Bioimaging and comparative genomics for characterization of surface-bacteria isolated from a blood bank facility
Abstract
Blood banks represent highly controlled healthcare environments where microbiological surveillance has traditionally focused on Blood products rather than environmental microbial reservoirs. Despite their crucial role in transfusion safety, the ecology of surface-associated microorganisms remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study characterized culturable bacteria recovered from Blood-bank surfaces. We combined scanning electron microscopy, culture-based microbiology, phenotypic characterization, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and whole-genome sequencing to investigate whether surfaces within a public blood bank facility (BBF) constitute reservoirs of environmentally derived bacteria with putative traits potentially relevant to environmental survival. Samples collected from a public BBF in Tucumán, Argentina yielded 36 culturable bacterial isolates, predominantly Gram-positive taxa together with a limited number of opportunistic Gram-negative species. Several isolates showed reduced susceptibility to various groups of antimicrobials; furthermore, several strains exhibited strong biofilm formation, production of amyloid-like fibers, motility, and hemolytic activity. Whole-genome sequencing of six representative isolates supported previous species affiliations, identified genes related to antimicrobial resistance, adhesion, biofilm formation, stress adaptation, and cytotoxicity, highlighting the importance of integrating genomic and phenotypic analyses. Notably, BS-018 showed a low ANI to the reported comparison genome, but its taxonomic assignment remains unresolved. Blood bank surfaces function as localized environmental conditions favoring bacteria with potential persistence-associated traits. This study identified environmental bacterial isolates exhibiting phenotypic and genomic characteristics potentially relevant to biosafety surveillance. Our results support incorporating integrated bioimaging, phenotypic characterization, and environmental surveillance with genomic resolution into infection prevention strategies and transfusion biosafety programs.
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BibTeX
@article{darpino2026bioimaging,
title = {{Bioimaging and comparative genomics for characterization of surface-bacteria isolated from a blood bank facility}},
author = {María Cecilia D’Arpino and Daniel Gonzalo Alonso-Reyes and Mariana Grillo-Puertas and Fátima Silvina Galván and Natalia Noelia Alvarado and Luciano José Martínez and Gabriela Marranzino and Felicitas Agote and Virginia Helena Albarracín},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948704},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948704},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Bioimaging and comparative genomics for characterization of surface-bacteria isolated from a blood bank facility
AU - María Cecilia D’Arpino
AU - Daniel Gonzalo Alonso-Reyes
AU - Mariana Grillo-Puertas
AU - Fátima Silvina Galván
AU - Natalia Noelia Alvarado
AU - Luciano José Martínez
AU - Gabriela Marranzino
AU - Felicitas Agote
AU - Virginia Helena Albarracín
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948704
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1948704
AB - Blood banks represent highly controlled healthcare environments where microbiological surveillance has traditionally focused on Blood products rather than environmental microbial reservoirs. Despite their crucial role in transfusion safety, the ecology of surface-associated microorganisms remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study characterized culturable bacteria recovered from Blood-bank surfaces. We combined scanning electron microscopy, culture-based microbiology, phenotypic characterization, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and whole-genome sequencing to investigate whether surfaces within a public blood bank facility (BBF) constitute reservoirs of environmentally derived bacteria with putative traits potentially relevant to environmental survival. Samples collected from a public BBF in Tucumán, Argentina yielded 36 culturable bacterial isolates, predominantly Gram-positive taxa together with a limited number of opportunistic Gram-negative species. Several isolates showed reduced susceptibility to various groups of antimicrobials; furthermore, several strains exhibited strong biofilm formation, production of amyloid-like fibers, motility, and hemolytic activity. Whole-genome sequencing of six representative isolates supported previous species affiliations, identified genes related to antimicrobial resistance, adhesion, biofilm formation, stress adaptation, and cytotoxicity, highlighting the importance of integrating genomic and phenotypic analyses. Notably, BS-018 showed a low ANI to the reported comparison genome, but its taxonomic assignment remains unresolved. Blood bank surfaces function as localized environmental conditions favoring bacteria with potential persistence-associated traits. This study identified environmental bacterial isolates exhibiting phenotypic and genomic characteristics potentially relevant to biosafety surveillance. Our results support incorporating integrated bioimaging, phenotypic characterization, and environmental surveillance with genomic resolution into infection prevention strategies and transfusion biosafety programs.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -