that they can get back there next year and win it.” they’re anxious for next year already with it We’re going to hang them red medals up in the locker room and all the papers And we’re going to get back to work after the season here It’s good you can get back here and play a game yet.” Catasauqua will travel to rival Northampton for a 10 a.m who are 11-1 this season after falling to Parkland in the District 11 Class 6A semifinals They lead the Rough Riders 61-33-4 in the all-time series “It means a lot,” Brett said on Tuesday about the Thanksgiving rivalry Everything leading up to it is a good time for these kids “We know it’s going to be a challenge,” Brett continued I think these kids are going to come out and play hard You get to play for your community and your school district.” And the game is one more chance for Sobrado to suit up as a Rough Rider on the football field “It’s been fun here,” Sobrado said of his time at Catasauqua A lot of fun practicing with these guys and the coaches Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Volume 15 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1350457 Antarctica is one of the most outstanding analogs of Mars and cyanobacterial mats are considered one of the most resilient biological consortia The purpose of this study is to find out the effect of the Martian conditions on an Antarctic cyanobacterial mat We exposed an Antarctic microbial mat to Martian conditions in a simulating chamber (MARTE) for 15 d and investigated the variations in the consortium by the use of 16S rRNA gene expression as an indicator of the biological activity Metabarcoding using the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene was used to determine the succession of the active members of the microbial consortium during the experiment can survive the stringent conditions in the simulating chamber Different behaviors were displayed depending on the metabolic capabilities and physiological characteristics of every taxon The main conclusion is that the Martian conditions did not impair growth in some of the groups the investigated Antarctic community would be able to survive in a Martian environment at least during the short experimental period although elements of the community were affected in different ways apart from coming from Mars analog environments microorganisms are used in this discipline as their adaptations or life strategies could make them capable of surviving in extraterrestrial environments According to the information gathered by Schwendner and Schuerger (2020) there exist living forms capable of not only surviving but also growing while being exposed to Martian conditions we have used the production of mRNA for the 16S rRNA gene as an indicator of biological/metabolic activity and have sequenced the mRNA to reveal their identity this study aims to find out the effect of the Martian conditions on an Antarctic microbial mat from Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island can proceed with their metabolic activity along an exposure of 15 d to the assayed conditions The area had a permanent layer of water of 5 cm deep during the sampling period which had a surface area of 10 × 10 cm and was visually homogeneous was collected with a sterile stainless steel spatula the sample was introduced into a sterile Whirl-Pak plastic bag and frozen at 253 K in the field it was transferred to 193 K until the moment when the experiment would take place Four weeks before the exposure of the biological material to MARTE the sample was gently thawed at room temperature in a 9-cm-diameter sterile Petri dish and then incubated at 277 K in a climatic chamber (Climacell 2.2 Fisher) with a photoperiod of 6:18 h (light: dark) at a maximum photon flux fluency of approximately 50 μmol photon m−2 s−1 from which 20.29 μmol m−2 s−1 corresponded to photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) provided by fluorescent light (DPRO MITW 12 W/840 E27 The mat was maintained in water saturated with sterilized MilliQ water for 4 weeks No culture medium was added to the microbial mat These conditions were maintained to reactivate the metabolism of the organisms from the mats before being introduced into the MARTE chamber there is mainly condensation and evaporation In the special case of the interphase between daytime and nighttime and in the interphase between nighttime and daytime The experiment in MARTE started with the pressure at 2 kPa of CO2 The maximum radiation was reached 15 min after the source was turned on In the interphase between daytime and nighttime we quickly decreased the pressure down to 0.1 kPa producing rapid freezing of the sample from top to bottom at 253 K at a rate of 35 s per Kelvin degree or 0.03 K/s which is maintained with the cryostat at a temperature of 258 K that simulates nighttime on the red planet We cooled the sample by conduction from below by extracting heat with the sample holder with a glycol circuit and from above by convection or absorption when pumping the vacuum chamber at a maximum speed we created a layer of superficial ice that protects the sample against external radiation and minimizes the loss of humidity due to evaporation Radiation control is carried out by turning the Xenon source on and off Relative humidity changes rapidly with the temperature decrease in the nighttime cycle The appearance of ice by absorption and the constant temperature of 258 K decreases the relative humidity up to the threshold value (<10%) at 2 kPa pressure on MARTE the sample holder temperature was increased up to 283 K with a ratio of 1 K/min This is the point where we began to recreate the condensation through water injections mimicking the minimal hydration and relative humidity conditions that favor the Antarctic microorganisms This lamp produces a spectrum in the range between 185 and 2,000 nm Pressure is controlled by a Pfeiffer DUO 20 rotative vacuum pump with a gas dose valve (RME 005 A by Pfeiffer) with variable conductance Temperature is measured in the sample holder and in the bottom of the Petri dish Atmospheric temperature at a few cm above the sample is quantified by an RTD Pt100 class A temperature sensor to maintain the stability of the sample’s support during the day and night This is possible due to a close glycol circuit and the control of a 280 W resistance The experiment took place in the years 2019–2020 The mat fragment (3 cm by 3 cm) was exposed to the conditions for a given period in MARTE and then was removed from the chamber and two cores of 8 mm diameter were taken at random with metal sterile corers avoiding the edges of the 3 × 3 cm sample another ‘revived’ fresh fragment of the mat was inserted into MARTE for the next period This procedure was repeated for nine different exposure times: 0 h (T0) (acting as a control) which can determine ASVs from the sequence quality data This plugin covers various processes to determine ASVs It both filters and cuts the sequences depending on their quality determines the lectures with distinctive sequences ASVs obtained were taxonomically assigned using Greengenes The taxonomical adscription in cyanobacteria taxa was coincident with the microscopical observations of the microbial mat (data not shown) With the results obtained by bioinformatic approaches the differences among the communities exposed to different periods in terms of diversity and ecological succession were investigated Concerning the statistical analyses, the data provided by Qiime2 did not have a normal distribution, so statistical tests for non-normal samples were the ones used in this study. The similarity between the communities under different exposure periods was evidenced with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS; Alan, 2016), using the vegan package (Oksanen et al., 2020) in R NMDS was interpreted in this study as an exploratory analysis aimed at observing the evolution of the Antarctic mats through time The most relevant taxa were identified (in abundance terms) the picture shows the sample after nighttime just before opening MARTE to air and before storing the sample in the freezer at 193 K until the moment to perform the biological analysis The color and shape of the microbial mats were slightly affected by the 15-d exposure to MARTE (A) First day before starting the experiment The distance between the holes in the sample holder is 25 mm The first effect of the exposure to MARTE conditions was related to the variation in the amount of ASVs through time. As can be observed in Figure 2 the amount of ASVs increased significantly (Wilcoxon test; p < 0.05) on a short-term basis the number of ASVs declined although they were not significantly different among them (p > 0.05) The ASV quantity increased significantly again in the range at day 5 the number of ASVs dropped to almost the initial levels The variation in terms of the percentage of the ASVs counted in each sample in reference to the initial sample (T0) is plotted The data of each sample time are obtained by calculating the mean between the values of the two replicates of each time sample Error bars represent the range of variation at each time point The same letters indicate no significant differences at p < 0.05 (Wilcoxon test) Shannon’s diversity index of the mats exposed for the different periods follows a similar trend, with significant increases in the short term and then decreases significantly. At the end of the 15-d exposure period, the diversity index increased by 15% in relation to the initial diversity (Figure 3) There are only two time periods (16 h and 5 d) in which Shannon’s diversity index increases remarkably the diversity index is slightly higher than before the exposure period The variation of Shannon’s diversity index through time The figure expresses the variation in terms of the percentage of Shannon’s diversity index from the original sample NMDS (Figure 4) indicated that the microbial mat community structure showed small variations from the onset of the Martian conditions during the first 24 h the 16S RNA gene expression of the community changed markedly in the x-axis with a relevant breakpoint from day 3 to day 5 the microbial mat expression seems to go back to the initial state along the x-axis although the recovery is not complete as per the y-axis NMDS plot showing the differences in the community structure after exposing the Antarctic microbial mat to different times of Martian condition Martian conditions led to the reorganization of the mat’s community structure of the active elements While the original structure was pyramid-shaped in which the system was dominated by the activity of a few types of organisms the community subjected to the longer exposure presented a more balanced dominance Effects of Martian conditions on the relative abundance of the activity of the most frequent taxa (at the phylum and family level if available) in the Antarctic cyanobacterial mat through time To shed light on the ecological changes happening in the mat after exposure to Martian conditions the relative abundance changes occurring with the most abundant taxa were investigated The sample with a higher number of different ASVs above 1% relative frequency showed 17 ASVs we took the first 17 ASVs of each sample to carry out the ecological analysis which was considered a representative portion of the total biodiversity The abundance data were then regrouped according to the taxonomic assignment of each ASV and those belonging to the same taxon were regrouped and considering each set of 17 ASVs belonging to each sample The following analyses referred to these 32 taxa because we were not able to provide an ecological inference for their taxonomic assignment As it can be inferred from Figure 6 the expression of the 17 dominant taxa (defined as >1% reads) of each sample maintained their role throughout the experiment representing at every period more than 91.8% of the mat community’s expression rare taxa (less than 1% of reads abundance) represented more than 8% of the abundance in the mat the 32 more frequent taxa (17 ASVs per sample) in the experiment were considered to be 100% of the mat community to facilitate the rest of the analyses every percentage data were referred to these 32 taxa that will be considered as the whole mat Evolution of the dominant > 1% abundance (17 ASVs per sample; white bars) and the rare (<1% abundance; blue bars) taxa The taxon increases activity at concrete time periods between 8 and 16 h Evolution of the frequent (>1%) taxa activity during the 15-day experiment x-axis is “Time Points,” while y-axis is “Variation.” (A) Family: Pseudanabaenaceae Rare taxa (expression < 1%; Figure 8) only represented on average 1.34% of the diversity in the expression of the original mat The relative expression of rare taxa increased until day 3 when they reached 8.1% the relative expression