BACILLUS STRAINS WITH THE ABILITY TO DEGRADE INORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS

Abstract

The invention relates to new strains of Bacillus that are able to effectively degrade inorganic nitrogen compounds and are also able to inhibit the growth of aquatic animal pathogens.

Description

Bacillus strains capable of degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds The invention relates to novel strains of Bacillus that are capable of efficiently degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds and are also capable of inhibiting the growth of aquatic animal pathogens. The biological removal of inorganic nitrogen compounds, such as ammonium and nitrate, from aquatic systems is of particular interest, as inorganic nitrogen compounds contribute to eutrophication and are toxic to many aquatic organisms. Elevated levels of these substances are therefore undesirable in aquatic systems, particularly in breeding water. In the past, combinations of autotrophic nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria (which convert ammonium to nitrogen, with nitrate as an intermediary) have been described to effect remediation. Meanwhile, alternative methods have also been described, such as in US patent document 2016 / 0326034, which describes mixtures of bacilli and lactic acid bacteria to reduce nitrate levels.In the methods described in the prior art, consortia of different microorganisms are usually used to remove unwanted nitrogen compounds. The different microorganisms perform different functions, and only the consortia as a whole can achieve a satisfactory result. According to the invention, it was surprisingly discovered that specific bacteria of the genus Bacillus are capable of efficiently degrading various inorganic nitrogen compounds, particularly selected ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate compounds, even without the aid of other microorganisms. Degradation according to the invention preferably means the transformation of these compounds into molecular nitrogen. Surprisingly, it also turned out that the identified bacteria are not only capable of degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds, but also possess other beneficial characteristics, in particular, inhibitory activity against aquatic animal pathogens, which qualifies them as probiotics (also called direct-fed microbials or DFM). Thus, based on the characteristics of the strains, the present invention relates, in particular, to the use of the strains of the invention for degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds, particularly in aquaculture systems, as well as their use as probiotics, particularly in the feed industry, and very preferably in aquaculture. The different objects of the inventions are explained in greater detail below. Bacillus strains DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 and DSM 33352 have been identified by targeted screening of naturally occurring isolates and have been classified as Bacillus subtilis strains. The strains have been deposited with the DSMZ (Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, InhoffenstraBe 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany) on December 3, 2019 under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure under the Accession Numbers as mentioned above in the name of the Applicant, Evonik Operations GmbH. Therefore, a first object of the invention is a Bacillus strain, in particular a Bacillus subtilis strain, or a preparation thereof, wherein the strain or preparation is capable of degrading at least one inorganic nitrogen compound and is further capable of inhibiting the growth of at least one pathogen. According to the invention, the inorganic nitrogen compound, which is degradable by the strains and preparations of the invention, is preferably selected from ammonium, nitrite and nitrate. The Bacillus strain, in particular the Bacillus subtilis strain, or the preparation thereof, according to the invention is preferably selected from the following group: a) a Bacillus strain deposited under one of the following numbers with the DSMZ: DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351, DSM 33352; b) a mutant of a Bacillus strain listed in (a) with a sequence identity to the strain listed in (a) of at least 95%, preferably at least 98%, 99% or 99.5%; c) a preparation of a strain according to (a) or (b); d) a preparation comprising an effective mixture of compounds contained in a strain listed in (a) or (b) or contained in a preparation of (c). The Bacillus strain of the invention preferably has a 16S rDNA sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99%, preferably at least 99.5 or 99.8%, especially 100%, with a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1 (in particular strain DSM 33349 or a mutant thereof), SEQ ID NO: 6 (in particular strain DSM 33350 or a mutant thereof), SEQ ID NO: 11 (in particular strain DSM ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ 33351 or a mutant thereof) or SEQ ID NO: 16 (in particular strain DSM 33352 or a mutant thereof). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the Bacillus strain, in particular the DSM 33349 strain or a mutant thereof, exhibits at least one, in particular at least 2, 3 or 4, preferably all, of the following characteristics: a) a 16S rDNA sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1 and / or with the 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; b) a yqfD sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2 and / or with the yqfD sequence of strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3 and / or with the gyrB sequence of strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; d) an rpoB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4 and / or with the rpoB sequence of strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 5 and / or with the groEL sequence of strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; f) a recT sequence with a sequence identity of at least 95%, preferably at least 98, 99 or 99.5%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 21. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the Bacillus strain, in particular the DSM 33350 strain or a mutant thereof, exhibits at least one, in particular at least 2, 3 or 4, preferably all, of the following characteristics: a) a 16S rDNA sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the sequence of ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ polynucleotides according to SEQ ID NO: 6 and / or with the 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; b) a yqfD sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 7 and / or with the yqfD sequence of strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 8 and / or with the gyrB sequence of strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; d) an rpoB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 9 and / or with the rpoB sequence of strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 10 and / or with the groEL sequence of strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the Bacillus strain, in particular the DSM 33351 strain or a mutant thereof, exhibits at least one, in particular at least 2, 3 or 4, preferably all, of the following characteristics: a) a 16S rDNA sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 11 and / or with the 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; b) a yqfD sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 12 and / or with the yqfD sequence of strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 13 and / or with the gyrB sequence of strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ d) an rpoB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 14 and / or with the rpoB sequence of strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 15 and / or with the groEL sequence of strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; f) a sequence with a sequence identity of at least 95%, preferably at least 98, 99 or 99.5%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 22 (encoding a hypothetical gamma-polyglutamate hydrolase PghZ); g) a sequence with a sequence identity of at least 95%, preferably at least 98, 99 or 99.5%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 23 (encoding a hypothetical protein). In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the Bacillus strain, in particular the DSM 33352 strain or a mutant thereof, exhibits at least one, in particular at least 2, 3 or 4, preferably all, of the following characteristics: a) a 16S rDNA sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 16 and / or with the 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; b) a yqfD sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 17 and / or with the yqfD sequence of strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 18 and / or with the gyrB sequence of strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; d an rpoB sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 19 and / or with the rpoB sequence of the DSM strain ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ 33352 filed with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99.5%, preferably at least 99.8%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEO ID NO: 20 and / or with the groEL sequence of strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; f) a sequence with a sequence identity of at least 95%, preferably at least 98, 99 or 99.5%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 24 (encoding a hypothetical phage tail tape measure protein); g) a sequence with a sequence identity of at least 95%, preferably at least 98, 99 or 99.5%, especially 100%, with the polynucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 25 (encoding a hypothetical protein). Thus, a particular object of the invention is also a strain of Bacillus, preferably a strain of B. subtilis, in particular the strain DSM 33349 or a mutant thereof, which exhibits the following characteristic: a) a 16S rDNA sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1 and / or a 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; Preferably, this Bacillus strain exhibits at least one, two or three, preferably all, of the following additional characteristics: b) a yqfD sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2 and / or a yqfD sequence from strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 3 and / or a gyrB sequence from strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; d) an rpoB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 4 and / or an rpoB sequence from strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 5 and / or a groEL sequence from strain DSM 33349 