Shams Tabrez Khan

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Aligarh Muslim University

Presence of azo dyes in industrial wastewater is an environmental and health hazard. The available removal methods generally are high cost and difficult to operate. This study optimizes Reactive Black 5 (RB5) adsorption process using polyurethane sponge containing sodium alginate and TiO2 NPs (PSAT). The results show that Langmuir isotherm (R²-0.99...

Archaea represents a significant population of up to 10% in soil microbial communities. The role of Archaea in soil is often overlooked mainly due to its unculturability. Among the three domains of life biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is mainly a trait of Eubacteria and some Archaea. Archaea mediated processes like BNF may become even more impor...

The presence of heavy metals in wastewater used for irrigation constitutes significant environmental problem and health risk with an economic burden of ~ 271 billion dollars. This study aimed at developing a low-cost bacterial biofilm-based heavy metal removal system for use in low economic setting. After an extensive screening a total of 7 strains...

The experimental study was contrived to isolate zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) from industrial contaminated soil, and their influence on biofortification of Zinc (Zn) in tomato plant under Ag and TiO2-NPs stress. Morphologically different bacterial colonies were selected from different agar medium and screened for their Zn solubilization potentia...

The decline of new antibiotics and the emergence of multidrug resistance in pathogens necessitates a revisit of strategies used for lead compound discovery. This study proposes to induce the production of bioactive compounds with sub-lethal concentrations of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). A total of Forty-two Actinobacteria isolates from four Saudi...

Zn-deficiency, a global health challenge affects one-third of the world population. Zn-biofertilizer offer an efficient and cost-effective remedy. As Zn-biofertilizer can improve plant growth and grain’s Zn-content ensuring improved dietary Zn-supply. This study sought to understand how silver and TiO2 nanoparticles in the rhizosphere affect the ac...

The surfaces in contact with food and food products during manufacturing, processing, and packing are collectively referred to as food contact surfaces. To protect the safety of food it must be secured from various hazards mainly chemical and microbial hazards. The food industry, therefore, is constantly struggling to keep the food contact surfaces...

Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that majorly influences human life. Biotechnology significantly affects the supply of food, the production, and preservation of raw materials, and the change in their nutritional and functional properties. Food production and agricultural changes are inevitable. Many research advances in the food industry...

Zinc-deficiency, a global health challenge affects one-third of the world population. Zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) increases plant vegetative growth, grain’s Zn-content ensuring improved dietary Zn-supply offering an efficient and cost-effective solution. This study aimed at understanding that how the presence of two soil abundant nanoparticles...

An estimated 1.1 billion people are at risk of Zn deficiency due to the consumption of a Zn-poor wheat-based staple diet. Some soil bacteria can solubilize insoluble Zn in soil, significantly improving its bioavailability to plants. This study compares ZnO-nanoparticles with ZnO-bulk for the biofortification of Triticum aestivum in the presence of...

Introduction Agricultural productivity in the arid hot desert climate of UAE is limited by the unavailability of water, high temperature, and salt stresses. Growing enough food under abiotic stresses and decreasing reliance on imports in an era of global warming are a challenge. Biochar with high water and nutrient retention capacity and acid neutr...

Pa.ra.oer,sko'vi.a. Gr. prep. para , beside; N.L. fem. n. Oerskovia , a bacterial genus name; N.L. fem. n. Paraoerskovia , beside or close to Oerskovia . Actinomycetota / Actinomycetia / Cellulomonadales / Oerskoviaceae / Paraoerskovia The genus Paraoerskovia is a Gram‐stain‐positive, facultatively anaerobic, mesophilic, and nonmotile actinobacteri...

The advancement of omics-based approaches and next-generation sequencing has unveiled the principles underlying the plant-microbiome interaction in the last decade. Although still challenging, relating the individual taxa in a microbiome to their function is becoming relatively easier. The knowledge of plant microbiome, especially the functional mi...