declined until day 10 and 41.66% of these taxa’s expression belongs to Bacteroidetes Phylum Bacteroidetes Phylum is only noticed during the first 3 d of exposure as well as the taxa associated with Cyanobacteria and Chlamydiae Phyla Proteobacteria is the only phylum whose expression is maintained during the whole experiment Rare taxa (<1% relative expression) Legend is ordered from left to right and up to down in alphabetical order the first range of time is characterized by the presence of 12 taxa whose abundance is low the second range of time is marked by the presence of fewer taxa (8) but of higher abundance than in the first period The results obtained from the sequencing analysis demonstrate that conditions in the MARTE chamber exert a marked influence on the community’s expression of the Antarctic cyanobacterial mat The active community structure of the mat changed with the exposure to Martian conditions the community expression returned back to some similar expression diversity than that was observed at the beginning of the experiment Ecological analyses revealed that the biological activity of the mat is dominated mainly by six taxa The relative dominance of the expression shows what looks like a shift from six very dominant taxa to a more balanced situation involving a larger diversity in terms of relative expression According to Figures 2–4 Martian conditions may cause significant changes on the mat on a short-term scale The community structure of the mat is progressively altered during the first 5 d of exposure the mat seemed to return to a similar state of expression than before the exposure to MARTE conditions Changes in both ASV composition and diversity through time (Figures 2, 3) may indicate differential effects on the elements of the mat Both the ASV richness and diversity index tend to increase during the first 16 h of exposure both variables showed a decrease in values compared to the initial ones there is an apparent continuous change tending to stabilize at the end of the exposure period (15 d) to a status similar to the initial The variation in the quantity of active taxa during the exposure period might be the result of an adaptation process of the components of the community to the Martian conditions the community is still bearing the effects of Martian conditions it changes the structure to a more stable one (more time of exposure is necessary to induce changes in the community) or even supersaturated oxygen concentrations at the midlayers In addition, these 11 dominant taxa are usually motile (Supplementary Table 1) This ability gives them the possibility to find the most optimal layer within the microbial mat 4 taxa use light as an energy source (3 cyanobacteria and 1 proteobacteria): Pseudanabaenaceae but other metabolisms are also found in these taxa The taxa that benefitted from Martian conditions were Comamonadaceae Disadvantaged taxa were Pseudanabaenaceae family Frankiaceae and Nannocystaceae families show no defined behavior toward Martian conditions together with the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides by cyanobacteria would allow the entire community to survive Myxococcales order does not greatly vary by its activity level but varies for its increase on day 5. They have in principle the ability to develop fructiferous bodies and to move by gliding so that they could find a place in the mat with the most favorable conditions. In addition, they may feed from insoluble organic substances (Döring and Myxococcales, 2022) occupying a unique ecological niche that would sustain them the 19 rare taxa (relative expression is <1%) are associated with 9 different phyla whose expression is detected in remarkable points of the experiment The initial rare taxa Acetobacteraceae and Bacteriodales are complemented by Porphyromonadaceae and Polyangiaceae in the first hour of exposure and the four of them being Gram-negative organisms and both are aerobes and anaerobes with saccharolytic-fermentative and proteolytic-bacteriolytic metabolisms These organisms may obtain benefits from the organisms that were damaged by the Martian conditions likely making use of the new conditions after the community changes and intervening in their metabolic capabilities and their motility abilities After 3 d of exposure, the rare taxa reach approximately 8% of expression in the mat, and there are more diversities among them in terms of family than at the beginning. Some of them, such as Weeksellaceae, are saprophytic organisms (Bernardet, 2015). Acetobacteraceae was also detected indicating the potential production of acidic compounds in the aftermath of the decomposition of the organic matter (Sievers and Swings, 2015) a change in the succession of rare taxa was found and these exhibited higher expressions than the ones from the previous time samples Gram-negative anaerobes such as Opitutaceae and Gram-positive organisms such as Intrasporangiaceae increased their proportion the frequency of rare taxa dropped to the initial frequencies The results of this study reveal what would be the succession occurring in an Antarctic cyanobacterial mat if it had been placed in a spot similar to Mars’s surface. The expression of thinner filamentous cyanobacteria (such as Pseudanabaenaceae) is affected by the Martian conditions. Therefore, as they have been proposed as the architects (de los Ríos et al., 2004) of microbial mats due to their filamentous structure then the physical structure of the microbial mat might be compromised the expression of this structural group recovers partially (as in the case of Pseudanabaenaceae) or totally (in the case of Chamaesiphonaceae and Phormidiaceae) The evolution of the mat shows that taxa motility would be very relevant in a Mars environment since the organisms can find the most favorable locations This would be the case of cyanobacteria escaping from the UV radiation It is remarkable how Gram-positive organisms Clostridiaceae among the dominant taxa and Intrasporangiaceae among the rare taxa increase their presence during the experiment The diversity of taxa and associated metabolisms as well as the redundancy of some key metabolisms might be necessary to keep the functioning of the microbial mat even under the most stringent conditions as the Martian environmental conditions if the mat had been exposed for longer periods of time we speculate that the community succession is dependent on the complete