deposited with the DSMZ; f) a recT sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 21. Thus, a particular object of the invention is also a strain of Bacillus, preferably a strain of B. subtilis, in particular the strain DSM 33350 or a mutant thereof, which exhibits the following characteristic: a) a 16S rDNA sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 6 and / or a 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Preferably, this Bacillus strain exhibits at least one, two or three, preferably all, of the following additional characteristics: b) a yqfD sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 7 and / or a yqfD sequence from strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 8 and / or a gyrB sequence from strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; d) an rpoB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 9 and / or an rpoB sequence from strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 10 and / or a groEL sequence from strain DSM 33350 deposited with the DSMZ. Thus, a particular object of the invention is also a strain of Bacillus, preferably a strain of B. subtilis, in particular the strain DSM 33351 or a mutant thereof, which exhibits the following characteristic: a) a 16S rDNA sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 11 and / or a 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; Preferably, this Bacillus strain exhibits at least one, two or three, preferably all, of the following additional characteristics: b) a yqfD sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 12 and / or a yqfD sequence from strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 13 and / or a gyrB sequence from strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; d) an rpoB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 14 and / or an rpoB sequence from strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 15 and / or a groEL sequence from strain DSM 33351 deposited with the DSMZ; f) a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 22; e) a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 23. Thus, a particular object of the invention is also a strain of Bacillus, preferably a strain of B. subtilis, in particular the strain DSM 33352 or a mutant thereof, which exhibits the following characteristic: a) a 16S rDNA sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 16 and / or a 16S rDNA sequence of strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; Preferably, this Bacillus strain exhibits at least one, two or three, preferably all, of the following additional characteristics: b) a yqfD sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 17 and / or a yqfD sequence from strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; c) a gyrB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 18 and / or a gyrB sequence from strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; d) an rpoB sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 19 and / or an rpoB sequence from strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; e) a groEL sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 20 and / or a groEL sequence from strain DSM 33352 deposited with the DSMZ; f) a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 24; g) a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 25. The terms "mutant" or "variant," unless explicitly described otherwise, according to the invention refer to strains with a sequence identity of at least 95%, 96%, or 97%, preferably at least 98%, 99%, or 99.5%, more preferably at least 99.8% or 99.9%, with respect to the genomic DNA of the parental strain. That is, in this context, the term "sequence identity" always relates to the complete genomic DNA, unless explicitly stated otherwise. A further object of the invention is a composition containing at least two Bacillus strains or preparations thereof according to the invention, wherein the Bacillus strains and preparations thereof are preferably selected from the following group: a) a Bacillus strain deposited under one of the following numbers with the DSMZ: DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 and DSM 33352; b) a mutant of a Bacillus strain listed in (a) with a sequence identity to the strain listed in (a) of at least 95%, preferably at least 98%, 99% or 99.5%; c) a preparation of a strain according to (a) or (b); d) a preparation comprising an effective mixture of compounds contained in a strain listed in (a) or (b) or contained in a preparation of (c). Very preferred according to the invention are compositions containing a combination of the strains DSM 33351 and DSM 33352. The bacteria of the invention are capable of degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds, preferably at least one, more preferably at least two inorganic nitrogen compounds selected from ammonium, nitrite and nitrate. Thus, a further object of the invention is a process for decreasing the amount of inorganic nitrogen compounds and / or controlling the amount of inorganic nitrogen compounds in an aqueous system, wherein the inorganic nitrogen compounds are preferably selected from ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, most preferably from ammonium and nitrite, the process comprising supplying to the aqueous system at least one Bacillus strain or a preparation thereof according to the invention, in particular at least one Bacillus subtilis strain or a preparation thereof, or a composition according to the invention, wherein the Bacillus strain and / or its preparation and / or composition are capable of degrading at least one inorganic nitrogen compound and are further capable of inhibiting the growth of at least one pathogen, in particular of at least one pathogen of aquatic animals, wherein the Bacillus strains and the preparations,In particular, the Bacillus strains and preparations of the composition are preferably selected from the following group: a) a strain of Bacillus, in particular the strain B. subtilis, deposited under one of the following numbers with the DSMZ: DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351, DSM 33352; b) a mutant of a Bacillus strain listed in (a) with a sequence identity to the strain listed in (a) of at least 95%, preferably at least 98%, 99% or 99.5%; c) a preparation of a strain according to (a) or (b); d) a preparation comprising an effective mixture of compounds contained in a strain listed in (a) or (b) or contained in a preparation of (c). The aqueous system according to the invention can be any type of aqueous system, in particular a natural or artificial aqueous system such as a lake, a pond, a basin, an ornamental pond, an aquarium, an aquaculture facility, or a segregated area in the sea, in lakes, or in rivers. Preferably, the aqueous system is a water reservoir used for animal breeding, in particular for the breeding of aquatic animals. Thus, the aqueous system is very preferably drinking water or breeding water, in particular for the breeding of aquatic animals. Depending on the type of animal to be bred, the water can be either salty or freshwater. As bacteria that are capable of degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds and at the same time are suitable as probiotics have not been disclosed before in the state of the art, therefore, a further subject of the invention are bacteria, in particular of the genus Bacillus, preferably of the species Bacillus subtilis, which are capable of degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds and at the same time exhibit probiotic activity, in particular with respect to aquatic animals, wherein the bacteria preferably comprise further characterizing features as disclosed in the present application, in particular characterizing DNA sequences as mentioned above. The ability to degrade inorganic nitrogen compounds according to the invention preferably means that the bacteria are able to remove at least 50%, more preferably at least 80 or 90%, especially more than 95%, of ammonia and / or nitrate under at least one test condition, preferably under all test conditions, as shown in Working Example 1. The bacteria according to the invention are preferably capable of efficiently degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds also in environments where the C:N ratio is very low, in particular in media with minimal C. In particular, they are preferably capable of efficiently degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds in environments where the C:N ratio is less than 100, in particular between 20 and 100, between 30 and 90 or between 40 and 80. The bacteria according to the invention are preferably capable of growing under high salinity conditions, in particular in the presence of 1% by weight of NaCl, more preferably in the presence of 1.5 or 2% by weight of NaCl, especially in the presence of 2.5 or 3% by weight of NaCl, for at least one day. Furthermore, the bacteria according to the invention are preferably capable of efficiently degrading inorganic nitrogen compounds, in particular selected from ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, in aqueous environments with such high amounts of sodium chloride. The spores of the bacteria of the present invention are preferably capable of germinating efficiently in C-minimal media, i.e., in environments where the amount of carbon sources is relatively low. Preferably, the C-minimal medium is a medium in which the amount of carbon sources is below 50 g per kg, more preferably below 25 g per kg, in particular in the range of 10 to 50 g or 15 to 25 g of carbon source per kg of medium. Preferably, the spores of the invention grow in said minimal medium in no more than 30 hours, more preferably in no more than 25 hours. The bacteria of the invention are furthermore preferably capable of inhibiting at least one pathogenic microorganism, in particular at least one pathogenic bacterium, wherein the at least one pathogenic microorganism or bacterium is preferably pathogenic for an aquatic animal. Very preferably, the bacteria of the invention are capable of inhibiting at least one bacterium selected from the group consisting of Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila and / or Streptococcus agalactiae, with the inhibition of Streptococcus agalactiae being preferred. The ability to inhibit a pathogen according to the invention preferably means that the strain is capable of causing a clearance of the pathogen of at least 3 mm, preferably at least 5 or 10 mm, relative to said pathogen in a well diffusion antagonism assay according to Párente et al. (1995). It is particularly preferred according to the invention that the bacteria according to the invention can inhibit