Saline lakes are hypersensitive to changes in their water balance and therefore show amplified responses to climatic and land-use changes in their catchment. However, despite the resulting, often dramatic ecological consequences, saline lakes rank low on policy agendas as they are assumed to support few ecosystem services and low levels of biodiversity. Here, we challenge this view and evaluate ecosystem services and threatened species in 84 saline lakes distributed across the globe. We found that saline lakes harbour not only threatened aquatic biota but also a diverse range of red-listed terrestrial species that critically rely on the lakes’ existence. Further, our results highlight that saline lakes support, irrespective of their salinity, a number of culturally and economically important ecosystem services. We conclude our analysis with best-practice recommendations for sustainable management of saline lakes. Their local adaptation and implementation will be key for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services of these valuable but highly sensitive ecosystems.

Minimal interference with historical material and maximum preservation is one of the basic principles of the scientific restoration and conservation of monuments of historical and cultural heritage. The creation of nanoscale and microscale inorganic coatings is a promising way to protect limestone and marble cultural heritage objects. We conducted a laboratory testing of a method for stimulating biogenic mineral formation on the surface of limestone-masonry samples from the medieval cave town on the Eski-Kermen plateau (Crimea, Russia). The results showed the formation of a layer of crystallites of 0.4 to 1.3 µm on the surface of the limestone, an increase in the average strength values of the samples by 28% from 12.3 ± 2.8 to 15.8 ± 2.6 MPa, a 42% increase in the specific surface area of limestone, an 86% increase in salt attack resistance, and preservation of the capillary water-absorption level. The obtained results show the potential of using biogenic mineral formation for the conservation and restoration of limestone.

In order to study long-term trends and factors affecting the development of cyanobacteria in the terrestrial water bodies and coastal seas of Russia, we collected scientific reports on the cyanobacterial blooms throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries and compared this information with available data on the amount of fertilizers used in agriculture, volume of polluted wastewaters and average air temperature. We suppose that the problem of cyanobacterial blooms was most acute during the period 1930–1991. The main driving factors at that time were the large reservoir construction, untreated wastewater discharge and the widespread use of fertilizers in agriculture. In post-Soviet Russia, there was a noticeable reduction of polluted wastewater runoff along with a decrease in the use of fertilizers in agriculture, which caused a drop in the intensity of blooming. Nevertheless, the resumption of the use of fertilizers and a sharp increase in average annual temperatures in Russia may be responsible for intensification of cyanobacterial blooms in water bodies observed in the early 21st century.

The genome of the moderately haloalkaliphilic diazotrophic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Rhodovulum tesquicola A-36s(T) isolated from an alkaline lake was analyzed and compared to the genomes of the closest species Rhodovulum steppense A-20s(T) and Rhodovulum strictum DSM 11289(T). The genomic features of three organisms are quite similar, reflecting their ecological and physiological role of facultative photoheterotrophs. Nevertheless, the nitrogenase activity of the pure cultures of the studied bacteria differed significantly: the highest rate (4066 nmoles C2H2/mg of dry weight per hour) was demonstrated by Rhodovulum strictum while the rates in Rhodovulum tesquicola and Rhodovulum steppense were an order of magnitude lower (278 and 523 nmoles C2H2/mg of dry weight per hour, respectively). This difference can be attributed to the presence of an additional nitrogenase operon found exclusively in R. strictum and to the structural variation in nitrogenase operon in R. tesquicola.

Rhodomicrobium sp. strain Az07 was isolated from a brackish canal. The organism is more halotolerant than previously described species of the genus Rhodomicrobium . The Illumina MiSeq system was used to sequence the genome of the isolated strain. The assembly contains 3,291,400 bp, 106 contigs, and a GC content of 62.7%.

We report the draft genome sequence of an anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium, Rhodoferax sp. strain U11-2br, which was isolated from a freshwater mountain lake on the Ulagan Plateau (Altai, Russia). The assembly contains 4,514,979 bp, with a GC content of 59.9%.

