Editorial Applied —An Journal

Ian Connerton

Division of Microbiology, Brewing and , University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK; [email protected]

Welcome to Applied Microbiology, a new Open Access MDPI journal that will report original studies and reviews on the growing numbers of applications for and their associated technologies. Since the inception of Microbiology as a scientific discipline there has been a focus on how microbes impact human health, food production and enterprise. Not least in the early ground-breaking observational studies linking microorganisms with disease: Sem- melweis in the 1840s highlighted the importance of hand washing to prevent the transfer of pathogens in childbirth [1]—a general hygiene message that we need to continue to heed in the current COVID-19 pandemic; and the contemporary studies of Berkeley on the cause of potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) responsible for crop failures, which notably in Ireland lead to famine and mass emigration as an economic necessity [2]—the impact of microorganisms on food insecurity remains a key issue in the face of climate change. Exploiting natural fermentations to produce, improve and preserve foods and bever- ages dates back into prehistory. However, the development of the Microbiology discipline required the decisive demonstration by Pasteur in the 1860s that the sterilization of organic substrates prevented microbial growth, and in doing so eliminated the possibility of the

 spontaneous appearance of microorganisms and associated fermentations [3]. These discov-  eries led to the widespread application of sterilization methods for the control of microbial

Citation: Connerton, I. Applied growth, the adoption of the “Pasteurization” process by the dairy industry to remove Microbiology—An Open Access pathogens and prolong the shelf life of dairy produce, and ultimately paved the way for Journal. Appl. Microbiol. 2021, 1, the development of industrial fermentation technologies. Today industrial microbiology 24–25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ represents a precision industry that has developed from its agrifood roots; benefiting from applmicrobiol1010003 complementary advances in “omic” technologies, gene manipulation and process engineer- ing for the large-scale use of microorganisms to produce biomass, microbial metabolites, Received: 31 March 2021 protein products (including enzymes), antimicrobials and preservatives. Low environmen- Accepted: 31 March 2021 tal impact fermentations for the efficient cost-effective production of precursor molecules Published: 9 April 2021 and biological catalysts in the form of enzymes for biotransformation are key drivers in the development of Green Chemistry [4]. Traditional fermentations have also benefitted from Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral the application of precise molecular methods to track populations of signature microbes with regard to jurisdictional claims in and metabolites as an aid to ensure product quality. published maps and institutional affil- Advances in nucleotide sequencing technologies and analytical chemistry have made iations. detailed studies of microbial communities feasible. Complex and dynamic populations can be analysed to provide the basis for quantitative modelling of the underlying biological and chemical processes. Amongst these are microbes that themselves effect population levels, which include predatory organisms, (bacteriophages) and those that have Copyright: © 2021 by the author. evolved competitive advantages through the control/use of substrates or the production Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. of antimicrobials (antibiotics and bacteriocins). These organisms collectively form the This article is an open access article basis for biological control and competitive exclusion applications that can minimise distributed under the terms and collateral damage to microbial ecosystems [5]. These advanced technologies also underpin conditions of the Creative Commons microbiome studies in man and animals and provide the basis for targeted bioremediation Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// using microbial communities capable of degrading terrestrial and aquatic environmental creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ pollutants [6]. 4.0/).

Appl. Microbiol. 2021, 1, 24–25. https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol1010003 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applmicrobiol Appl. Microbiol. 2021, 1 25

Although not intended to be exhaustive, this editorial seeks to highlight the breadth and scope of microbial applications. The journal will therefore encourage contributions reporting a wide range of applications in microbiology. To provide expert opinion and feedback we have assembled an Editorial Board with diverse experience that, together with the publisher and dedicated administrative staff, will provide a timely publication experience and guide the development of Applied Microbiology in years to come. We very much hope you will choose our journal to publish your research and we look forward to receiving your manuscripts.

Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.

References 1. Wyklicky, H.; Skopec, M. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, the prophet of bacteriology. Infect Control. 1983, 4, 367–369. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 2. Andrivon, D. The origin of Phytophthora infestans populations present in Europe in the 1840s: A critical review of historical and scientific evidence. Plant Plathol. 1996, 45, 1027–1035. [CrossRef] 3. Debré, P. (Ed.) Louis Pasteur; Forster, E., Translator; The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, MA, USA, 1994. 4. Cipolatti, E.P.; Pinto, M.C.C.; Henriques, R.O.; Costa da Silva Pinto, J.C.; Aline Machado de Castro, A.; Guimarães Freire, D.M.; Manoel, E.A. Enzymes in Green Chemistry: The State of the Art in Chemical Transformations of Biomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals: Advances in Enzyme Technology; Singh, R.S., Singhania, R.R., Pandey, A., Larroche, C., Eds.; : Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019; pp. 137–151. 5. Richards, P.J.; Connerton, P.L.; Connerton, I.F. Phage biocontrol of Campylobacter jejuni in chickens does not produce collateral effects on the gut microbiota. Front Microbiol. 2019, 10, 476. [CrossRef][PubMed] 6. Kour, D.; Kaur, T.; Devi, R.; Yadav, A.; Singh, M.; Joshi, D.; Singh, J.; Suyal, D.C.; Kumar, A.; Rajput, V.D.; et al. Beneficial microbiomes for bioremediation of diverse contaminated environments for environmental sustainability: Present status and future challenges. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 2021. Online ahead of print. [CrossRef][PubMed]