the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae, in particular the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134, very effectively. In particular, they are preferably characterized by a pathogen removal of at least 10 mm, more preferably at least 15 mm, in a well diffusion antagonist test on LBKelly agar plates with respect to Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134. The bacteria of the invention are preferably characterized by at least one, more preferably at least two, three or four of the following additional characteristics: Bacteria are preferentially capable of growing under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, they are preferentially capable of degrading cellulose and / or water-insoluble proteins under such anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, the bacteria of the invention are preferably more capable of degrading cellulose and / or water-insoluble protein under aerobic conditions, in particular in the presence of 2 mM bile. The bacteria according to the invention are further preferably characterized by exhibiting at least one, two or three, preferably all, of the following enzymatic activities: cellulase activity; xylanase activity; protease activity; catalase activity; superoxide dismutase activity. The combined presence of proteolytic activity and the ability to degrade inorganic nitrogen compounds is a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, since said combined activities allow a complete removal of undigested feed protein from the breeding water and therefore represent a desired synergistic effect. The bacteria of the invention preferably also produce lactate and are preferably more capable of degrading mycotoxins. The bacteria according to the invention are preferably further characterized by being able to grow in the presence of 2 mM bile, more preferably in the presence of 4 mM bile and / or in the presence of 0.3% by weight of porcine bile and / or in the presence of 0.3% by weight of chicken bile. In particular, they are preferably characterized by being able to proliferate rapidly in such high bile concentrations. Furthermore, the bacteria of the invention, i.e. a significant portion, in particular at least 80%, of a respective sample, preferably survive the high temperatures required for granulating animal feed, in particular preferably survive at a temperature of 80°C, more preferably 95 or 99°C, for at least 20 minutes. Without wishing to be bound by any theory, it is believed that the Bacillus strains according to the invention may improve animal health, particularly intestinal health and / or the health of aquatic animals, through a multifaceted mode of action, including the production of antibacterial metabolites with selective efficacy and competition with pathogenic bacteria by better consuming available nutrients, thereby suppressing the effective establishment of pathogenic bacteria, particularly in the gut, on the gills, or on the skin. In this way, the enzymes produced by Bacillus may aid in establishing a balanced microbiota by providing pre-digested nutrients, particularly in aquatic animals. A major advantage of probiotics over antibiotics is that they do not attack bacteria indiscriminately or give rise to antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria. They are usually able to selectively compete with pathogenic bacteria by producing antimicrobial substances with specific efficacy and, ideally, are able to simultaneously enhance the growth and viability of beneficial microflora, particularly in the gut or gills. Furthermore, they are preferentially able to stimulate a systemic immune response in treated animals. The mutants or variants according to the invention are preferably spontaneous mutants. The term spontaneous mutant refers to mutants or variants that arise from the parental strain without the intentional use of mutagens; that is, they are considered non-GMO. These spontaneous mutants can be obtained by classical methods, such as culturing the Bacillus subtilis strain in the presence of ultraviolet light and / or by applying high temperatures or protoplast formation and / or in the presence of a certain antibiotic to which the parental strain is susceptible and testing any resistant mutants for enhanced biological activity or improved ability to improve one or more of the indicia of animal health, in particular intestinal health. Other methods for identifying spontaneous mutants are known to those skilled in the art.But in addition to these preferred spontaneous mutants, the invention also encompasses all other types of mutants or variants, such as mutants obtained by genetic engineering. A particular embodiment of the invention are non-naturally occurring mutants, in particular spontaneous mutants as defined above, of the bacteria of the invention, in particular of strains DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 or DSM 33352, characterized by the aforementioned features. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mutants and variants of the DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 or DSM 33352 strains have the same identification characteristics as the parental strain from which they are derived. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bacteria, preparations and compositions of the present invention are administered orally to animals or humans. Therefore, a further subject of the invention are the compositions, such as feed, foodstuffs, drinking and breeding water, as well as pharmaceutical compositions, in particular therapeutic compositions, containing at least one bacterium, in particular at least one Bacillus strain, preferably B. subtilis strain, of the invention and / or at least one preparation of the invention and / or at least one composition of the invention as mentioned above. A further object of the invention is also the use of at least one bacterium, in particular at least one strain of Bacillus, preferably the strain B. subtilis, and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention as a probiotic ingredient (DFM) in feed or food products. In particular, mixtures or combinations of at least two or three strains of the invention may be used, very preferred mixtures or combinations of at least two or at least three strains selected from strains DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 and DSM ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ 33352. Preferred food products according to the invention are dairy products, in particular yogurt, cheese, milk, butter and cottage cheese. The cells of the bacteria of the invention may be present, in particular in the compositions of the invention, as spores (which are dormant), as vegetative cells (which are growing), as cells in a transition state (which are passing from the growth phase to the sporulation phase) or as a combination of at least two, in particular all of these cell types. In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention mainly comprises spores, wherein preferably at least 80% or at least 90% of the Bacillus cells are spores, or only spores, i.e. all Bacillus cells contained in the composition are spores. Additionally or alternatively, the bacterial cells can also be used in non-living, inactivated form, since non-living cells are also expected to still have a probiotic effect. Those skilled in the art know ways to inactivate the cells. The bacteria of the invention, when administered to animals, preferably improve the health of said animals and / or improve the general physical condition of said animals and / or improve the feed conversion ratio of said animals and / or decrease the mortality rate of said animals and / or increase the survival rate of said animals and / or improve the weight gain of said animals and / or increase the productivity of said animals and / or increase the disease resistance of said animals and / or modulate the immune response of said animals and / or establish or maintain a healthy intestinal microflora in said animals and / or improve the quality of the meat of said animals, in particular the elasticity of the meat and / or the toughness of the meat, and / or reduce the elimination of pathogens through the feces of said animals.In particular, the strains and compositions of the invention could be used to help restore a healthy balance of intestinal or gill microflora after the administration of antibiotics for therapeutic purposes. Therefore, a further subject matter of the invention is a method for improving the health of animals and / or for improving the general physical condition of animals and / or for improving the feed conversion ratio of animals and / or for decreasing the mortality rate of animals and / or for increasing the survival rates of animals and / or for improving the weight gain of animals and / or for increasing the productivity of animals and / or for increasing the disease resistance of animals and / or for modulating the immune response of animals and / or for establishing or maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora in animals and / or for improving the meat quality of animals and / or for reducing the shedding of pathogens through the feces of animals, wherein at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention is administered to animals, in particular aquatic animals,preferably in aquaculture., Therefore, a further object of the invention is also the use of at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention for improving the health of animals and / or for improving the general physical condition of animals, and / or for improving the feed conversion ratio of animals and / or for decreasing the mortality rate of animals and / or for increasing the survival rates of animals and / or for improving the weight gain of animals and / or for increasing the productivity of animals and / or for increasing the disease resistance of animals and / or for modulating the immune response of animals and / or for establishing or maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora in animals and / or for improving the meat quality of animals and / or for reducing the elimination of pathogens through animal feces,wherein at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention is administered to animals, in particular aquatic animals, preferably in aquaculture. Therefore, a further subject of the invention is also at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention, for improving the health of animals and / or for improving the general physical condition of animals and / or for improving the feed conversion ratio of animals and / or for decreasing the mortality rate of animals and / or for increasing the survival rate of animals and / or for improving the weight gain of animals and / or for increasing the productivity of animals and / or for increasing the disease resistance of animals and / or for modulating the immune response of animals and / or for establishing or maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora in animals and / or for improving the meat quality of animals and / or for reducing the shedding of pathogens through animal feces, wherein the animals are preferably aquatic animals,particularly aquatic animals raised in aquaculture., Increasing animal productivity refers in particular to any of the following: production of more or higher quality eggs, milk or meat, or ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ increased production of weaned offspring. The methods and uses of the strains, preparations, and compositions of the invention may be therapeutic or non-therapeutic. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the methods and uses are non-pharmaceutical, particularly food applications. Since untreated animal manure due to pathogenic bacteria and other ingredients can have a detrimental environmental effect, in particular with respect to the animals themselves and / or humans who come into contact with the manure, which can be avoided either by feeding the animals or by directly treating the manure or by preparing the animals with the bacteria, compositions or preparations of the invention, a further subject of the invention is a method for controlling and / or avoiding detrimental environmental effects of contaminated manure or liquids, the method comprising the step of applying to the manure, contaminated liquids, bedding, a pit or a manure pond at least one strain, at least one preparation and / or at least one composition according to the invention.Preferably, the composition is applied in liquid form, for example by spraying, or in powder form, for example by sprinkling. Since harmful bacteria can have a negative influence on the consistency of the bedding and, in particular, can produce a rather fluid or highly fluid bedding, which could lead to footpad lesions in poultry and which can be avoided by feeding the animals with the strains, compositions or preparations of the invention; therefore, a further subject of the invention is a method for controlling and / or improving the consistency of the bedding, in particular a method for ensuring a firm consistency of the bedding and / or a method for avoiding footpad lesions, the method comprising the step of feeding the animals, in particular poultry, with at least one strain, at least one preparation and / or at least one composition according to the invention. The bacteria, preparations and compositions of the invention are very preferably used to improve the quality of water or aqueous solutions. Therefore, a further subject of the invention is also a method for controlling and / or improving the quality of water or aqueous solutions, in particular drinking water and / or breeding water and / or effluent water and / or wastewater, comprising the step of applying to the water or an aqueous solution at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention. Inorganic nitrogen compounds pose a problem not only in the water and aqueous solutions of aquaculture facilities, but also, for example, in various types of wastewater and effluents, particularly in wastewater treatment plants. Soil treatment often leads to eutrophication of the water, which is enriched with inorganic nitrogen compounds. Treating effluent or wastewater with the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions according to the invention can help remedy this problem. Furthermore, the bacteria, preparations, and compositions of the invention can also be used to treat microbial plant diseases. Therefore, a further object of the invention is also a method for treating and / or preventing microbial plant diseases, particularly in cultivated plants, comprising the step of applying at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention to the plants. The application can be carried out in liquid form, such as by spraying, or in solid form, particularly in powder form, preferably as a formulated powder. By using the strains, preparations, and compositions of the invention, an improvement in at least one of the aforementioned characteristics is preferably achieved, wherein achieving the characteristic preferably means an improvement of at least 1%, more preferably at least 3%, or at least 5%, compared to a suitable negative control. Averages known in the field of animal breeding can be used as negative controls, but preferably animals that undergo the same treatment as the tested animals, but without administration of the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention, are used as negative controls. In particular, the strains, preparations and compositions of the invention may be administered or fed to an animal in an amount effective to inhibit and / or decrease the growth of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa, particularly in the intestine of the animals or on the gills of the aquatic animals. Such pathogenic bacteria include Clostridia, Listeria, Salmonella, Enterococci, Staphylococci, Aeromonas, Streptococci, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Haemophilus, Brachyspira, Flavobacterium, Serratia, Yersinia, Edwardsiella, Rennibacterium, Pasteurella and Vibrio. In this regard, the methods of the present invention may be used to decrease the amount of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa excreted in the feces of the animals.The methods of the present invention may also be used to maintain or enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria, particularly in the gut of animals or on the gills of aquatic animals. By decreasing pathogenic bacteria and / or increasing or maintaining beneficial bacteria, the compositions of the present invention may maintain a generally healthy microflora, particularly in the gut, skin, or gills of aquatic animals. Therefore, a further object of the invention is also a method for inhibiting and / or decreasing the growth of pathogenic bacteria and / or for maintaining and / or increasing the growth of beneficial bacteria, in particular in the intestine of animals, on the skin of animals or on the gills of aquatic animals, wherein the strains, preparations and compositions of the invention are used and wherein the pathogenic bacteria are preferably selected from Clostridia, in particular C. perfringens, C. difficile, C. novyi, C. septicum and C. colinum, from Listaria, in particular L. monocytogenes, L. seeliger and L. welshimer, from Salmonella, in particular S. enterica including the subspecies enterica, arizonae, bongori and in particular the serovars, S. gallinarum, S. pullorum, S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. cholerasuis, S. heidelberg and S. infantis, from Enterococci, in particular E. faecalis, E. faecium and E. cecorum, from Staphylococci, in particular S.aureus, de Aeromonas, en particular de A. hydrophila y A. salmonocida, de Streptococci, en particular S. suis, S. gallinaceusy S. agalactiae, de Campylobacter, en particular C.jejuniy C. coli, de Escheríchia coli, de Haemophilus, en particular Haemophilus parasuis, de Brachyspira, en particular Brachyspira hyodysenteríae, de Flavobacterium, en particular Flavobacteríum columnare, de Serratia, en particular S. liquefaciens, de Yersinia, en particular Y. ruckeri, de Edwardsiella, en particular E. tarda y E. ictaluria, de Rennibacterium, en particular R. salmoninarum, de Pasteurella, en particular P. piscicida, y de Vibrio, en particular V. parahemolyticus, V. harveyi, V. anguillarum, V. ordalii, V. alginolyticus, V. fischerí and V. salmonicida, and beneficial bacteria are preferentially selected among lactic acid bacteria, in particular lactobacilos and bifidobacteria.Very preferably, the inhibited strains are selected from pathogenic strains of aquatic animals, in particular Streptococcus, in particular S. agalactiae, Vibrio, in particular V. parahemolyticus, V. harveyi, V. anguillarum, V. ordalii, V. alginolyticus, V. fischerí and V. salmonicida, Flavobacterium, in particular Flavobacteríum columnare, and Aeromonas, in particular A. hydrophila and A. salmonocida. LCQonn / zznz / e / YiN In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the amount of at least one aquatic animal pathogenic bacterium, in particular the amount of Streptococcus agalactiae, in particular S. agalactiae DSM 2134, Vibrio harveyi, in particular V. harveyi DSM 19623, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, in particular V. parahaemolyticus DSM 10027, and / or Aeromonas hydrophila, in particular A. hydrophila DSM 30187, is significantly reduced, preferably by at least 0.5 log, more preferably by at least 1 log, 2 log or 3 log, wherein the reduction of Streptococcus agalactiae is particularly preferred. Therefore, a further subject of the invention are also the strains, preparations and compositions of the invention for inhibiting and / or decreasing the growth of pathogenic bacteria and / or for maintaining and / or increasing the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine of animals or on a skin of animals or on the gills of aquatic animals, wherein the pathogenic bacteria are preferably selected from Clostridia, in particular from C. perfringens, C. difficile, C. novyi, C. septicum and C. colinum, from Listeria, in particular from L. monocytogenes, L. seeligeri and L. welshimeri, from Salmonella, in particular S. enterica including the subspecies enterica, arizonae, bongori and in particular the serovars, S. gallinarum, S. pullorum, S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. cholerasuis, S. heidelberg and S. infantis, from Enterococci, in particular E. faecaüs, E. faecium and E. cecorum, from Staphylococci, in particular S. aureus, from Aeromonas, in particular from A. hydrophila and A.salmonocida, from Streptococci, in particular S. suis, S. gallinaceus and S. agalactiae, from Campylobacter, in particular C. jejuni and C. coli, from Escherichia coli, from Haemophilus, in particular Haemophilus parasuis, from Brachyspira, in particular Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, from Flavobacterium, in particular F. columnare, from Serratia, in particular S. liquefaciens, from Yersinia, in particular Y. ruckeri, from Edwardsiella, in particular E.tarda and E. ictaluria, from Rennibacterium, in particular R. salmoninarum, from Pasteurella, in particular P. piscicida, and from Vibrio, in particular V. parahemolyticus, V. harveyi, V. anguillarum, V. ordalii, V. alginolyticus, V. fischeri and V. salmonicida, and the beneficial bacteria are preferentially selected from bacteria lactic acid, particularly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. In addition to or in addition to pathogenic bacteria, other pathogens, particularly viruses and algae, can also be inhibited. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention are capable of inhibiting at least one virus selected from the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSv), Taura Syndrome Virus (TSV), ίόαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Yellowhead virus (YHV), viruses causing infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis (IHHN) and IHHNV, viruses causing running deformity syndrome or RDS of Penaeus vannamei, Baculo-like viruses, Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV), Hirame rhabdovirus (HIRRV), Yellowtail Ascites Virus (YAV), Pike Nerve Necrosis Virus (SJNNV), Iridovirus, Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (USA), viruses causing Pancreatic Disease (PD) or Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (HSV), viruses causing viral hemorrhagic septicemia, infectious pancreatic necrosis or carp viremia, Channel catfish virus, Grass carp hemorrhagic virus, Nodaviridae such as nerve necrosis virus, infectious salmon anemia. In a further particular embodiment of the invention, the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention are capable of inhibiting at least one microalga, protozoan or toxin selected from the parasites Ceratomyxa shasta, Ichthyophthirius multifíllius, Cryptobia salmositica, Lepeophtherius salmonis, Tetrahymena, Trichodina and Epistylus, and dinoflagellate toxins, including toxins that cause Diarrheal Shellfish Poisoning (DSP), Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), Neurotoxin Poisoning (NSP) and Ciguatera. The emergence and / or increased growth of pathogens leads or may lead to the outbreak of certain diseases. Vibrios are known to be associated with disease and high mortality in shrimp, but they can also infect finfish. Tilapia infections can be associated with Streptococcus agalactiae, a widely distributed bacterium that causes, for example, hemorrhages or erratic swimming. Columnaris disease is caused by Flavobacterium columnare, which affects freshwater fish. Salmon and trout farms, for example, report high annual losses. Furthermore, the emergence and / or increased growth of Clostridium perfringens can lead to the outbreak of intestinal diseases, particularly necrotic enteritis in pigs and poultry. The emergence and / or increased growth of C. perfringens can also lead to the development of other diseases, such as bacterial enteritis, gangrenous dermatitis, and cholangiohepatitis. Even the mildest form of C. perfringens infection can be accompanied by diarrhea, resulting in wet bedding and thus potentially leading to secondary diseases such as footpad dermatitis. While C. perfringens type C is generally considered the primary cause of necrotic enteritis / necrohaemorrhagic enteritis and necrohaemorrhagic enteritis in piglets, type A has been linked to enteric disease in suckling and feeding piglets with mild necrotic enterocolitis and villous atrophy. Clostridium difficile is an important emerging pathogen that causes diarrhea primarily in newborn pigs. Affected piglets may present with dyspnea, abdominal distension, and scrotal edema. E. cecorum is known to cause lameness, arthritis, and osteomyelitis in broiler chickens, usually due to inflammation of a joint and / or bone tissue. Additionally, E. cecorum can cause inflammation of the pericardium. S. gallinaceus can cause septicemia in poultry. Gross lesions included splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, renomegaly, and congestion. Multiple areas of necrosis and / or infarction were also observed in the liver and spleen associated with valvular endocarditis. C. coli is a foodborne bacterium. Most people become infected by eating pork containing the bacteria. It causes acute gastroenteritis and enterocolitis in humans, as well as acute diarrheal illnesses. Pigs are the primary host, but it can also infect humans, birds, and a wide range of other animals. Campylobacter jejuni infection is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis worldwide [Acheson et al. 2001]. Infection results from the ingestion of contaminated food or water. C. jejuni is commonly associated with poultry and naturally colonizes the digestive tract of many avian species [Colles et al. 2009] (between 20 and 100% of retail chickens are contaminated), as well as livestock, especially calves. Some strains of C. jejuni have been reported to cause enteritis and death in newly hatched chicks and poults. S. suis is an important pathogen in pigs and one of the most important causes of bacterial mortality in post-weaning piglets, causing septicemia, meningitis and many other infections. Pathogens can cause other diseases such as polyarthritis, fibrinous polyserositis, post-weaning enteric disorders such as post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease, and swine dysentery. Therefore, a further object of the invention is also a therapeutic composition comprising at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention. A very preferred object of the invention is therefore a therapeutic composition for the treatment and / or prevention of a disease of an aquatic animal, in particular of fish, preferably tilapia, or of crustaceans, preferably shrimp, and in particular selected from hemorrhage, erratic swimming, Columnaris disease, White Spot Syndrome and / or a gill disease, comprising at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention. A further preferred subject matter in this context is therefore a therapeutic composition for the treatment and / or prevention of necrotic enteritis and necrohemorrhagic enteritis, in particular subclinical necrotic enteritis and necrohemorrhagic enteritis, in animals, preferably pigs or poultry, comprising at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention. A further preferred subject matter in this context is therefore a therapeutic composition for the treatment and / or prevention of bacterial enteritis, gangrenous dermatitis, cholangiohepatitis, clostridiosis, diarrhea, dyspnea, abdominal distension, scrotal edema, pododermatitis, footpad dermatitis, streptococcal mastitis, lameness, arthritis, polyarthritis, fibrinous polyserositis, post-weaning enteric disorders such as post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease, dysentery, osteomyelitis, inflammation of the joints and / or bone tissue, inflammation of the pericardium, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, renomegaly, congestion, necrosis, infarction in the liver or spleen, valvular endocarditis, septicemia and / or meningitis, in animals, preferably in pigs or poultry, comprising at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention. Therefore, a further preferred subject of the invention is also the treatment and / or prevention of a disease of an aquatic animal, in particular of finned fish, preferably tilapia, or crustaceans, preferably shrimp, and in particular selected from hemorrhage, erratic swimming and Columnaris disease, wherein at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention is administered to an aquatic animal in need thereof. Therefore, a further subject of the invention is also the treatment and / or prevention of a disease, in particular an intestinal disease, preferably necrotic enteritis or necrohaemorrhagic enteritis, in particular subclinical necrotic enteritis or subclinical necrohaemorrhagic enteritis, in pigs or poultry, wherein at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the invention is administered to an animal in need thereof. Therefore, a further subject of the invention is also the treatment and / or prevention of a disease, preferably a disease of pigs or poultry, selected from bacterial enteritis, gangrenous dermatitis, cholangiohepatitis, clostridiosis, diarrhea, dyspnea, abdominal distension, scrotal edema, pododermatitis, footpad dermatitis, streptococcal mastitis, lameness, arthritis, polyarthritis, fibrinous polyserositis, post-weaning enteric disorders such as post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease, dysentery, osteomyelitis, inflammation of joints and / or bone tissue, inflammation of the pericardium, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, renomegaly, congestion, necrosis, infarction in the liver or spleen, valvular endocarditis, septicemia and / or meningitis, wherein at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one composition of the present invention is / are selected from the group consisting of: invention is administered to an animal in need. The strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention can be administered to animals in food and / or drinking water and / or breeding water for multiple days throughout the animal's life or during particular stages or parts of the animal's life. For example, the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions can be administered only in a starter diet or only in a finisher diet of farm animals. A particular object of the invention is also a method for improving the health of human beings and / or for improving the general physical condition of human beings and / or for increasing the resistance to diseases of human beings and / or for modulating the immune response of human beings and / or for establishing or maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora in human beings, wherein the strains and / or preparations of the invention or the compositions of the invention, comprising said strain(s), are administered to human beings. Therefore, a further object of the invention is also the use of strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention for improving the health of humans and / or for improving the general physical condition of humans and / or for increasing the resistance to diseases of humans and / or for modulating the immune response of humans and / or for establishing or maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora in humans, wherein the strains and / or preparations of the invention or the compositions of the invention, comprising such strain(s), are administered to humans. The compositions of the present invention, in particular the compositions for feed, food and pharmaceutical purposes, as well as for drinking water, rearing water, effluent water or waste water, preferably comprise the strains of the invention and are administered to the animals at a rate of about 1x103 to about 2x1012 CFU / g of feed or mL of water, in particular at a rate of about 1x103 or about 1x104 or about 1x105 or about 1x106 or about 1x107 or about 1x108 or about 1x109 or