Eco-friendly approaches for the preparation of nanomaterials have recently attracted considerable attention of scientific community due to rising environmental distresses. The aim of the current study is to prepare titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) using an eco-friendly approach and investigate their performance for the photocatalytic deg...

Zinc is an essential trace element for life as it is required for the structural integrity and catalytic activity of all the classes of enzymes, and the zinc-binding domains are highly conserved among species. In plants, these enzymes are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, auxin metabolism, and in anti-oxidant activity. Low Zn bioavailability dec...

The societal cost of micronutrient deficiency (MND) or the ‘hidden hunger’ calculated by different organizations including WHO is in millions of dollars per year in many countries, especially the low-income countries. MND results in reduced plant growth and production losses, increased medical care costs and loss of life, especially that of childre...

Minerals, especially zinc, are micronutrient of special importance to human health and well-being. It is an essential component of more than 300 enzymes playing important roles in gene expression, enzyme reactions, immune function, protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, and various other important metabolic reactions. This makes it important for growth...

Zinc is one of the most important micronutrients required for optimal plant growth and productivity. Paradoxically, a higher concentration of the same can be toxic for the plants, and hence, a constant supply of zinc to maintain an optimal intracellular concentration in plants is required which is referred to as zinc homeostasis. Homeostasis also i...

Zinc deficiency in humans is caused by a range of problems associated from soil to plants and to human beings. Coordinated efforts of the international community, especially policymakers, agricultural and plant scientists, dieticians, physicians and others, are required to address a variety of issues responsible for global hidden hunger of micronut...

Micronutrients like boron, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper, although required in small quantities, are essential for plant health and growth. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers to meet the food demand is resulting in nutrient imbalances in soil, plants, and humans leading to environmental and health problems. Use of biofertilizers is an effect...

Zinc malnutrition is one of the major concerns particularly in the developing countries as most of the population is dependent on zinc-poor cereal-based diet. Low concentration of zinc in cereals and other plants is due to various reasons such as the unavailability of micronutrients in soil which can be linked to extensive use of chemical fertilize...

This volume addresses various issues related to micronutrient deficiency, especially zinc, and discusses the possible approaches for combating mineral deficiency among humans and plants. The book mainly focuses on the zinc biofortification of vegetable and cereal crops and highlights the consequences of zinc deficiency and the health risks associat...

A staggering number of nanomaterials-based products are being engineered and produced commercially. Many of these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are finally disposed into the soil through various routes in enormous quantities. Nanomaterials are also being specially tailored for their use in agriculture as nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, and nan...

The societal cost of micronutrient deficiency (MND) or the “hidden hunger” is in millions of dollars/year, reducing the GDP of some countries by as much as 11%. Zn is an important micronutrient for both plants and animals. An estimated 17% of the world population, or around 1.1 billion people, are at the risk of zinc (Zn) deficiency. The deficiency...

Understanding the microbial communities in anaerobic digesters, especially bacteria and archaea, is key to its better operation and regulation. Microbial communities in the anaerobic digesters of the Gulf region where climatic conditions and other factors may impact the incoming feed are not documented. Therefore, Archaeal and Bacterial communities...

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family are a significant threat to public health, posing a challenge for health authorities worldwide. In the UAE, very little information is available about ESBL producing bacteria from non-clinical sources. In this study, 206 pure cultures belonging to the Entero...

Humans have witnessed three deadly pandemics so far in the twenty-first century which are associated with novel coronaviruses: SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19. All of these viruses, which are responsible for causing acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs), are highly contagious in nature and/or have caused high mortal...

Saudi Arabia has the world's fifth-largest desert and is the biggest importer of food and agricultural products. Understanding soil microbial communities is key to improving the agricultural potential of the region. Therefore, soil microbial communities of the semiarid region of Abha, known for agriculture, and arid regions of Hafar Al Batin and Mu...

Clean water is not only essential for drinking but it also important for other activities of living beings. Unfortunately, two‐third of the world population largely in India and China faces severe water scarcity. The economic burden of contaminated and impure water is much higher than the required cost of safe drinking water across the globe. Vario...