Efficient nutrient extraction from wastewater and reuse as bio-fertilizer is an important task for reducing anthropogenic load toward circular economy. Inspired by microbial mats and biofilms, we developed a new material AlgalTextile (AT) that effectively absorbs nutrients from a medium. AT consists of three fully organic components: microalgae, alginate and textile. AT sequestered up to 99% of phosphorus (P-PO4) and 76% of total bound nitrogen from a medium. The uptake rate of phosphorus and nitrogen by AT was highest among all methods using photosynthetic microorganisms, but lower than EBPR and physicochemical methods for phosphorus removal, and anammox and denitrifying bacteria for nitrogen removal. Advantages of AT are its easy production, possibility of seasonal use and utilization as fertilizer. AT as biofertilizer for cress resulted in 35% greater length compared to the control. This outlines a promising technique for seasonal wastewater treatment, improving soil fertility and treatment of polluted surface runoff.

The method of flocculation of biomass from the water depth to the bottom can be applied in case of local algae blooms. In our research, the combined application of FeCl3 and Polyethyleneoxide-based cationic flocculant was applied for the first time for the harvesting of the enrichment culture obtained from the reservoir during eutrophication. The effects of coagulant (FeCl3·6H2O), various flocculants based on polyacrylamide (PAA), polyethylenoxide (PEO) and flocculated biomass as ballast agent, dosage and sedimental time on flocculation efficiency of harvesting enrichment culture obtained from Pond Chernoistochinsky during eutrophication have been studied. The results show that the flocculation efficiency achieved about 90% after 5 min of sedimentation when adding coagulant and flocculant mixture (FeCl3 30 mg/L + PEO based Sibfloc-718 2.5 mg/L) or flocculant with ballast agent (FeCl3 30 mg/L + Sibfloc-718 2.5 mg/L + 1,7% flocculated biomass). PAA, PEO and FeCl3·6H2O did not demonstrate a sufficient flocculation capacity with enrichment culture containing different types of microalgae.

New types of biohybrid materials are obtained using carbonate-forming bacteria Sporosarcina pasteurii . Bacterial cellulose produced by bacteria Komagateibacter xylinus , threads of green algae Aegagropila linnaei , and different biopolymers are used as an organic matrix. The morphology of the biohybrid materials is characterized via scanning electron microscopy.

Eutrophication caused by the entry of nutrients into a water body may lead to algal bloom. Russia possesses the world’s second highest supply of renewable freshwater resources and has faced the problem of eutrophication for many years. Nevertheless, as far as we know, no general analysis of Russia’s algal bloom situation has been before carried out. We have analyzed mass media and scientific reports about algal outbreaks from 2016 to 2018, which allowed us to determine the geographical distribution of algal blooms in Russia, as well as the major effects of eutrophication. As a result, we showed that algal blooms happened in all major climate zones and all federal districts. Cyanobacteria are the most frequently reported photosynthetic organisms comprising algal blooms in freshwater reservoirs located in the continental part of Russia and in the Baltic Sea. Dinoflagellate dominated blooms are more characteristic for the coastal parts of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The largest number of reports comes from the south of the European part of Russia. However, we did not find significant correlations between state statistics data on factors possibly affecting eutrophication (e.g., population, arable land area, fertilizers, livestock, air temperature, etc.) and the number of algal outbreaks in the regions. Mass media analysis showed that algal blooms attract considerable public attention in Russia, which requires the scientific community to actively participate in solving the problem.

The formation of calcium carbonate by microorganisms plays an important role in the global carbon cycle on Earth. It is also a fundamental process for the development of biocement, self-healing concrete, and composite biomaterial technologies. Representatives from different groups of microorganisms are able to induce the formation of calcium carbonate. These groups are oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophic microorganisms, aerobic organotrophic bacteria (including ammonification bacteria), and some anaerobic microorganisms (sulfate reducing, methanogenic, denitrifying bacteria, anaerobic methane oxidizers). This article collects information on the participation of different groups of bacteria in the formation of nanosized calcium carbonate mineral particles. It is demonstrated that the process has been studied in the greatest detail for aerobic groups of microorganisms, while only scarce information is available for anaerobic microorganisms.