about 1x1010 or about 1x1011 or about 1x1012 CFU / g of feed or mL of water, preferably in an amount of about 1x104 to about 1x1010 CFU / g of feed or mL of water, more preferably in an amount of 1x104 to 1 χ 107CFU / g of food or mL of water. Accordingly, the preferred amounts of the strains and / or preparations of the invention in the feed, food and water compositions of the invention vary between 0.1% by weight and 10% by weight, more preferably between 0.2% by weight and 5% by weight, in particular from 0.3% by weight to 3% by weight. The methods of the present invention can be used for all types of animals, in particular all types of non-human and non-insect animals, more preferably all types of vertebrates such as mammals, aquatic animals and birds, with aquatic animals being particularly preferred. Animals that may benefit from the invention include, but are not limited to, farm animals, pets, exotic animals, zoo animals, animals used for sports, recreation or work. Pets are preferably selected from dogs, cats, domestic birds and exotic pets. The aquatic animals according to the invention are preferably finned fish, in particular of the class Actinopterygii, or crustaceans. Actinopterygii include, in particular, tilapia and other cichlids, carp and other cyprinids, salmon and other salmonids, catfish, in particular African catfish and pangasius, tuna, perch, cod, smelt, milkfish, gourami, sea bass, in particular barramundi, sea bream, grouper and snakehead. The preferred types of salmon and salmonids in this context are the salmon of the ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon (red salmon), masu salmon (cherry salmon), king salmon (Chinook salmon), keta salmon (chum salmon), coho salmon, Danube salmon, Pacific salmon, pink salmon, and trout. Particularly preferred aquatic animals according to the invention are tilapia. Crustaceans include in particular shrimp, lobsters, crabs, prawns and crayfish. Preferred types of shrimp in this context are Litopenaeus, Farfantepenaeus and Penaeus, in particular Penaeus stylirostris, Penaeus vannamei, Penaeus monodon, Penaeus chinensis, Penaeus occidentalis, Penaeus californiensis, Penaeus semisulcatus, Penaeus esculentu, Penaeus setiferus, Penaeus japonicus, Penaeus aztecus, Penaeus duorarum, Penaeus indicus and Penaeus merguiensis. Very preferred according to the invention is the shrimp Penaeus vannamei, also called whiteleg shrimp. The aquatic animals, and in particular shrimp, which are treated or fed with the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions according to the invention may in particular be larvae, post-larvae or juvenile shrimp. Aquatic animals can also include fish that are subsequently processed into fishmeal or fish oil. These fish are preferably herring, pollock, cod, or small pelagic fish such as anchovy, blue whiting, capelin, driftfish, horse mackerel, mackerel, menhaden, sardines, or shad. The fishmeal or fish oil obtained in this way can, in turn, be used in aquaculture for the cultivation of edible fish or crustaceans. Aquatic animals can also be oysters, clams, cockles, arks, bivalves, mussels or scallops. However, aquatic animals can also be small organisms used as food in aquaculture. These small organisms can take the form of, for example, nematodes, small crustaceans, or rotifers. Aquatic animal farming can take place in ponds, tanks, basins, or in separate areas in the sea, lakes, or rivers, particularly in cages or pens. Farming can be used to raise finished food fish, but it can also be used to raise fingerlings that are subsequently released to replenish wild fish populations. In salmon farming, fish are preferably first grown in murgones in freshwater tanks or artificial watercourses and then grown in cages or pens floating in the sea, ponds or rivers and preferably anchored in bays or fjords. Accordingly, the foodstuff according to the invention is preferably a feed for use in the breeding of the aforementioned animals. According to the invention, the strains, preparations, and compositions of the invention can be employed over a wide dosage range. Daily doses are, for example, in the range of about 1 mg to about 500 mg, in particular in the range of about 5 mg to about 200 mg, in the range of about 10 mg to about 100 mg, or in the range of about 20 to about 60 mg per kilogram of body weight. In a further embodiment of the invention, the animals are farm animals, which are raised for consumption or as food producers, such as poultry, pigs and ruminants. Poultry can be selected from productive or domestic poultry, but also from fancy or wild birds. Preferred productive poultry in this context are chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Productive livestock in this context is preferably poultry optimized for producing young stock or poultry optimized for meat production. Preferred poultry or wild birds are peacocks, pheasants, partridges, chukkas, guinea fowl, quail, capercaillie, pigeons, and swans, with quail being particularly preferred. Other preferred poultry are ratites, particularly ostriches and emus, as well as parrots. The ruminants according to the invention are preferably selected from bovines, caprines, and ovines. In one embodiment, the compositions of the present invention can be administered to pre-ruminants to improve their health and, in particular, to reduce the incidence of diarrhea in these animals. Pre-ruminants are ruminants, including calves, whose age ranges from birth to approximately twelve weeks. The compositions of the invention may comprise at least one carrier or typical food ingredients or combinations thereof. Suitable carriers are inert formulation ingredients added to enhance recovery, efficacy, or physical properties and / or to aid in packaging and administration. Such carriers may be added individually or in combination. ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ These vehicles can be selected from anti-caking agents, antioxidant agents, fillers, binders, structurants, coatings and / or protectants.Examples of useful carriers include polysaccharides (in particular starches, maltodextrins, methylcelluloses, gums, chitosan and / or inulins), protein sources (in particular skimmed milk powder and / or sweet whey powder), peptides, sugars (in particular lactose, trehalose, sucrose and / or dextrose), lipids (in particular lecithin, vegetable oils and / or mineral oils), salts (in particular sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, chalk, limestone, magnesium carbonate, sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate and / or sodium citrate) and silicates (in particular clays, in particular beolite clay, amorphous silica, fumed / precipitated silicas, zeolites, Fuller's earth, Baylith®, clintpolite, montmorillonite, diatomaceous earth, talc, bentonites). and / or silicate salts such as aluminum, magnesium and / or calcium silicate).Suitable carriers for feed additives are set forth in the Official Publication of American Feed Control Officials, Inc., published annually. See, for example, the Official Publication of American Feed Control Officials, Sharon Krebs, editor, 2006 edition, ISBN 1878341-18-9. The carriers may be added after concentrating the fermentation broth and / or during and / or after drying. Preferred carriers according to the invention are selected from calcium carbonate, diatomaceous earth, and vegetable oil. A preferred embodiment of the invention are concentrated compositions, in particular feed additive compositions, i.e. compositions suitable for preparing a feed composition, comprising at least one strain of the invention and at least one carrier as mentioned above, wherein the at least one strain is preferably comprised in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably in an amount of 0.2 to 5% by weight, in particular in an amount of 0.3 to 3% by weight, especially in an amount of 0.4 to 2.2% by weight, and the at least one carrier is preferably comprised in an amount of at least 90% by weight, preferably in an amount of 90 to 99.9% by weight, more preferably in an amount of 95 to 99.8% by weight, in particular in an amount of 97 to 99.7% by weight, especially in an amount of 97.8 to 99.6% by weight, and in which the carrier preferably consists substantially of limestone, in particular limestone with smaller parts of diatomaceous earth and / or vegetable oil. These preferred compositions of the invention, containing stabilized strains, can be used for the preparation of feed and pharmaceutical compositions, as well as drinking and breeding water, preferably comprising the strains according to the invention in the amount mentioned in the above specification. In a preferred embodiment, 50 to 1000 grams of such a concentrated composition, in particular 50, 100, 250, 500 or 1000 grams of such a concentrated composition, are used per ton of feed, drinking or breeding water to provide compositions that can be used for animal feed. These concentrated compositions preferably comprise at least one strain of the invention in an amount of 1x109a 2x1011 CFU, in particular 2x109a 1 χ1011 CFU, per g of concentrated composition. Starting from these concentrated compositions, food and feed compositions can be prepared by mixing the concentrated compositions with typical food or feed ingredients, respectively. Suitable typical animal feed ingredients which may be contained in the compositions according to the invention and / or used in the preparation of feed compositions from concentrated compositions according to the invention include one or more of the following: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, other probiotics and / or other inorganic nitrogen compounds degrading microorganisms, prebiotics, enzymes, vitamins, immunomodulators, milk replacers, minerals, amino acids, carriers, coccidiostats, acid-based products and / or medicaments, such as antibiotics. Carbohydrate-containing components that can be used according to the invention are, for example, fodder, fiber, wheat flour, corn flour, sunflower flour or soy flour, and mixtures thereof. Protein-containing components that can be used according to the invention are, for example, soy protein, pea protein, wheat gluten, corn gluten, rice, canola meal, marine animal meal, in particular fish meal, terrestrial animal meal, and mixtures thereof. Marine animal meal includes meat meal, meat and bone meal, blood meal, liver meal, poultry meal, silkworm meal, silkworm pupae meal, and combinations thereof. Fats are usually provided as marine animal oils, vegetable oils or oils from microorganisms, in particular microalgae oils, or combinations thereof. Examples of vegetable oils are soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil and palm oil. Marine animal oils include fish oil, as well as krill, bivalve, squid or shrimp oil and other fatty fish oils from the families Engraulidae, Carangidae, Clupeidae, Osmeridae, Scombridae and / or Ammodytidae. Examples of microalgae oils are in particular Labyrinthulea oil, preferably Schizochytria or Thraustochytria oil.In addition to isolated oils, defatted biomass itself can also be used as a fat source, i.e., in particular, marine animal meal, preferably fish meal, or a vegetable meal, in particular, soybean meal, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal, canola meal, cottonseed meal and / or flaxseed meal. Protein-containing components that also contain fats that can be used according to the invention are, for example, fish meal, krill meal, bivalve meal, squid meal or shrimp shells, as well as combinations thereof. The foodstuff according to the invention preferably has a total protein content of 20 to 50% by weight and / or a total fat content of 1 to 15% by weight and / or a total carbohydrate content of 20 to 60% by weight. Other probiotics (DFM) and / or microorganisms that can be used according to the invention in combination with the strains and preparations of the invention are preferably bacteria selected from the species Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus lentus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus alevi, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus badius, Bacillus thurigiensis, Enterococcus faecium and Pediococcus acidilactici.Preferred examples are Bacillus pumilus DSM 32539 and Bacillus subtilis DSM 32540 (both deposited with the DSMZ on June 14, 2017 under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure) and derivatives thereof, Bacillus licheniformis DSM 32314 and Bacillus subtilis DSM 32315 (both deposited with the DSMZ on May 12, 2016 under the provisions of the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure) and derivatives thereof, Bacillus subtilis PB6 (as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,247,299 and deposited under ATCC Accession No. PTA-6737), which is sold by Kemin under the trademark CLOSTAT®, Bacillus subtilis C-3102 (as described in US Patent No.4,919,936 and deposited as FERM BP-1096 with the Fermentation Research Institute, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, in Japan), sold by Calpis as CALSPORIN®, Bacillus subtilis DSM 17299, sold by Chr. Hansen under the trademark GalliPro®, Bacillus licheniformis DSM 17236, sold by Chr. Hansen under the trademark GalliProTect®, a spore mixture of Bacillus licheniformis DSMZ 5749 and Bacillus subtilis DSMZ 5750, sold by Chr. Hansen under the trademark BioPlus®YC, B. subtilis DSM 29784, sold by Adisseo / Novozymes under the trademark Alterion®, Bacillus subtilis, sold by Chr. Hansen under the trademark PORCBOOST®, or Bacillus coagulans strains as described in US Patent No. 6,849,256.Probiotics other than Bacillus, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae or Hansenula, may also be used in the compositions of the present invention. In particular, other probiotics known to be useful for human health, such as lactic acid-producing bacteria, in particular lactobacilli or bifidobacteria, may be used in the food compositions. If such additional probiotics are not formulated as part of the compositions of the present invention, they may be administered together (at the same time or at different times) with the compositions of the present invention. Prebiotics which can be used according to the invention are preferably oligosaccharides, in particular selected from galactooligosaccharides, sialyloligosaccharides, lactulose, lactosucrose, fructooligosaccharides, palatinose or somaltose oligosaccharides, glycosyl sucrose, maltooligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides, cyclodextrins, gentiooligosaccharides, soy oligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, dextrans, pectins, polygalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan, mannan, hemicellulose, arabinogalactan, arabinan, arabinoxylan, resistant starch, mebiose, chitosan, agarose, inulin, tagatose, polydextrose and alginate. The enzymes which can be used in the feed compositions according to the invention and which can assist in the digestion of the feed are preferably selected from phytases (EC 3.1. 3.8 or 3.1.3.26), xylanases (EC 3.2.1.8), galactanases (EC 3.2.1.89), galactosidases, in particular alpha-galactosidases (EC 3.2.1.22), proteases (EC 3.4), phospholipases, in particular phospholipases A1 (EC 3.1.1.32), A2 (EC 3.1.1.4), C (EC 3.1.4.3), and D (EC 3.1.4.4), lysophospholipases (EC 3.1.1.5), amylases, in particular alpha-amylases (EC 3.2.1.1); lysozymes (EC 3.2.1.17), glucanases, in particular beta-glucanases (EC 3.2.1.4 or EC 3.2.1.6), glucoamylases, cellulases, pectinases or any mixture thereof. Examples of commercially available phytases include Bio-Feed™ Phytase ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ (Novozymes), Ronozyme® P and HÍPhos™ (DSM Nutritional Products), Natuphos™ (BASF), Finase® and Quantum® Blue (AB Enzymes), Phyzyme® XP (Verenium / DuPont) and Axtra® PHY (DuPont). Other preferred phytases include those described in, for example, WO 98 / 28408, WO 00 / 43503 and WO 03 / 066847. Examples of commercially available xylanases include Ronozyme® WX and G2 (DSM Nutritional Products), Econase® XT and Barley (AB Vista), Xylathin® (Verenium), and Axtra® XB (Xylanase / beta-glucanase, DuPont). Examples of commercially available proteases include Ronozyme® ProAct (DSM Nutritional Products). Vitamins that can be used according to the invention are, for example, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, for example, vitamin K3, vitamin B12, biotin, choline, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, niacin, folic acid and pantothenate, for example, Ca-D-pantothenate, or combinations thereof. Immunomodulators that can be used are, for example, antibodies, cytokines, spray-dried plasma, interleukins or interferons, or combinations thereof. Minerals that can be used according to the invention are, for example, boron, cobalt, chloride, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium or sodium, or combinations thereof. Amino acids that can be used according to the invention are, for example, lysine, alanine, threonine, methionine or tryptophan, or combinations thereof. The foodstuffs of the invention may further comprise betaine and / or choline and / or other physiologically effective methyl group donors. The foods may also comprise polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular DHA and / or EPA. Thus, a further embodiment of the invention is a process for preparing an animal feed composition comprising mixing at least one strain and / or at least one preparation and / or at least one concentrated composition of the invention, in particular in an amount effective to improve animal health, in particular intestinal health, with feed ingredients, such as proteins, lipids and / or carbohydrates, and optionally other beneficial substances, preferably as mentioned above, to provide a feed product. This process may, for example, also comprise a granulation step. Standard granulation processes known to those skilled in the art may be used, including extrusion processing of dry or semi-moist foods. Preferred granulation temperatures are between about 65°C and about 120°C. The strains and compositions of the present invention can be obtained by culturing the strains of the invention according to methods well known in the art, including the use of media and other methods as described, for example, in US Pat. Nos. 6,060,051, EP0287699, or US2014 / 0010792. Conventional large-scale microbial cultivation processes include submerged fermentation, solid-state fermentation, or liquid surface culture. Towards the end of fermentation, as nutrients are depleted, the cells of the strains begin the transition from the growth phase to the sporulation phase, such that the final product of fermentation is largely spores, metabolites, and residual fermentation medium. Sporulation is part of the natural life cycle of these strains and is generally initiated by the cell in response to nutrient limitation.The fermentation is designed to obtain high levels of colony-forming units from Bacillus subtilis cells and promote sporulation. The bacterial cells, spores, and metabolites in the culture media resulting from the fermentation can be used directly or concentrated by conventional industrial methods, such as centrifugation, tangential flow filtration, depth filtration, and evaporation. The concentrated fermentation broth can be washed, for example, by diafiltration, to remove residual fermentation broth and metabolites. The fermentation broth or broth concentrate can be dried with or without the addition of carriers using conventional drying processes or procedures such as spray drying, freeze-drying, tray drying, fluidized bed drying, drum drying, or evaporation. The resulting dried products can be further processed, for example, by milling or granulation, to achieve a specific particle size or physical format. Carriers, as described above, can also be added after drying. Preparations of the strains of the invention may be cell-free preparations or preparations containing cell debris or preparations containing a mixture of intact cells and cell debris. Cell-free preparations of the strains of the invention can be obtained, for example, by centrifugation and / or filtration of the fermentation broth. Depending on the technique used, these cell-free preparations may not be completely purified by precipitating the metabolites contained in the aforementioned preparations using organic solvents such as ethyl acetate and subsequent redissolution of the precipitated metabolites in an appropriate solvent. The metabolites can then be further purified by size-exclusion filtration which groups the metabolites into different fractions based on the molecular weight cut-off. The preparation containing an effective mixture of metabolites of the invention preferably comprises at least 5, more preferably at least 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 12, in particular all the metabolites of the respective strains of the invention. The metabolites preferably have a molecular weight of between 400 and 5000 Daltons, more preferably between 800 and 4000 Daltons. Preferably, according to the invention, an effective amount of the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention is always used in the embodiments of the invention. The term "effective amount" refers to an amount that produces at least one beneficial effect for an animal and / or for the environment, in particular with