Understanding the microbial communities in anaerobic digesters is important for better regulation, operation, and sustainable management of the sludge produced at various stages of wastewater treatment processes. Microbial communities in the anaerobic digester of the gulf region where the climatic conditions and other factors may impact the incomin...

A large numbe of nanomaterials-based products are being commercially engineered and produced. Many of these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are disposed in soil in significant quantities. Furthermore, nanomaterials are being specially tailored for use in agriculture as nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, and nano-based biosensors. The behavior of EN...

The effective interactions of nanomaterials with biological constituents play a significant role in enhancing their biomedicinal properties. These interactions can be efficiently enhanced by altering the surface properties of nanomaterials. In this study, we demonstrate the method of altering the surface properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to en...

The use of organic components from plants as an alternative antimicrobial agent is becoming popular due to the development of drug-resistance in various pathogens. Essential oils from fresh (MF-1) and dried (MD-1) roots of Salvadora persica L. were extracted and benzyl isothiocynate was determined as their chief constituent using GC-MS and GC-FID....

DNA referred to as blueprint of life codes for the diversity and function of all the living organisms. Determining DNA sequences of the living organisms not only gives an overview of their genetic makeup, but also provides information about their function. Nonetheless it was not easy to determine the genome sequencing of all the diversity around us...

The global consumption of fruits and vegetables is rapidly increasing with the increasing world population and health awareness. Waste and by-products are produced in all the phases of the food life cycle i.e. during production, industrial processing, and distribution. It has been reported that in the food manufacturing industry 39% of the food is...

The concept of probiotics although perceived as new is more than a century old. Since the early studies of the Elie Metchnikoff in 1903, a number of commercial products containing probiotics are in the market. The recent success of converting probiotic products into commercial reality was achieved by the scientists like Minoru Shirota and Kellog. M...

Essential oils (EOs) from the stems and leaves of Origanum vulgare L. grown in Saudi Arabia and Jordan were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-flame ionization detector (FID) techniques on two different columns (polar and nonpolar). A detailed phytochemical analysis led to the identification of 153 constituents of these...

The use of probiotics to treat gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea especially in children is becoming increasingly popular. Besides, the use of nanomaterials in food products is increasing rapidly especially in candies and chocolates. How these nanomaterials influence probiotic bacteria and their activity remains unexplored. Therefore, nanom...

A highly complex microbial community involved in anaerobic sludge digesters plays vital roles in sludge treatment. The data on microbial ecology is important to accomplish efficient operation of the anaerobic digesters. This study is aimed at monitoring the bacterial community of three full-scale anaerobic digesters of a full-scale municipal wastew...

In recent work, we have demonstrated the significant enhancements in the mechanical, surface wetting, and cytocompatibility properties of core-shell nanofiber composites of Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA). This core/shell-structured PLA/PVA nanofibers combined the hydrophilic benefits of PVA and the attractive biological pro...

The increasing use of silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) in daily-life applications, elec-tronics, or catalysis calls for green and cost-efficient synthetic methods. Ag NPs are used especially in biomedicine because of their antibacterial, antifungal or anticancer properties. The chemical synthesis allows tuning parti-cle morphology, size and crystall...

Physicochemical properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) can be tuned by doping with metals or nonmetals. Copper (Cu) doping improved the photocatalytic behavior of TiO2 NPs that can be applied in various fields such as environmental remediation and nanomedicine. However, interaction of Cu-doped TiO2 NPs with human cells is scarce. T...

Introduction Anaerobic digestion for methane production comprises of an exceptionally diverse microbial consortium, a profound understanding about which is still constrained. In this study, the methanogenic archaeal communities in three full-scale anaerobic digesters of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant were analyzed by Fluorescence in situ hy...

Customary consumption of unpasteurized milk by the population in the central Najed region of Saudi Arabia may pose a health risk. Therefore, 80 camel milk samples were collected aseptically from seven different stations of Riyadh region. The biochemical and microbiological properties of these milk samples were determined. Nutrient agar and brain he...

