Browsing by Author "Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer"
Now showing 1 - 16 of 16
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Article Citation Count: 016S Bacterial Metagenomic Analysis of Herby Cheese (Otlu Peynir) Microbiota(Istanbul Univ-cerrahpasa, 2021) Sudağıdan, Mert; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Taşbaşı, Behiye Büşra; Acar, Elif Esma; Ömeroğlu, Esra Ersoy; Uçak, Samet; Aydın, AliCheese microbiota may contain various bacterial species due to the use of different types of milk, rennet, and herbs. In this study, the distribution of the dominant bacteria present in the microbiota of herby cheese samples (n = 13) were examined by the next generation sequencing (NGS) technique. DNA was extracted both directly from cheese samples and after pre-enrichment. The metagenomic analysis of the NGS results revealed that Firmicutes were dominant both in DNA directly extracted from herby cheese (KOP), and pre-enriched samples (OP), at the phylum level. At the genus level, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus were dominant in the KOP samples, whereas in the OP samples, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus were determined as the dominant bacterial genera. Although Lactococcus raffinolactis and Streptococcus salivarius were dominant in the KOP samples, Enterococcus faecalis and S. salivarius were dominant in the OP samples. The Shannon species diversity index and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) were used to determine the distribution in KOP and OP samples at the genus level. The PCoA of KOP-10, KOP-11, KOP-2, and KOP-7, KOP-3, and KOP-6 samples showed the wide distribution, whereas KOP-5, KOP-8, KOP-9, and KOP-14 herby cheese samples were closely related. The OP samples, especially OP-7 and OP-14, showed wide distribution in comparison to other OP samples. Finally, the dominant bacterial communities were identified by DNAbased metagenomic analysis, and this is the first report to elucidate the microbiota of herby cheese produced in Turkey using the NGS technique.Article Citation Count: 2Bacterial and fungal microbiota of mould-ripened cheese produced in Konya(Wiley, 2023) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Omeroglu, Esra Ersoy; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Altunbas, Osman; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Basic SciencesBacterial and fungal diversities of 24 mould-ripened cheeses originating from Konya-Turkiye were examined by metagenomic analysis. Firmicutes phylum, Enterococcus, Clostridium sensu stricto and Lactobacillus (Levilactobacillus) genera were the dominant bacteria. Ascomycota phylum and Penicillium and Pichia genera and Penicillium roqueforti and Pichia membranifaciens species were dominant fungi. Enterococcus faecium (n = 30) and Enterococcus faecalis (n = 6) were identified, and all strains were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, chloramphenicol and linezolid. The highest resistance (n = 14) was against rifampin. Tetracycline resistance was determined in two strains. Biofilm-forming ability was found in nine E. faecium and 1 E. faecalis. E. faecium strains revealed 40-88.9%, and E. faecalis showed 59.2-100% homology by pulsed field gel electrophoresis.Article Citation Count: 3Bacterial Skin Microbiota of Seabass from Aegean Fish Farms and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Psychrotrophic Pseudomonas(Mdpi, 2023) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Mamatova, Zhanylbubu; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Zornu, Jacob; Brun, Edgar; Basic SciencesFarming seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is an essential activity in the Mediterranean basin including the Aegean Sea. The main seabass producer is Turkey accounting for 155,151 tons of production in 2021. In this study, skin swabs of seabass farmed in the Aegean Sea were analysed with regard to the isolation and identification of Pseudomonas. Bacterial microbiota of skin samples (n = 96) from 12 fish farms were investigated using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and metabarcoding analysis. The results demonstrated that Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum in all samples. At the species level, Pseudomonas lundensis was identified in all samples. Pseudomonas, Shewanella, and Flavobacterium were identified using conventional methods and a total of 46 viable (48% of all NGS+) Pseudomonas were isolated in seabass swab samples. Additionally, antibiotic susceptibility was determined according to standards of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) in psychrotrophic Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas strains were tested for susceptibility to 11 antibiotics (piperacillin-tazobactam, gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, doripenem, meropenem, imipenem, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and