recovery of cyanobacterial taxa which in fact would rely on the resilience against the UVR impact; however we assumed that the Martian conditions should not have an effect on the structure of the community should be capable of surviving the situation while some taxa have been especially affected by the exposure to Martian conditions others may have even increased their biological activity We speculate that it is the physical structure of the microbial mat itself and not only the microbial community structure that makes this microecosystem resilient to the extremely harsh conditions of this experiment. It is perhaps the diverse metabolic features of the organisms conforming to this ecosystem that makes it a potential candidate as a Martian terraformis element, as it was suggested by Friedmann (Fogg and Hiscox, 2001) Although most taxa experienced a decline and recovered in their activity levels during the exposure to Martian conditions the changes in the mat’s active community structure enabled the apparent increase in the frequency of active taxa that were previously minority This phenomenon would be due to the impact of Martian conditions that have upon the entire community but to the ability of cyanobacterial taxa to endure these extremely harsh conditions it looks like there is a trend to a reduction of the activity in aerobic taxa and this may exert an influence on the environmental conditions from oxic to anoxic perhaps caused by UVR effects upon photosynthetic machinery it seems that cyanobacterial taxa could acclimatize to Martian conditions this hypothesis requires further research and experimental data acquisition the Antarctic cyanobacterial mat from Byers Peninsula would be able to survive and perhaps prosper in the Martian environment due to its architecture but also to the complex and diverse community that forms the consortium The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found in the article/Supplementary material The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research The study was funded by Agencia Estatal de Investigacion The authors gratefully acknowledge Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) MCIN/AEI/ http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 for funding grants: MICROAIRPOLAR-I (CTM2016-79741-R) The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1350457/full#supplementary-material Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar de los Ríos Microstructural characterization of cyanobacterial mats from the McMurdo ice shelf Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Microbial mat communities along an oxygen gradient in a perennially ice-covered Antarctic Lake Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Exploring microbial activity in low-pressure environments PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Mimicking the Martian hydrological cycle: a set-up to introduce liquid water in vacuum PubMed Abstract | Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Google Scholar Evaluation of different 16S rRNA gene V regions for exploring bacterial diversity in a eutrophic freshwater lake Cavalcante E and Quesada A (2024) Survival of an Antarctic cyanobacterial mat under Martian conditions Received: 05 December 2023; Accepted: 14 March 2024; Published: 05 April 2024 Copyright © 2024 Martin-Andres, Sobrado, Cavalcante and Quesada. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Antonio Quesada, YW50b25pby5xdWVzYWRhQHVhbS5lcw== †Present address: Irene Martin-Andres Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish the team notes that this process of abandonment as in many rural places following an exodus to urban areas which is therefore shaped by social and cultural changes images © héctor santos díez | @hector_santosdiez the design team at EeG arquitectos reconnects the sobrado farmhouse with the environment by introducing a new entrance which marks a continuation of the trail passing through a large space on the ground floor towards the clearing in the forest everything that can be preserved from the traditional building is preserved the additions that are made for functionality such as the rooms on the ground floor or the increase in height the reformative gestures are stronger in areas in need of more height and the spaces that open towards the southeast EeG arquitectos respects the natural context and original structure by introducing transparent elements and traditional materials these new elements are used to generate passive climatic systems while strategic windows control the temperature and vines and plant-life are used for solar control a water element generates thermal inertia and encourages cross ventilation the trail is marked on the interior flooring and leading out toward the forest clearing architecture: EeG arquitectos photography: © héctor santos díez | @hector_santosdiez AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style 'This information changes the whole story about how garlic could be improved,' said Hannah Valentino candidate in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences uncover a new step in the process that makes garlic potent people around the world have used garlic as a spice and pest deterrent – but they didn’t know how powerful or pungent the heads of garlic were until they tasted them But what if farmers were able to grow garlic and know exactly how potent it would be What if buyers could pick their garlic based on its might A team of Virginia Tech researchers recently discovered a new step in the metabolic process that produces the enzyme allicin which leads to garlic’s delectable flavor and aroma a finding that upends decades of previous scientific belief Their work could boost the malodorous - yet delicious - characteristics that garlic-lovers the world over savor “This information changes the whole story about how garlic could be improved or we could make the compounds responsible of its unique flavor,” said Hannah Valentino, a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ph.D “This could lead to a new strain of garlic that would produce more flavor.” The discovery of this pathway opens the door for better control of production and more consistent crops When Valentino, an Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science doctoral fellow and her team set out to test the generally accepted biological process that creates allicin That’s when the team of researchers set out to discover what was really happening in garlic they realized there was no fuel to power the previous accepted biological process that creates allicin “By using rational design, Hannah found a potential substrate,” said Pablo Sobrado, professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a member of the research team “This is significant because by finding the metabolic pathway and understanding how the enzyme actually works and its structure gives us a blueprint of how allicin is created during biosynthesis.” Valentino and the team – which included undergraduate students – worked in the Sobrado Lab in the Fralin Life Sciences Institute directly with the substrates that comprise garlic are conducting research that is laying the foundation for a future in which buyers can choose garlic based on its strength and flavor profile the component that gives garlic its smell and flavor was produced by an entirely different biosynthetic process Allyl-mercaptan reacts with flavin-containing monooxygenase allowing farmers to know the strength of their crops without the need for genetic engineering meaning powerful garlic could simply be bred or engineered “We have a basic understanding of the biosynthesis of allicin that it is involved in flavor and smell but we also now understand an enzyme that we can try to modulate to increase or decrease the level of the flavor molecules based on these biological processes,” Sobrado said the future awaits for fields of garlic harsh enough to keep even the most terrifying vampires at bay Virginia Tech demonstrates impact as a global land grant – progressing sustainability in our community Get Directions  See All Locations  Contact Virginia Tech  © 2025 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University CAMDEN - A Marlton man has received a three-year prison term for crimes that included providing the military with subpar parts for military jets also was ordered to pay restitution of more than $8 million at a sentencing hearing in Camden federal court for his part in a lucrative fraud against the U.S Sobrado duped the Pentagon from January 2011 through December 2015 while running two Berlin Township firms The businessman provided non-conforming parts for military use illegally shared sensitive technical information and evaded income taxes More: Camden woman pleads guilty to twin sister's slaying More: Judge: Garden State Park developer unlikely to win gaming dispute It said firms run by Sobrado and several family members falsely claimed parts sold for military use were "exactly as described and provided by authorized manufacturers." Sobrado used Tico to contract with local manufacturers to supply non-conforming parts to MCS and his family members’ companies at a significantly reduced cost," the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement It described the non-conforming parts as "critical application items for military equipment Sobrado also concealed taxable income of almost $1.2 million for tax years 2011 through 2014 And he submitted a fraudulent application to the Defense Department so a relative could access sensitive drawings and technical data who was not a legal resident of the United States downloaded hundreds of restricted drawings to land defense contracts between January and November 2013 Sobrado previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to violate the Arms Export Control Act He also admitted guilt to income tax evasion At least three other people have pleaded guilty in connection with the scam Jim Walsh is a free-range reporter who’s been roaming around South Jersey for decades economic development and being first with breaking news Reach him at jwalsh@gannettnj.com or look for him in traffic Help support local journalism with a Courier-Post subscription. More: Neighbors unhappy as Shake Shack, Trader Joe's and others come to Cherry Hill More: Final show at The Pennant in Bellmawr could be a smash More: It's lights out for beloved Cherry Hill Christmas lights display More: New Jersey cornstalk with 29 cobs sets Guinness world record William Paul Colgan and his partner left Philadelphia for Denver a neighborhood on the far east side of town Median home prices in Philadelphia are $275,000, according to Realtor.com. In the Denver area, the median home price in July was $480,000 Rent's also higher in Denver. Median two-bedroom rent in Philadelphia is $1,750; in Denver, it's $2,340, according to data from the latest national trends report from the online rental site Zumper the rent hikes were moderate and acceptable to the couple The jaw-dropping jump came in February of 2022 the landlord raised the rent again for a lease extension to $2,531 Raising the rent more than once in a year is prohibited by Colorado law said eviction defense attorney Jana Happel She pointed to a Colorado Statute that went into effect in June 2021 The law goes like this: "In residential tenancies a landlord shall not increase rent more than one time in any twelve-month period of consecutive occupancy by the tenant regardless of: (a) Whether there is a written rental agreement for the tenancy; (b) The length of the tenancy; and (c) Whether the tenant's rental agreement is for a fixed tenancy landlords only have one chance a year to hike prices and if they try to do so more often than that So Colgan and his partner are taking legal action against their landlord The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment Colgan said that not only has rent shot up but amenities have also been slashed during the pandemic and never reopened even as the renters continue to shoulder a $65 a month "amenity fee." "We have a private lake with a marina that has never reopened," Colgan said "We used to have tennis courts and golfing greens up on the property they were supposed to be converting to a theater and they just announced that they're not moving forward with that project." the couple has a hard time raising issues when on-site management has been unresponsive to maintenance concerns and other issues with the city Colgan and his partner run a commercial moving company and are in a better financial position than most in Denver Colgan was stunned: The landlord was charging $1,963 for rent -- $568 less than he and his partner were paying Colgan believes the market can't support the $2,531 rent the landlord was charging the longtime tenants He suspects the rent was raised so high because people are intimidated by moving and willing to eat the extra costs to avoid the inconvenience "If they can price-gouge you for an extra 300 bucks a month that's just 300 extra bucks a month that they're getting there," Colgan said "They obviously know that the market isn't willing to pay that if they're not listing this apartment right now at that rate." Rent is up 5.3% from the first quarter of 2022 to the second quarter With the for-sale housing market stabilizing, there may be additional demand for rental units. Whatever cool off is happening in real estate could ultimately increase demand for apartments and raise prices for renters. "It's been crazy. Like everyone in Denver, we've been dealing with this for a while now. It's a very interesting market," Colgan said. "I'm glad to see things 'starting to slow down,' but as much as people keep saying that it's slowing down, I don't know how much I buy into that yet." "We have a commitment to Denver as a community," Colgan said. "We employ people that work here. If we're struggling for rent payments, I know our employees are struggling for rent payments." Over the three and a half years their company has been up and running, they have raised salaries 16% a year to keep up with the rising cost of living in Denver. "I wish that was true for every employer out there, but I can't control every employer out there," Colgan said. "If I want my employees to be able to show up and do their job, they also need to have a place to sleep and food to eat and schools for their kids and transportation -- and all of those things cost money." While they are investing in their employees and growing their business, Colgan acknowledged he and his partner can't afford the same luxuries bosses often have in other cities. "Even though we're business owners, we're still renters," he said. "We're not financially set enough to be a property owner." You power Denverite!If you love what we do, donate today to support our essential and delightful local news. Virginia Tech researchers discovered a way to synthesize a compound in the mold of blue cheese that has antibacterial and anticancer properties and Pablo Sobrado found a way to synthesize on a large scale a naturally occurring compound that hasn’t previously been used for anti-bacterial applications Photo by Max Esterhuizen for Virginia Tech But there’s far more to blue cheese than just the stink “This discovery explains the mechanism behind a new reaction in our field filling a knowledge gap,” said Sydney Johnson Ph.D By finding a way to synthesize on a large scale a naturally occurring compound that hasn’t previously been used for antibacterial applications “We work with an enzyme that can help create a natural product that has a unique structure that would make it very difficult for pathogens to become resistant,” Johnson said “Existing pathogens would have to evolve to be resistant to this new compound.” “This publication lays the foundation to utilize the enzyme to synthesize the natural products,” Johnson said “I like to train innovative scientists that work on trying to move the science forward by developing projects that move the entire field forward,” said Pablo Sobrado “Sydney achieved that with this research.” “This has not been studied in detail before and then obtains the final product,” Sobrado said and it’s relatively new in the biochemistry field to research how to synthesize these processes at a large scale “The improvements make this process much more marketable we could get a drug containing one of these compounds or something similar to it to the market.” CAMDEN – A Somerdale man has admitted his role in scams that allegedly bilked two federal agencies Erik Costanzo is the second South Jersey resident to plead guilty this month to conspiring to defraud the Department of Defense through the sale of military spare parts Costanzo's former employer, Roger Sobrado of Evesham, admitted on Oct. 12 he cheated the military while running two West Berlin companies conspired with Sobrado and others while working at Tico Manufacturing More: Judge: Glassboro man can sue over alleged police misconduct More: Rabbi's message: 'No one is going to make us feel we don't belong' Federal authorities allege participants in the scheme supplied “hardware items and spare parts” to the military while falsely claiming the equipment came from approved manufacturers which involved several people sharing family ties took place from January 2011 through December 2015 Costanzo admitted guilt to the theft of government funds from the Social Security Administration Authorities allege Costanzo concealed income so he and two family members could improperly obtain Social Security disability payments worth about $100,000 from January 2011 to April 2016 Costanzo is to make restitution of $3.1 million to the Defense Department and just over $100,000 to the Social Security Administration Costanzo entered his guilty plea Thursday in federal court in Camden agreed to forfeit $7.5 million as part of his guilty plea He also is to pay more than $500,000 to the Internal Revenue Service representing income taxes evaded over a five-year period the information said Sobrado diverted about $1.2 million from his companies' banks accounts The money went toward luxury vehicles and other personal expenses the scheme allegedly involved five co-conspirators and five companies that are not identified by name in charging papers Jim Walsh: @jimwalsh_cp; 856-486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com More: Backgrounds matter for two Camden men charged in friend's death More: Alleged driver in Camden police shooting will remain in jail More: Video: Hard message for children More: Video: Remembering Pittsburgh Pablo Sobrado, assistant professor of biochemistry, has been awarded Costa Rica’s 2011 National Technology Prize, administered by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) The jury noted that Sobrado’s research is "a significant contribution to the diagnosis and treatment of infectious and tropical diseases," according to a release distributed my MICIT Sobrado, an affiliated faculty member with the Fralin Life Science Institute researches issues related to Chagas Disease which are caused by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus The diseases infect more than 20 million people worldwide yet current treatment is expensive and minimally effective Sobrado studies enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of siderophores which are molecules required for iron uptake during fungal infections His group also studies enzymes that make a rare sugar only found in some human pathogens is important for pathogen-host interaction and cell wall biosynthesis Sobrado received the technology award for his work in identifying the mechanism of action of these enzymes and for the design and development of two assays that allow his team to identify specific inhibitors against these enzymes The assays were optimized for high-throughput screening of small molecular libraries Sobrado’s team strives to identify enzyme inhibitors that might be used to develop chemotherapeutic drugs The majority of the research takes place in Fralin Hall where Sobrado maintains an active research lab and biotechnology internship program "The technologies developed in our laboratory provide us with a unique opportunity for the identification of inhibitors against enzymes that are important for pathogenesis in several human diseases," Sobrado said "We are very honored to receive this award from the Costa Rican government It fuels our commitment and dedication to drug discovery."  Sobrado will accept the award at the National Theatre in Costa Rica on May 15 The MICIT National Technology Prize is given annually in conjunction with the National Science Award Both are meant to recognize the best original research work carried out and disclosed individually or collectively by Costa Rican citizens in the fields of scientific and technological research Sobrado received a bachelor’s degree from Merrimack College and completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Universidad de Chile Members of Pablo Sobrado's research team Second row (left to right): Mike Fedkenheuer Jerry Seinfeld Image by Getty/Theo Wargo/Staff “23 Hours to Kill,” is an out-of-touch and at times mean-spirited affair that promises to show a certain amount of growth and personal development from the standup the comic’s last special of original material came in 1998 — before his marriage before such ventures as “Bee Movie” and “The Marriage Ref.” And while Seinfeld has folded in material about married life and fatherhood an unabashed unwillingness to change – at one point he actually says he doesn’t want to grow or learn the joke that opens the evening is not a new one for him but its tone tells us a lot about how Seinfeld has in fact evolved “This is ‘out,’” Seinfeld begins the one-hour-show after praising his audience for navigating their schedules and plans with their annoying friends If this sounds at all familiar it’s because it is more or less verbatim the cold open to 1989’s “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” the ur-text of “Seinfeld,” where Jerry pompadoured and in a more modest venue than the Beacon Theatre And out is one of the single most enjoyable experiences of life.” The younger Seinfeld finds the humor in the fact that once you’re out you want nothing more than to go back home we’re irritable and we’re dealing with it by constantly changing locations Seinfeld can afford to undersell himself and He’s now worth millions and has nothing to prove admitting his distance from the plebeians in the balcony while resting on his laurels as the prototypical observational comic His social critiques here steer into the banal and hackish — smart phones control us his words do have an incisive clarity when they point to a more original and jaded world view The comic discourses on the fine line between “suckiness” and “greatness,” indicating how the experience of a buzzed-about fancy restaurant can make for a worse meal than a bowl of Lucky Charms and Pepsi an inveterate eater of cereal here conveys an obscure-to-much-of-the-country dislike of molecular gastronomy.) He notes his disdain at being encouraged to pick up after himself at a movie theater He asserts his belief that children are gunning to replace their parents He posits that cramped urban centers like New York only exist so that its residents can more easily judge and criticize each other — this last observation if one knows of Seinfeld’s expansive secondary residences These views are not necessarily aberrant for Seinfeld but they exude a whiff of status that was missing from his salad days If the rotating slate of vanity projects were not enough to convince us that Seinfeld has lost the common touch the special affirms that he believes his darkest insights may be the most relatable archer philosophy is best summed up by the rewrite of the old joke about going out Seinfeld righly asserted the need for a certain flux in our lives all he sees in a night out is a dissatisfaction with the world Hitting at a time when many of us want nothing more than to leave our homes PJ Grisar is the Forward’s culture fellow. He can be reached at [email protected] PJ Grisar is a Forward culture reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and @pjgrisar on Twitter.[email protected]@pjgrisar I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association CAMDEN - An Atco woman has admitted her role in a scheme that defrauded the U.S Department of Defense of more than $1 million owner of Deet Distributors LLC in Hammonton is the third person to plead guilty in connection with the sale of spare parts for military use The fraud allegedly operated for at least five years through a web of South Jersey firms that falsely represented spare parts sold for military use had been made by approved sources An Evesham man, Roger Sobrado, allegedly recruited family members to create companies that submitted fraudulent bids on military contracts from 2011 through 2015 More: Cherry Hill woman pleads guilty to federal drug charge More: Four-year term for man who duct-taped store workers Sobrado made or obtained parts that did not meet federal standards through his firms Sobrado, 48, and a former employee, 43-year-old Erik Costanzo of Somerdale Sobrado agreed to forfeit $7.5 million as part of his guilty plea He is to pay more than $500,000 to the Internal Revenue Service Authorities also allege Sobrado diverted about $1.2 million from his companies’ bank accounts to pay for luxury vehicles and other personal expenses A complaint against Garcia claims multiple firms It refers to four unidentified co-conspirators must make restitution of $1.3 million under terms of her Nov It says Garcia admitted guilt to conspiring to commit