Customary consumption of unpasteurized milk by the population in the central Najed region of Saudi Arabia may pose a health risk. Therefore, 80 camel milk samples were collected aseptically from seven different stations of Riyadh region. The biochemical and microbiological properties of these milk samples were determined. Nutrient agar and brain he...

Nanoparticles are widely used as antimicrobial compounds. At sub-lethal concentrations, they may also stress microbes, potentially inducing antibiosis. Here we assess whether nanoparticles can serve as an enhancer of antibiosis in beneficial microbes. Several host-associated bacteria can suppress pathogens, providing therefore a first line of defen...

Purpose Exoelectrogens are important microorganisms playing crucial roles in the biogeochemistry of elements in paddy soils. But it remains unclear how the soil properties and geographical distances affect the exoelectrogen communities of Chinese paddy soils. So the objectives of this study were to investigate the diversity and composition of these...

The essential oil and aqueous distillate composition of Origanum vulgare L. were analyzed by GC/MS. Sixty-seven different components were detected in both oils. Sixty-four components were characterized for the oil derived from the aerial parts, whereas thirty-three components in the volatile oil from the aqueous distillates of O. vulgare L., repres...

Brucellosis a zoonotic disease is endemic in Saudi Arabia especially in the Najed region due to the customary consumption of raw milk. For a detailed investigation of brucellosis in camel milk, 80 samples were collected from Riyadh region. Twenty-four and sixteen percentage of the samples were positive for Brucella when tested with Rose Bengal test...

Brucellosis a zoonotic disease is endemic in Saudi Arabia especially in the Najed region due to the customary consumption of raw milk. For a detailed investigation of brucellosis in camel milk, 80 samples were collected from Riyadh region. Twenty-four and sixteen percentage of the samples were positive for Brucella when tested with Rose Bengal test...

One of the major health concerns remains the mortalities caused by microbial infections. Development of drug resistance in these microorganisms at a pace much faster than the invention of new ones necessitates the search for alternative antimicrobial agents. Metal oxide and metal nanoparticles are one of the most promising materials for augmenting...

A new series of pyrazole-containing s-triazine derivatives were synthesized by reaction of the corresponding s-triazinyl hydrazine derivatives with acetylacetone in the presence of HClO4 or DMF/TEA. The former method allowed the preparation of the target products with higher yields. All compounds were fully characterized. X-ray single crystal diffr...

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs, 12±3 nm) have attracted due to their unique properties and immense potential application. Over various physicochemical applications, the cytotoxic profile of ZnO-NPs in human epidermoid larynx cell line (HEp-2) has not been completely determined till date. Since, human exposure to ZnO-NPs may occur through the exp...

Eye lenses are exposed to thermal, solar radiations, dryness that enhances cataractogenesis. Some animal lenses contain novel proteins in bulk quantities. ζ-crystallin occurred in three ecologically divergent species, but it's physiological role not known. The truncated variant of ζ-crystallin causes hereditary cataract. Guinea pig ζ-crystallin is...

The present study was carried out to assess the role of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in tomato plants on growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant system. At 20-d stage of growth, roots of tomato plants were dipped into 0, 2, 4, 8, or 16 mg(ZnO-NPs) L–1 for 15, 30, and 45 min and then seedlings were transplanted in their respective c...

Organic compounds from plants are an attractive alternative to conventional antimicrobial agents. Therefore, two compounds namely M-1 and M-2 were purified from Origanum vulgare L. and were identified as carvacrol and thymol, respectively. Antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of these compounds along with chlorhexidine digluconate using various...

Although the antimicrobial activity of the engineered nanoparticles (NPs) is well known, the biochemical mechanisms underlying this activity are not clearly understood. Therefore, four NPs with the highest global production, namely SiO2, TiO2, ZnO, and Ag, were synthesized and characterized. The synthesized SiO2, TiO2, ZnO, and Ag NPs exhibit an av...

