User talk:Ezqsun/sandbox

Assignment 1: Chlorosome
The Wikipedia article on chlorosome is clearly written and is part of 2 distinct WikiProjects tagged with mid-level importance, but improvements are still necessary for the page. Although it’s focussed on a cellular component, the article lacks any diagrams of the complex. In 2008 on the “talk” page, an editor submitted a suggestion to include a proposed model of the chlorosome based on two of the cited sources but the image still has not been added. Multiple citation issues currently exist, such as the lack of references in two sections (chlorosome structure and its usage as an alternative energy source), thus rendering the information in those subheadings less reliable. The first citation of the entire page references an article for the dimension of chlorosomes in green sulfur bacteria, however the link redirects to the homepage of a document databank (SpringerLink) rather than to the actual paper. In the second subheading about the organization of pigments, details of various methods employed in a single study were heavily integrated. This focus and extensive coverage of the experimental approaches of a single study is out of place and off-topic in this section. The article also refers to a study published in 2009 as a “recent” study rather than directly indicating its year of publication, which is ambiguous and may generate misconceptions about the timeline of developments in this field if the page is not frequently updated. Addressing the suggestions mentioned by revising the writing/structure in certain sections and updating citations will greatly improve the quality of the article.

Ezqsun (talk) 02:26, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

Assignment 2: Petroleum Microbiology
Petroleum microbiology is an area of microorganism application that has garnered notability in recent decades due to its role in oil refinement, recovery, and especially oil-spill treatment. Petroleum leakage occurs in marine and terrestrial ecosystems through natural or anthropological means. 9x108 gallons of oil is released into the sea each year, some of which are cleaned by hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms indigenous to the site of the spill, or through bioremediation efforts. Petroleum microbiology has long been a topic of interest in notable studies such as Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews focussed on understanding the mechanism pathways, molecular features, and genetic sequences of microorganisms involved in biodegradation and biotransformation of petroleum. Its rapidly growing significance is unfortunately not reflected in the Wikipedia article, which is a starter-level page that only briefly explores the subtopics contained within it. Although the page includes subheadings for applications of petroleum microbiology, biodegradation pathways, and potential challenges of its implementation, all subtopics are briefly outlined without providing any concrete examples of the microorganisms involved. Not a single pathway or explanation of common features of microorganisms used in petroleum recovery, modification, or treatment is embedded in the article, making the current page a mere framework of the subject. The primary focus of my edits will be creating a new heading on bioremediation of crude oil contaminated ecosystems to elaborate on the general biochemistry of petroleum hydrocarbon-degradation observed in model organisms Alcanivorax and Cycloclasticus. These alpha-proteobacteria uptake saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons respectively as substrates through alteration of their cell surfaces and degrade them at rates limited by biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature, salinity, and nutrient availability. After successful removal of oil-based products from the spillage site, a disturbance in the indigenous microbial community structure is observed due to the oil contamination and sudden population growth of biodegrading microorganisms. Within the topic of marine-bioremediation alone, details of how hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms uptake and degrade oil-based substrates, how large-scale bioremediation impact the ecological system, and how other microorganisms can be used as biosurfactants to enhance treatment operations are all edits that will provide readers with a more concise understanding of petroleum microbiology. By transferring the current content on bioremediation from the applications section into a new heading, it is possible to develop a more expansive explanation of the hydrocarbon-degradation mechanisms that 2 model organisms employ to aid petroleum-contamination treatments.

Ezqsun (talk) 08:08, 28 September 2017 (UTC)

Ezqsun's Peer Review
I respect the bold move to revamp the entire Bioremediation section in your edit. You were able to overcome the creativity barriers that come when starting with a clean slate. You were able to explain the relevant of model organisms of bioremediation and the mechanisms they utilize with a neutral point of view.

However, the focus of your edits was off-topic. You spent a great deal explaining Alcanivorax’s metabolic mechanisms, which talks more about the organism itself rather than how it applies to Bioremediation. One way you can make the edits more focused is by explaining the strategies developed that use Alcanivorax for bioremedial purposes. For example, one sentence mentions “… successful commercial applications have been documented...”, which gives you the opportunity to discuss Alcanivorax applications here! It will make explaining the mechanisms of Alcanivorax more relevant to the article itself.

Other sentences like “For example, genes encoding ... hydroxylases...”, and “... utilize linear hydrocarbon … as their … energy source … to produce surfactant …” are more examples of where you were off-topic.

The two sentences where you explain what crude oils are (i.e. “Crude oils are composed of an…” and “ Making up 50-98% ...”) is redundant because Petroleum microbiology already implies crude oils. I suggest rephrasing this sentence and incorporating it into a more suitable position (rather than the first sentence of a paragraph) in your edit so that it doesn’t seem out of place.

The sources used for this article were sufficient but could relate more to bioremediation strategies. You could be a more concise by removing irrelevant content from the article and staying on-topic. And be sure to add proper citations because I felt that some of your edits were lacking relevant sources, especially in the first paragraph where there were no citations.

--Juan Prieto (talk) 23:43, 8 November 2017 (UTC)