tetracycline) from five different groups of antibiotics (penicillins, aminoglycosides, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and tetracyclines). The antibiotics chosen were not specifically linked to usage by the aquaculture industry. According to the EUCAST and CLSI, three and two Pseudomonas strains were found to be resistant to doripenem and imipenem (E-test), respectively. All strains were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam, amikacin, levofloxacin, and tetracycline. Our data provide insight into different bacteria that are prevalent in the skin microbiota of seabass sampled from the Aegean Sea in Turkey, and into the antibiotic resistance of psychrotrophic Pseudomonas spp.Article Citation Count: 12Bacterial surface, biofilm and virulence properties of Listeriamonocytogenes strains isolated from smoked salmon and fish food contact surfaces(Elsevier, 2021) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Ozturk, Orhan; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Yavuz, Orhan; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Aydin, Ali; Basic SciencesBiofilm formation is one of the defense mechanisms of bacteria against disinfectants and antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to determine biofilm-forming L.monocytogenes from fish processing and salmon surfaces. Biofilm formation at 15, 25, 37, and 40 degrees C from 1 to 6-days period, adhesion to glass, polypropylene and stainless-steel surfaces, bacterial surface charge and hydrophobicity was determined. Adhesion behavior of the strains was evaluated using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technique. Totally 32 L.monocytogenes strains belonging to serogroups IIa (n:17), IIc(n:14) and IVb(n:1) were detected from 1320 swabs and 16 smoked salmons. Biofilm formation tests revealed that 21 strains form biofilm on microplate by increasing time and temperature. Although all strains strongly formed biofilm on glass surfaces, two strains slightly adhered polypropylene surfaces. High surface roughness of stainless-steel FeCrNi alloy (Ra = 4.15 nm) and CoCrMo alloy (Ra = 10.75 nm) increased biofilm formation of L.monocytogenes on stainless-steel surfaces. Zeta potential results showed that non-biofilm formers were more negatively charged after 6-days and hydrophobicity couldn't give a distinct distribution among biofilm formers and non-formers. SPR analysis method was evaluated to distinguish biofilm formers to adhere SPR gold chip surfaces. PCR results revealed that all strains were positive for hylA, iap, actA, plcA, plcB, fri, flaA, inlA, inlB, inlC, inlJ, and lmo1386 genes. Additionally, all strains were susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, meropenem, erythromycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Biofilm-forming, virulence properties of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from fish processing surfaces and smoked salmons were evaluated and SPR was used to differentiate biofilm formers as a sensitive technique for biofilm studies.Article Citation Count: 1Boza Mikrobiyotasının Fermantasyon Sürecindeki Değişimi(2021) Kavruk, Murat; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Taşbaşı, Behiye Büşra; Acar, Elif Esma; Soyuçok, Ali; Altunbaş, Osman; Sudağıdan, Mert; Nutrition and DieteticsBoza, insan sağlığı için yararlı mikroorganizmaları içeren fermente bir içecektir. Çalışmamızda boza üretiminde ham madde olarak kullanılan (mısır unu, buğday unu, mayşe) ve boza fermantasyonunun 1. günü, 3. günü ve 4. gün son ürün boza’nın içerdiği mikrobiyota Yeni Nesil DNA Dizileme yöntemi ve metagenomik analiz ile ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Örneklerden doğrudan cins düzeyinde yapılan analiz sonucunda, mısır unu ve buğday ununda dominant olarak Streptophyta ve Pleomorphobacterium bulunurken; bozanın 1. gün, 3. gün ve son ürün ile boza mayasında dominant bakterilerin Leuconostoc ve Lactococcus cinsine ait olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ön zenginleştirme yapılan örneklerin analizinde, mısır ununda dominant bakteriler Enterococcus, Klebsiella ve Micromonospora, buğday ununda ise Pantoea ve Bacillus olduğu, boza mayası, 1. gün boza, 3. gün boza ve satışa sunulan son üründe dominant bakteri Lactococcus olarak belirlenmiştir. Çalışmamızda örnekler arasındaki bakteriyel çeşitlilik, benzerlik ve farklılıklar Principal Coordinate Analiz ve dendrogram oluşturulması ile ortaya konmuştur. Boza üretiminde kullanılan ham maddelerin bozanın fermantasyon aşamalarındaki ürünler ile fermantasyon sürecinde mikrobiyotasına nasıl değiştiği ve son ürüne olan katkıları, DNA düzeyinde yapılan metagenomik analizler ile belirlenmiştir.Article Citation Count: 11Determination of bacterial community structure of Turkish kefir beverages via metagenomic approach(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2022) Yegin, Zeynep; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Altunbas, Osman; Ucak, Samet; Sudagidan, MertBacterial microbiota of industrially produced kefir beverages (n:33) consumed in Turkey was studied using a culture-independent method and a metagenomic approach. DNA extraction from non pre enriched and pre-enriched kefir samples was used for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Kefirs were dominated by Firmicutes, followed by Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria phyla. The most abundant genera in non pre-enriched kefir beverages were Lactococcus followed by Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Leuconostoc. Pre-enriched kefirs were dominated by Streptococcus followed by Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Leuconostoc at the genus level. Psychroserpens, Desulfonispora, Pediococcus, Micromonospora, Fructobacillus, Mycobacterium, Acetobacter, Pseudopedobacter, and Clostridium XI genera were found only in pre-enriched kefirs. Kefirs displayed pH differences from 4.04 to 4.49 and the acidity was 0.617e0.987. In two samples, the lowest pH values were obtained with abundance of Lactobacillus helveticus and Streptococcus salivarius. This study broadens our viewpoint and strengthens future applications of kefir beverages in industrial and medical fields. (C)& nbsp;2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Article Citation Count: 2Determination of Bacterial Diversity of Propolis Microbiota(Wiley-v C H verlag Gmbh, 2023) Omeroglu, Esra Ersoy; Arserim-Ucar, Dilhun Keriman; Yegin, Zeynep; Caglayan, Nevzat; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Sudagidan, MertPropolis is a natural resinous mixture produced by the excretions of honeybees. PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene region was achieved using DNA of pre-enriched propolis samples collected from Apis mellifera production hives (n=37) in Eastern Turkiye (Bingol and its regions). Next-generation sequencing and metabarcoding techniques were used to identify bacterial communities in propolis samples. Firmicutes dominated the phylum structure, with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, and Spirochaetes following. The top three bacterial families were Bacillaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Enterococcaceae. Bacillus (dominantly B. badius and B. thermolactis at the species level) was recognized at the genus level, followed by Enterococcus and Clostridium sensu stricto. Our study comprehensively identified the bacterial diversity of propolis samples. Further investigations targeting to enlighten the microbiota of propolis and its potential application fields are required to gain better insight into ecological, nutritional, and medicinal perspectives.Article Citation Count: 0Horse Meat Microbiota: Determination of Biofilm Formation and Antibiotic Resistance of Isolated Staphylococcus Spp.(Mary Ann Liebert, inc, 2024) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Abdramanov, Abzal; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Mamatova, Zhanylbubu; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Basic SciencesDomestic horses could be bred for leisure activities and meat production, as is already the case in many countries. Horse meat is consumed in various countries, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and with the increase in this consumption, horses are registered as livestock by the Food and Agricultural Organization. In this study, horse meat microbiota of horse samples (n = 56; 32 samples from Kazakhstan and 24 samples from Kyrgyzstan) from two countries, Kazakhstan (n = 3) and Kyrgyzstan (n = 1), were investigated for the first time by next-generation sequencing and metabarcoding analysis. The results demonstrated that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla in all samples. In addition, three (5.4%) Staphylococcus strains were isolated from the Uzynagash region, Kazakhstan. Staphylococcus strains were identified as Staphylococcus warneri, S. epidermidis, and S. pasteuri by partial 16S rRNA DNA gene Sanger sequencing. All three Staphylococcus isolates were nonbiofilm formers; only the S. pasteuri was detected as multidrug-resistant (resistant to penicillin, cefoxitin, and oxacillin). In addition, S. pasteuri was found to carry mecA, mecC, and tetK genes. This is the first study to detect potentially pathogenic Staphylococcus spp. in horse meat samples originating from Kazakhstan. In conclusion, it should be carefully considered that undercooked horse meat may pose a risk to consumers in terms of pathogens such as antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus isolates.Article Citation Count: 12Identification of bacterial communities of fermented cereal beverage Boza by metagenomic analysis(Elsevier, 2022) Ucak, Samet; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Altunbas, Osman; Soyucok, Ali; Sudagidan, MertBacterial microbiota of directly studied and pre-enriched Boza samples were investigated by metagenomic analysis. Virulence gene contents, biofilm formation, antibiotic susceptibility and clonal relationships of enterococci present in pre-enriched Boza samples were determined. Chemical properties of the samples were also investigated. Although directly studied samples showed a dominance by Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Streptococcus. NGS upon pre-enrichment of the same Boza samples demonstrated a dominance by Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia/Shigella, Bacillus, and Lactobacillus. All enterococci were identified as Enterococcus faecium and none of them was positive for vanA, vanB, vanC1, vanD, vanE, vanG, agg, gelE, efaAfs, cylA, ace, hyl, cob, cylB, and cylM genes. However, efaAfm, ccf, cpd, and esp genes were detected in the strains. Only one strain formed biofilm and seven strains showed low adherence. E. faecium strains were resistant to rifampin and erythromycin. PFGE revealed 54-100% clonal relationships of E. faecium strains. Percent acidity of Boza samples were 0.14%-0.51%, pH was 3.00-4.07, protein content was 0.35-1.23 mg/100 mg, total sugar content was 9.64-19.21 mg/100 mg Boza, crude ash content was 0.05-0.18 mg/100 mg dry sample, total dry matter was 13.79-28.04 mg/100 mg. Our results indicate to importance of the dynamics nature of microbial communities involved in Boza fermentation and virulence properties of enterococci.Article Citation Count: 0Identification of Bacterial Diversity of Bee Collected Pollen and Bee Bread Microbiota by Metagenomic Analysis(Aves, 2022) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Yegin, Zeynep; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Basic SciencesThis study investigated the bacterial diversities of bee-collected pollen and bee bread of Apis mellifera in Turkey. The bacterial community structure of 14 bee pollen from Bingol, Konya, and Hakkari and 11 bee bread samples from Bingol were studied using 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metagenomic analysis. The dominant bacterial phylum in pollen and bee bread samples was Firmicutes, followed by Proteobacteria. In pollen and bee bread samples, Bacillaceae, Clostridiaceae, Enterococcaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae were identified as dominant bacterial families. At the genus level, Bacillus, Clostridium sensu stricto, and Enterococcus were dominant bacteria in both pollen and bee bread samples. The most abundant species was Clostridium perfringens in both pollen and bee bread samples. Escherichia vulneris, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Cronobacter malonaticus were identified with high reads in pollen samples. In bee bread samples, E. faecalis, Clostridium bifermentans, and Pantoea calida were abundant bacterial species. Alpha diversity showed that pol-3 sample had the highest diversity. Beta-diversity plots separated the pollen samples into four main groups and bee bread samples into three main groups. Our results indicated that the culture-independent metagenomic analysis will be a valuable tool for determining the microbial diversity of bee products produced in Bingol-Turkey one of the important centers of apiculture.Article Citation Count: 0Identification of Bacterial Vaginal Microbiota via Metagenomic Approach(Galenos Publ House, 2022) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Tuna, Bilge Guvenc; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Basic SciencesAim: The aim of the current study was to identify vaginal bacterial microbiota of 38 Turkish women using the high -throughput next -generation sequencing and metagenomic approach at different taxonomic levels from the kingdom to the species level. Materials and Methods: Vaginal swab samples (n=38) were collected in the DNA/RNA shield collection tubes at Yeditepe University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in June 2021 and DNA extraction was performed by ZymoBIOMICS DNA miniprep kit. The information related to age, marital status, preliminary diagnosis and anamnesis status of patients were collected. To determine the vaginal microbiota, a metagenomic approach was applied using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results: The dominant phylum Firmicutes was followed by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, Fusobacteria, and Synergistetes in the vaginal samples. Lactobacillus was the most abundant genus followed by Prevotella, Enterobacter, Gardnerella, and Dialister. Lactobacillus iners was dominant at the species level in vaginal swab samples, followed by Gardnerella vaginalis, Enterobacter tabaci, Prevotella timonensis, Prevotella bivia, and Lactobacillus jensenii. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria were mainly related to married/single variable with the highest percentages, whereas Actinobacteria and Tenericutes were related to age variable at the phylum level. Campylobacter , Atopobium , Enterobacter , and Lactococcus were mainly found in married/single variable with the highest percentages, whereas Anaerococcus, Streptococcus, Sutterella , and Veillonella were related to age. Moreover, CCA showed that Campylobacter ureolyticus, Lb. jensenii , and Atopobium vaginae were associated with married/single variable, whereas Lactobacillus johnsonii and G. vaginalis were found in age variable with the highest percentages at the species level. Conclusion: Vaginal diseases are still a major public health concern. The vaginal microbiota, which has been studied in more depth in recent years, has been discovered to be more complicated than previously imagined thanks to technological developments. More patient investigations are needed to confirm and develop these findings.Article Citation Count: 13Metagenomic and chemical analysis of Tarhana during traditional fermentation process(Elsevier, 2021) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Altunbas, Osman; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Basic SciencesTarhana is one of the favourable traditional fermented food consumed as a soup. Different flour, vegetables, spices and yogurt are main constituents and they compose of microbiota of Tarhana. In this study, bacterial communities in each fermentation process and in their constituents were identified by metagenomic analysis. Also, chemical properties (pH, acidity, salt content and dry matter) were analysed in each step. The results showed that in the dough formation, mainly Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Enterococcus and Streptococcus were present and after Day 4, Clostridium and Bacillus became dominant, after drying Clostridium disappeared and in the final product bacterial communities from Bacillus and Streptococcus genus were observed. Chemical analysis showed that pH decreased from 4.94 to 4.46, acidity increased by time at the beginning of fermentation from 7.5% to 22.5% in first 6 days period, then, became stable at 14% in drying process. Salt content increased by time from 1.74 to 3.08 g salt/100 g Tarhana in first 8 days and in drying process salt content was recorded as 2.81-2.90 and dry matter was obtained as 94 g dry matter/100 g Tarhana in the final product. This study elucidated the effects of ingredients, raw materials and how microbiota and chemical properties changes during fermentation steps of home-made traditional Tarhana production and thus preparation methods could be developed to obtain standardized Tarhana products for industrial production in future.Article Citation Count: 0A metagenomic survey of bacterial communities from kurut: The fermented cow milk in Kyrgyzstan(Wiley-v C H verlag Gmbh, 2024) Yegin, Zeynep; Mamatova, Zhanylbubu; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Ucak, Samet; Sudagidan, MertKurut is a traditional dry dairy product mostly consumed in Central Asia. In this study, the distribution of the dominant bacteria present in kurut samples (n=84) originated from seven (Chuy, Issyk-Kul, Talas, Naryn, Jalal-Abad, Osh, and Batken) regions in Kyrgyzstan were analyzed with Illumina iSeq100 platform. The dominant phylum detected was Firmicutes followed by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria/Chloroplast, and Tenericutes. The most abundant family detected was Lactobacillaceae followed by Streptococcaceae, Enterococcaceae, Chloroplast, and Leuconostocaceae. At the genus level, Lactobacillus was the predominant one in samples and Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Lactococcus, and Streptophyta followed this. Further comprehensive characterization analyses in kurut samples may have potential applications both in industrial starter culture developments and also future therapeutic approaches based on potential strains with probiotic properties. imageArticle Citation Count: 13Microbial community of soda Lake Van as obtained from direct and enriched water, sediment and fish samples(Nature Portfolio, 2021) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Sudagidan, Mert; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Acar, Elif Esma; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Basic SciencesSoda lakes are saline and alkaline ecosystems that are considered to have existed since the first geological records of the world. These lakes support the growth of ecologically and economically important microorganisms due to their unique geochemistry. Microbiota members of lakes are valuable models to study the link between community structure and abiotic parameters such as pH and salinity. Lake Van is the largest endroheic lake and in this study, bacterial diversity of lake water, sediment, and pearl mullet (inci kefali; Alburnus tarichi), an endemic species of fish which are collected from different points of the lake, are studied directly and investigated meticulously using a metabarcoding approach after pre-enrichment. Bacterial community structures were identified using Next Generation Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The analysis revealed that the samples of Lake Van contain high level of bacterial diversity. Direct water samples were dominated by Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidota, on the other hand, pre-enriched water samples were dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes at phylum-level. In direct sediment samples Proteobacteria, whereas in pre-enriched sediment samples Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were determined at highest level. Pre-enriched fish samples were dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes at phylum-level. In this study, microbiota members of Lake Van were identified by taxonomic analysis.Article Citation Count: 4Surface microbiota and associated staphylococci of houseflies (Musca domestica) collected from different environmental sources(Academic Press Ltd- Elsevier Science Ltd, 2022) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Can, Ozge; Eligul, Hakan; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Tasbasi, Behiye Busra; Kocak, Oner; Basic SciencesHouseflies (Musca domestica) are important mechanical vectors for the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, 129 houseflies (69 males and 60 females) were collected from 10 different environmental sources and a laboratory population was used. The surface microbiota of houseflies was identified by NextGeneration Sequencing. Staphylococci from the surfaces of houseflies were selectively isolated and their virulence genes, antibiotic susceptibilities, biofilm formation, and clonal relatedness were determined. Metagenomic analysis results demonstrated that Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Enterococcus were mostly present on the surface of houseflies at the genus level. Additionally, the isolated 32 staphylococcal strains were identified as Staphylococcus sciuri (n = 11), S. saprophyticus (n = 9), S. arlettae (n = 6), S. xylosus (n = 4), S. epidermidis (n = 1) and S. gallinarum (n = 1). tetK, tetM, tetL, ermC, msrAB, and aad6 genes were found to carry by some of the staphylococcal strains. The strains were mostly resistant to oxacillin, penicillin, and erythromycin and three strains were multi-drug resistant. There was a statistical difference between housefly collection places and antibiotic resistance of isolated staphylococci to penicillin G, gentamicin, and erythromycin (p < 0.05). Biofilm test showed that 17 strains were strong biofilm formers, and it plays important role in the transmission of these bacteria on the surface of houseflies. Staphylococcal strains showed extracellular proteolytic and lipolytic activity in 31 and 12 strains, respectively. Closely related species were found in PFGE analysis from different environmental sources. By this study, surface microbiota and carriage of pathogenic staphylococci on the surfaces of houseflies and their virulence properties were elucidated.Article Citation Count: 11Targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles for improved inhibition of disinfectant resistant Listeria monocytogenes and lower environmental pollution(Elsevier, 2021) Özalp, Veli Cengiz; Yildiz, Gulsah; Önen, Selin; Al, Rabia; Temiz, S. Sevval Nur; Yurt, Mediha Nur Zafer; Ozalp, Veli C.; Basic SciencesBenzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a common ingredient of disinfectants used for industrial, medical, food safety and domestic applications. It is a common pollutant detected in surface and wastewaters to induce adverse effects on Human health as well as aquatic and terrestrial life forms. Since disinfectant use is essential in combatting against microorganisms, the best approach to reduce ecotoxicity level is to restrict BAC use. We report here that encapsulation of BAC in mesoporous silica nanoparticles can provide an efficient strategy for inhibition of mi-crobial activity with lower than usual concentrations of disinfectants. As a proof-of-concept, Listeria mono-cytogenes was evaluated for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nanomaterial encapsulated BAC. Aptamer molecular gate structures provided a specific targeting of the disinfectant to Listeria cells, leading to high BAC concentrations around bacterial cells, but significantly reduced amounts in total. This strategy allowed to inhibition of BAC resistant Listeria strains with 8 times less the usual disinfectant dose. BAC encapsulated and aptamer functionalized silica nanoparticles (AptBACNP) effectively killed only target bacteria L. monocytogenes, but not the non-target cells, Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli. AptBACNP was not cytotoxic to Human cells as determined by in vitro viability assays.