Brucellosis is endemic in worldwide due to the nomadic heritage of drinking fresh milk from goats, sheep and camels. This study aims at developing an antibody based sensor for the detection of Brucella, wherein the binding of Brucella to the sensor will be detected by measuring the changes in electrical signals via cyclic voltammetric properties. T...

Microbicidal potential of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) can be drastically improved by improving their solubility or wettability in the aqueous medium. In the present study, we report the synthesis of both green and chemical synthesis of Ag-NPs, and evaluate the effect of the dispersion qualities of as-prepared Ag-NPs from both methods on their ant...

We have studied the genotoxic and apoptotic potential of ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3-NPs) in Raphanus sativus (radish). Fe2O3-NPs retarded the root length and seed germination in radish. Ultrathin sections of treated roots showed subcellular localization of Fe2O3-NPs, along with the appearance of damaged mitochondria and excessive vacuolizati...

Copper ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) have the potential to be applied in biomedical fields such as cell labeling and hyperthermia. However, there is a lack of information concerning the toxicity of copper ferrite NPs. We explored the cytotoxic potential of copper ferrite NPs in human lung (A549) and liver (HepG2) cells. Copper ferrite NPs were crysta...

Recently, nanoscale (<100 nm) inorganic materials, especially spherical shaped zinc oxide (ZnO-QDs) have received significant attention from broad community because of their potential utalizations in various technologies. Due to their large surface to volume (S/V) ratio contributions and extremely high reactivities, they can easily penetrate in var...

Streptococcus mitis from the oral cavity causes endocarditis and other systemic infections. Rising resistance against traditional antibiotics amongst oral bacteria further aggravates the problem. Therefore, antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized and characterized during this study...

In this work an attempt of an electrochemical nano-device fabrication is presented by using doped/undoped ZnO to determine the electrochemical properties against organophosphate (chlorpyrifos). The required nanomaterial was synthesized using hydrothermal method. Praseodymium was used as dopant to ZnO for varied electrochemical characteristics in a...

Envisaging the role of Co in theranautics and biomedicine it is immensely important to evaluate its anti-microbial activity. Hence in this study CoO thin nanosheets (CoO-TNs) were synthesized using wet chemical solution method at a very low refluxing temperature (90 o C) and short time (60 min). Scanning electron microscopy of the grown structure r...

Oral cavity is inhabited by more than 25,000 different bacterial phylotypes; some of them cause systemic infections in addition to dental and periodontal diseases. Emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance among these bacteria necessitates the development of alternative antimicrobial agents that are safe, stable, and relatively economic. This rev...

The green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using phytocompounds as bio-reductants is attaining a great impetus. A variety of plant materials, such as leaf, fruit, fruit peels, bark, root and callus have been explored for the synthesis of NPs in different sizes and shapes. We have studied the synthesis of different types of NPs using aqueous extract...

Strain NA10BT and other two strains of the denitrifying betaproteobacterium Diaphorobacter nitroreducens were studied for the performance of solid-phase denitrification (SPD) using poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and some other biodegradable plastics as the source of reducing power in wastewater treatment. Sequencing-batch SPD r...

Dolomite is a natural mineral of great industrial and commercial importance. With the advent of nanotechnology, natural minerals including dolomite in the form of nanoparticles (NPs) are being utilized in various applications to improve the quality of products. However, safety or toxicity information of dolomite NPs is largely lacking. This study e...

Species of the genus Rothia that inhabit the oral cavity have recently been implicated in a number of diseases. To minimize their role in oral infections, it is imperative to reduce and/or control the growth and biofilm formation activity of Rothia spp. In this study, two bacterial isolates, Ora-7 and Ora-16, were obtained from the oral cavity of a...

The antibacterial properties of nanoparticles (NPs) can be significantly enhanced by increasing the wettability or solubility of NPs in aqueous medium. In this study, we investigated the effects of the stabilizing agent on the solubility of silver NPs and its subsequent effect on their antimicrobial activities. Silver NPs were prepared using an aqu...