The article considers key Biotech trends for thermal power engineering, in particular in wastewater treatment, flue gas cleaning, remediation of ash and slag disposal sites and oil-contaminated soils. An overview of key technological solutions in these areas is provided. Special attention is paid to phototrophic microorganisms application for CO2 fixation. List of possible products that can be obtained from these microorganisms is given. The latest data about lipids (main component for biodiesel production) productivity from different strains in different conditions are presented. Also, other possible applications of phototrophic microorganisms in combination with carbon dioxide fixation (biological pre-treatment and biodesalination) are shown. Aquaporin based reverse osmosis membranes are discussed. It is shown that today the introduction of such technologies becomes economically feasible, especially in the case of flue gases from thermal power plants used for the cultivation of phototrophic microorganisms to further obtain a wide range of products including pharmaceutical substances, biofuels and animal feeds.

The article analyses the contradiction between the high biomass resources and low level of bioenergy utilization in Russia. The article presents the total estimation of bioenergy potential of Russia in comparison with the real utilization rate and with the bioenergy potential of other countries. The study gives the analysis of general bioenergy regulating policy in Russia and describes the key objectives of Russian bioenergy community. The authors of this paper made a preliminary evaluation of the technical bioenergy potential of Russia. It was estimated at 2225.4 PJ. Crop residues contribute 42% of the total potential while livestock waste contributes 9%, forest residues 23%, municipal solid waste 25% and biogas from sewage sludge 1%. Only 12% of the bioenergy potential of Russia is being currently utilized. To the extent of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to compare the existing bioenergy potential of Russia to the level of its actual use. The technical bioenergy potential is equal to 30% of today's total heat and electricity consumption in Russia. At the same time in some regions the technical bioenergy potential exceeds the existing heat and electricity consumption. Considering the world bioenergy potential to be assessed in the range between 64 and 161 EJ, Russia accounts for 1.3–3.5% of it.

A biogenic fabrication of selenium nanoparticles has been considered, with characterization of these nanoparticles. Anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria reduce sodium selenite to produce amorphous selenium nanospheres that are more homogeneous in size than biogenic selenium nanoparticles reported in the literature and those obtained by chemical route. These biogenic selenium nanoparticles can be used to investigate the selenium metabolism in microorganisms.

The Baraba and Kulunda steppes are located in southwestern Siberia in an area with an arid continental climate. This paper presents results of the first study of the hypersaline Lake Krasnovishnevoye (Baraba steppe, TDS (total dissolved solids)=297 g/L, pH 7.88). The major chemical, mineralogical and biological features of the lake were studied and compared to those of Lake Malinovoe, a typical saline neutral lake of Kulunda steppe (TDS=396 g/L, pH 7.63). The phytoplankton composition and the culturable diversity of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria from Lake Krasnovishnevoye correspond to the ones in the Kulunda lakes. Nevertheless, the peculiarities of water composition and regime of Lake Krasnovishnevoye reduce the biodiversity to prokaryotes and unicellular algae.

Lake Baikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and holds 20% of the world's freshwater reserves. On July 26, 2016, a cyanobacterial bloom of a green colour a few kilometers in size with a bad odor was discovered by local people in the Barguzinsky Bay on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal. Our study showed very high concentration of chlorophyll a (41.7 g/m(3)) in the sample of bloom. We found that the bloom was dominated by a nitrogen-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria of the genus Dolichospermum. The mass accumulation of cyanobacteria in the lake water with an extremely high chlorophyll a concentration can be explained by a combination of several factors: the discharge of biologicaly-available nutrients, including phosphorus, into the water of Lake Baikal; low wind speed and weak water mixing; buoyant cyanobacterial cells on the lake surface, which drifted towards the eastern coast, where the maximum concentration of chlorophyll a was recorded. In the center of the Barguzinsky Bay and in the open part of Lake Baikal, according to satellite data, the chlorophyll a concentration is several orders of magnitude lower than at the shoreline.