wire fraud through actions at Deet and an Atco firm "Beth entered her plea voluntarily and in connection with her continued cooperation with the authorities," her attorney "She takes full responsibility for her limited role in the enterprise and will accept whatever punishment the court believes is appropriate," he said Jim Walsh: @jimwalsh_cp; 856-425-5711; jwalsh@gannettnj.com Best Dressed at Met Gala 2025 - Top 32 Red Carpet Looks Revealed! Rihanna Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 3 With A$AP Rocky! Every Celeb at Met Gala 2025 - See All Red Carpet Photos & Full Guest List (Updating Live All Night) Inti Zamora Sobrado will reprise his role of Simon’s friend Ayub Beri Gerwise will be back as Simon’s friend Rosh Mobiliar is acquiring a stake in SOBRADO Software AG the leading provider of online services in the area of offer process and information services for insurance and pension solutions in Switzerland "We will actively shape the strategic development of SOBRADO's range of services," says Michèle Rodoni "SOBRADO has been operating successfully for several years and has proven its marketability It is now of central importance to us that SOBRADO develops further promising services in a timely manner particularly in other transaction-rich sectors" the insurance broker Kessler is also taking a stake in the company thus launching the announced complete opening of SOBRADO's ownership structure in 2020 Chairman of the Board of Directors of SOBRADO Software AG adds: "I am very pleased that with Mobiliar three leading Swiss insurers and with Kessler also a first major insurance broker complement the ownership of SOBRADO" Until SOBRADO is fully opened up in the course of 2020 the Board of Directors will continue to be composed of representatives of the founders and the anchor shareholders further insurers and brokers as customers of SOBRADO will have the opportunity to also participate in SOBRADO under the same conditions as Mobiliar and Kessler the Board of Directors will be strengthened by broker representatives from that time onwards In view of the recently communicated collaboration between SOBRADO and the IG B2B for Insurers + Brokers association the anchor shareholders also support the construction of EcoHub IG B2B's new central and independent online industry platform www.mobiliar.ch A general view of Recivalongo landfill in Sobrado Portugal Portugal: Conceicao Gaspar looks out from her house on a lush green landscape but the Portuguese pensioner cannot enjoy the view because she knows the trees conceal an open-air landfill where large amounts of trash from all over Europe are dumped "It's impossible to live here now," said the visibly upset 69-year old who has lived all her life in the small hill village of Sobrado in northern Portugal but is increasingly struggling with the stench drifting over from the landfill I'm forced to shut doors because if I don't it's impossible to sleep at night," she said The landfill receives trash from across Portugal but is also one of 11 private sites in the country allowed to handle foreign trash And the amounts are increasing as European countries have had to look for other ways to dispose of their rubbish after China introduced strict limits two years ago on the amount of foreign waste it will import which includes waste containing hazardous substances and needs prior approval Around a third of this trash ended up in landfills and locals in Sobrado say the situation is getting worse "The country has to think whether it wants this type of business whether it wants to be seen as Europe's rubbish dump," Jose Ribeiro In a letter sent to the environment ministry last month Ribeiro said he believes Portugal became an attractive destination for trash due to its low waste management fee for landfills which was set at 9.90 euros per tonne in 2019 compared to a European average of 80 euros At the Sobrado landfill - which is authorised to receive over 400 types of waste including construction products containing asbestos the company that runs it - trucks with shipping containers can be spotted dumping rubbish into a massive hole Gaspar says she is scared the landfill is taking a toll on her health The municipality said last year the landfill could lead to a proliferation of insects and a potential spread of infectious diseases though the regional health authority told Reuters it saw no threat to public health Recivalongo did not respond to numerous emailed and telephone requests from Reuters for comment but on its website the Portuguese company says: "The landfill is designed so that environmental impacts are drastically reduced fully complying with all the most stringent standards" they launched an environmental group 'Jornada Principal' and it plans to file a lawsuit against Portugal's environment ministry "We felt hurt when our quality of life was taken away from us the right to breathe clean air," said Marisol Marques This all comes as a directive from Brussels requires all European Union member states to reduce landfilling by 2035 to a maximum of 10% of the total waste produced by a municipality the Portuguese government ordered APA this month to make it harder for waste shipments to be allowed into Portugal including 68-year-old Sobrado resident Joaquim Nelson where he says the stench from the landfill often forces him to keep his windows shut he said he wants the government "to take concrete and serious measures to give us back the air we used to breathe" One particular point of grievance in Sobrado is the amount of trash coming from the Campania region of southern Italy where organised crime groups illegally dumped and burned toxic waste for decades Forced by an EU court to get to grips with its waste problem Campania began exporting some of its trash in 2015 Some 15,000 tonnes of Campania's waste came to Sobrado alone last year according to a letter sent by APA to the municipality "The fear is that in a few years we won't have a solution for our own waste problem because we filled our landfills with trash from abroad," said Carmen Lima from Quercus The Bermuda Powerboat Association’s 2017 Season continued at Ferry Reach Shaki Easton and DJ Hodsoll won the A Class race with Shae Johnston and Esperanza Sobrado taking the checkered flag in the B Class Andrew Cottingham and Makai Hodsoll won the D Class with Aaron Simms and Stephen Bridges winning the S Class Category: All, Photos, Sports, Sports