Effect of various concentrations of capped Ag-nanoparticles (NPs)-plant extract (PE; 50–500 μg/mL) prepared with (A) 1.0 mL, (B) 2.5 mL, (C) 5.0 mL, (D) 7.5 mL, and (E) 10.0 mL Pulicaria glutinosa extract on the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (the activity is presented in terms of change in optical density of a sample measured at a wavelength of...

Effect of various concentrations of capped Ag-nanoparticles (NPs)-plant extract (PE; 50–500 μg/mL) prepared with (A) 1.0 mL, (B) 2.5 mL, (C) 5.0 mL, (D) 7.5 mL, and (E) 10.0 mL Pulicaria glutinosa extract on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (the activity is presented in terms of change in optical density of a sample measured at a wavelength of 6...

Effect of various concentrations of capped Ag-nanoparticles (NPs)-plant extract (PE; 50–500 μg/mL) prepared with (A) 1.0 mL, (B) 2.5 mL, (C) 5.0 mL, (D) 7.5 mL, and (E) 10.0 mL Pulicaria glutinosa extract on the growth of Micrococcus luteus (the activity is presented in terms of change in optical density of a sample measured at a wavelength of 600...

Oral ailments are often treated with antibiotics, which are rendered ineffective as bacteria continue to develop resistance against them. It has been suggested that the nanoparticles (NPs) approach may provide a safer and viable alternative to traditional antibacterial agents. Therefore, nickel (Ni)- and nickel oxide (NiO)-NPs were synthesized, cha...

The present study has demonstrated the translocation of zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4-NPs) into the cytoplasm of human amnion epithelial (WISH) cells, and the ensuing cytotoxicity and genetic damage. The results suggested in situ NPs induced oxidative stress, alterations in cellular membrane and DNA strand breaks. The [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-...

Oral cavity bacteria, specifically those involved in biofilm formation and dental ailments, are major health concerns. Thus, the ability of CuO (40 nm) and ZnO (35 nm) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized in this study was assessed in vitro for inhibition of culturable oral bacteria and their biofilm formation. Both the NPs at a concentration of 50 μg/m...

The microbial community associated with a marine sponge (Haliclona sp.) collected from Tateyama city, Japan was studied using 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Two DNA templates were prepared using methods recommended for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the Qiagen kit manual. From each DNA template, two 16S rRNA genes were PCR amplified, u...

Actinobacteria associated with 3 marine sponges, Cinachyra sp., Petrosia sp., and Ulosa sp., were investigated. Analyses of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries revealed that actinobacterial diversity varied greatly and that Ulosa sp. was most diverse, while Cinachyra sp. was least diverse. Culture-based approaches failed to isolate actinobacteria from Pe...

Strain SpD081030SC-03, representing a novel species of Streptomyces, was isolated from a marine sponge. Two 3,5,6-trisubstituted 2(1H)-pyrazinones, JBIR-56 (1) and JBIR-57 (2), were isolated from a culture of SpD081030SC-03. The planar structures of 1 and 2 were assigned on the basis of extensive NMR and MS analyses. In addition, analyses of the me...

A Gram-positive actinobacterium, designated M24DS4(T), was isolated from a soil sample collected from Aomi, Tokyo, Japan, using the membrane-filter method. Strain M24DS4(T) exhibited low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (96.1 %) with Streptomyces scabrisporus NBRC 100760(T). Cell hydrolysates contained the ll-isomer of diaminopimelic acid and the...

Terrestrial actinobacteria have served as a primary source of bioactive compounds; however, a rapid decrease in the discovery of new compounds strongly necessitates new investigational approaches. One approach is the screening of actinobacteria from marine habitats, especially the members of the genus Streptomyces. Presence of this genus in a marin...

Three Gram-positive, NaCl-requiring actinobacteria were isolated from a marine sponge, Haliclona sp., collected from the coast of Tateyama City, Japan. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that these strains represent novel members of the genus Streptomyces, exhibiting low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 98.3-97.4 % with recognize...