Naiana Cristine Gabiatti

Wastewater‐based epidemiology (WBE) has been widely applied for SARS‐CoV‐2 surveillance. Yet, operational parameters such as influent flow rate and sewer system characteristics may reflect underlying hydraulic variability relevant to detection performance, raising questions about the representativeness of results from small and medium‐sized plants. We conducted a systematic meta‐analysis of 10 published studies assessing SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA detection across wastewater treatment plants of different sizes and flow ranges. Data were extracted into 2 × 2 tables and analyzed in R using the meta and metafor packages. Odds ratios (ORs) were pooled with Mantel–Haenszel random‐effects models and DerSimonian–Laird τ ² estimation. Subgroup analyses compared studies from developed versus emerging economies, meta‐regression tested population size as a moderator, and publication bias was evaluated with funnel plots and Egger's test. The overall pooled OR was 2.08 (95% CI: 0.99–4.37, p = 0.053; I ² = 82.3%), indicating a non‐significant trend toward higher detection at higher flow rates. Subgroup analyses showed similar pooled effects across developed and emerging economies, though heterogeneity was lower in emerging settings. Meta‐regression revealed no significant association between population size and detection (slope = 0.29, p = 0.52). Funnel plots were relatively symmetric, and Egger's test did not indicate significant publication bias ( p = 0.169). Overall, these findings suggest that influent flow rate is not significantly associated with the probability of SARS‐CoV‐2 detection in WBE studies, supporting the inclusion of small and medium‐sized treatment plants in surveillance networks. At the same time, the concentration of studies in high‐income countries highlights inequities in the global WBE literature and in site deployment, with vulnerable populations often underrepresented. Expanding WBE infrastructure in underserved regions is necessary to ensure equitable and representative surveillance capacity.

The bacterial genus Pseudomonas is highly diverse, exhibiting broad ecological distribution and significant relevance to human health, agriculture, and the food industry. Several species are recognized as opportunistic human pathogens or phytopathogens and are increasingly associated with microbial resistance, biofilm formation, and persistent contamination. In this context, bacteriophages are promising biotechnological tools for controlling Pseudomonas spp. Across multiple sectors, offering high specificity, efficacy, and serving as an environmentally safe alternative to conventional antimicrobials. In this review, we conducted a critical narrative analysis of studies published between 2020 and 2024 addressing the application of bacteriophages against Pseudomonas species. Based on bibliometric indicators from the Web of Science database, 250 articles were selected after manual refinement and analyzed to identify publication trends, target species, and application areas. Most studies focused on Pseudomonas aeruginosa , primarily in the context of phage therapy for infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains, followed by applications in agriculture and the food industry to control Pseudomonas syringae and Pseudomonas fluorescens . Keywords co-occurrence analysis revealed trends centered on phage therapy, biofilm control, antimicrobial resistance, genomics, and sustainable biocontrol strategies. Despite the growing body of research, the analyzed studies highlight significant challenges in translating laboratory-scale findings into scalable, commercially viable applications, mainly due to regulatory hurdles to production and standardization. Overall, this review underscores the increasing scientific interest in bacteriophages as biocontrol agents against Pseudomonas spp. and discusses prospects for integrating these technologies into healthcare, agriculture, and industrial applications.

Poultry production faces challenges from bacterial infections, aggravated by antibiotic resistance, affecting bird welfare and the industry’s economy. Bacteriophages show promise as a solution, but their use in poultry systems is still limited. This study uses scientometric analysis to investigate the incidence of bacterial infections in poultry systems and bacteriophage application trends. The Web of Science database was used, and the articles were refined by searching for keywords that included the most reported bacteria in the different phases of poultry farming and the application of phages. The articles were analyzed using the CiteSpace and Excel software, allowing the evaluation of publication trends, influential countries, and correlations with antimicrobial resistance and the use of bacteriophages. Results highlight Escherichia coli prevalence in poultry systems and reveal a correlation between the number of publications and poultry productivity, with the United States and China leading both aspects. Findings offer insights into bacterial control gaps in poultry systems, underscoring the need for further research and practical strategies.

Access to microbial diversity is critical for agrobiotechnology and, over the decades, several techniques have been developed with the aim of identifying and characterizing microbial isolates and/or communities. This chapter presents an overview of recent molecular approaches used in microbial ecology applied to agrosystems. Therefore, the discussion is based on three central questions: (a) Who are they and what can they do? Here, we intend to present the taxonomic and functional approaches on microbial ecology studies in agricultural systems by the use of molecular markers; (b) How to access microorganisms in agro-environmental systems? This session brings information about different ways to access microorganism culture-dependent and independent techniques and the concepts of microbial prospection and microbial manipulation beyond these approaches; and (c) What comes after that? Finally, we present the main advances associated with synthetic biology and genetic engineering applied to the study of microbial ecology in agricultural systems.