respect to the characteristics already mentioned above, compared to an animal that has not been administered the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention, but has also been administered the same diet (including feed and other compounds). For therapeutic applications, a therapeutic amount of the strains and / or preparations and / or compositions of the invention is preferably used. The term "therapeutic amount" refers to an amount sufficient to ameliorate, reverse, or prevent a disease state in an animal. Those skilled in the art can readily determine optimal dosage levels for various animals by evaluating, inter alia, the composition's ability to: (i) inhibit or reduce pathogenic bacteria in the gut or gills at various doses, (ii) increase or maintain levels of beneficial bacteria, and / or (iii) improve animal health, particularly gut health, at various doses. WORK EXAMPLES Example 1: Ability of strains to reduce nitrogen Bacillus strains from various environmental samples were screened for their water remediation characteristics. Several assays were conducted to determine their nitrogen compound reduction capacity under broad conditions in order to develop superior strains for aquaculture bioremediation. The strains were tested under different salinities (0–3%) and varying C:N ratios (20–2600). The four B. ίΡαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ subtilis DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 showed very promising properties, which are described below. All nitrite (NO2-N) measurements were performed using the 0.015–0.6 mg / L NO2-N Nitrite Cuvette Test and the 0.6–6.0 mg / L NO2-N Nitrite Cuvette Test (Hach Company, Loveland, Colorado, USA). All ammonia (NH4+-N) concentrations were determined using a flow injection analyzer (FIA, applied system: FOSS FIAstar 5000). Within the system, sample aliquots were alkalinized to quantitatively generate ammonia (NH3) from solvated ammonium ions (NH4+). The ammonia diffused through a semipermeable membrane (gas diffusion). The pH changes can then be monitored via an indicator solution (photometric detection, applied indicator based on 5',5-Dibrom-o-cresolsulfonphthalein (Bromkresolpurpur, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri, USA). The extinction will increase non-linearly with higher ammonia concentrations and must be calibrated correctly.The procedure has a validated measurement range of 1-13 mg / L (linear range) and 10-130 mg / L (non-linear range). All strains were tested for their ammonia reduction capacity in C-minimal medium containing only glucose as a carbon source and 5 ppm ammonia as the sole nitrogen source under different salinities. For each B. subtilis strain, 50 pL of a glycerol stock was inoculated into 10 mL of minimal C medium with a C:N ratio of 68 (0.0352 g / L MnSO4x1 H2O, 2.46 g / L MnSO4x7H2O, 0.2 KH2PO4, 0.6 g / L K2HPO4, 0.02 FeSO4x7H2O, 0.2792 g / L (NH4)2SO4, 10 g / L glucose, and 0, 15, or 30 g / L NaCl) and incubated in 100 mL shake flasks at 28 °C and 200 rpm. After 48 h of incubation, the ammonia concentration was measured using the procedure described above. The percentage amount of ammonia reduced by each strain was calculated with reference to the initial concentration, which was determined in the non-inoculated control for each salinity (Table 1.1).Strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 were able to efficiently remove ammonia in a C-minimal medium containing only glucose as a carbon source and 5 ppm ammonia as a nitrogen source, as a maximum of 0.3% of the initial ammonia concentration was still detectable after 48 h under all salinity conditions. ίόαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Table 1.1. Ammonia reduction in C-minimum medium containing only glucose as carbon source and 5 ppm ammonia as nitrogen source under different salinities *Ammonia removed [%] / **Ammonia concentration [mg / L] Strain* 0% NaCI 1.5% NaCI 3.0% NaCI DSM 33351 99.7 100.0 100.0 DSM 33352 99.7 100.0 99.7 DSM 33349 99.9 100.0 99.9 DSM 33350 99.7 100.0 99.7 Initial concentration** 4.45 4.53 4.47 All strains were further tested for their nitrite reducing ability in minimal C medium containing only glucose as the carbon source and 5 ppm nitrite as the nitrogen source. For each B. subtilis strain, 50 pL of a glycerol stock was inoculated into 10 mL of minimal C medium with a C:N ratio of 2600 (0.0352 g / L MnSO4x1H2O, 2.46 g / L MnSO4x7H2O, 0.2 KH2PO4, 0.6 g / L K2HPO4, 0.02 FeSO4x7H2O, 0.0075 g / L NaNO2, 10 g / L glucose, and 0, 15, or 30 g / L NaCl) and incubated in 100 mL shake flasks at 28 °C and 200 rpm. After 48 h of incubation, nitrite concentration was measured using the procedure described above. The percentage of nitrite reduced by each strain was calculated with reference to the initial concentration, which was determined in the uninoculated control for each salinity (Table 1.2).Under 0 and 15% salinity, strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349, and DSM 33350 were able to efficiently remove all nitrite within 48 h. Under 3% salinity, strains DSM 33351 and DSM 33350 reduced nitrite to 0 mg / mL, while strains DSM 33352 and DSM 33349 removed 67 and 87% at 5.15 mg / L as initial concentration, respectively. Table 1.2. Nitrite reduction in C-minimum medium containing only glucose as a carbon source and 5 ppm nitrite as a nitrogen source under different salinities ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ *Nitrite removed [%] / ''Nitrite concentration [mg / L] Strain* 0% NaCI 1.5% NaCI 3.0% NaCI DSM 33351 100.0 100.0 100.0 DSM 33352 100.0 100.0 67.09 DSM 33349 100.0 100.0 86.64 DSM 33350 100.0 100.0 100.0 Initial concentration** 5.24 5.19 5.19 All strains were tested for their ammonia and nitrite reducing ability in C minimum medium containing only glucose as carbon source and a final concentration of 2.5 ppm each of nitrite and ammonia and C:N ratio of 20.10 mL of the respective media (0.0352 g / L MnSO4x1H2O, 2.46 g / L MnSO4x7H2O, 0.2 KH2PO4, 0.6 g / L K2HPO4, 0.02 FeSO4x7H2O, 0.1396 g / L (NH4)2SO4, 0.00375 g / L NaNO2, 1.517 g / L glucose and 0 or 15 or 30 g / L NaCl) were inoculated with a single colony of strain DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349, or DSM 33350 cultured on TSA agar for 24 h at 37°C. Cultures were incubated at 28°C at 200 rpm. After 48 h, ammonia and nitrite concentrations were determined using the procedures described above. The amount of ammonia and nitrite reduced by each strain was calculated relative to the initial concentration, which was determined in the uninoculated control for each salinity (Table 1.3).Strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 were able to simultaneously remove 99.7% of the initial ammonia and 100% of the initial nitrite after 48 h at all salinities in C minimal medium containing only glucose as carbon source and final concentration of 2.5 ppm of nitrite and ammonia as nitrogen source. Table 1.3. Reduction of ammonia and nitrite in a C-minimum medium containing only glucose as a carbon source and a final concentration of 2.5 ppm of nitrite and ammonia as a nitrogen source under different salinities *Ammonia removed [%] / ''Ammonia concentration [mg / L] 'Nitrite removed [%] / “Nitrite concentration [mg / L] Strain* 0% NaCI 1.5% NaCI 3.0% NaCI 0% NaCI 1.5% NaCI 3.0% NaCI DSM 33351 99.7 99.7 99.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 DSM 33352 99.7 99.7 99.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 DSM 33349 99.7 99.7 99.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 DSM 33350 99.7 99.7 99.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 Initial concentration** 2.12 2.13 2.24 2.27 2.20 2.06 ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ In general, these data show that B. subtilis strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 can use both ammonia and nitrite as the sole nitrogen source and efficiently remove both compounds within 48 h. Example 2: Spore growth in medium with minimal C and nitrogen reduction The ability of Bacillus strains to produce spores is a great advantage for receiving a long-term stable product. In order to produce spores of B. subtilis DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350, the strains were precultured for 14 h at 30 °C in 50 g of medium containing 43 g / kg of soybean flour and 22 g / kg of a sugar solution (320 g / kg of glucose, 90 g / kg of fructose, 350 g / kg of maltose and 100 g / kg of maltotriose) and shaken at 200 rpm. Next, 14 g of the above culture was used to inoculate 200 g of spore production medium and shaken at 200 rpm while incubated at 30 °C. The spore production medium consisted of 21 g / kg of the aforementioned sugar solution, 43 g / kg of soybean flour, 0.29 g / kg of MgSO4x7H2O, 0.032 g / kg of MnSO4xH2O, 0.023 g / kg of FeSO4x7H2O, and 0.003 g / kg of ZnSO4x7H2O. After 48 h of incubation, spores were collected by centrifugation and resuspended in 20% glycerol in PBS buffer and stored at -80 °C. Spores DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 were tested for their potential to grow in C minimal medium with ammonia and nitrite as nitrogen sources and for their ability to reduce ammonia and nitrite efficiently. To test growth in a microtiter plate-based assay, 106 CFU / mL of spores of strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 were inoculated into a final volume of 150 pL mL of the respective minimal C medium with glucose as the sole carbon source and with ammonia and nitrite as nitrogen sources (0.0352 g / L MnSO4x1H2O, 2.46 g / L MnSO4x7H2O, 0.2 KH2PO4, 0.6 g / L K2HPO4, 0.02 FeSO4x7H2O, 0.1396 g / L (NH4)2SO4, 0.00375 g / L NaNO2 and 10 g / L glucose (C:N ratio = 20)). supplemented with 10% PrestoBlue™ (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA). Spores were incubated at 37°C and orbitally shaken at 350 rpm for 30 h in a microtiter plate reader (TECAN Infinite® M1000 Pro). Detection of spore growth occurred through the metabolic activity of growing cells, which reduce the non-fluorescent resazurin in PrestoBlue™ to bright red fluorescent resorufin.Fluorescence was measured in real time during cultivation (excitation filter: 550-12 nm; emission filter: 590 nm). The resulting kinetics were used to calculate the time point of spore growth based on a defined threshold. The hours to growth of strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 are shown in Table 2.1. All strains were able to grow in minimal C medium containing only glucose as a C source and a final concentration of 2.5 ppm nitrite and ammonia in 23.35 h, while DSM 33349 grew faster at 18.89 h. Table 2.1. Spore growth on C-minimum medium containing only glucose as a carbon source and a final concentration of 2.5 ppm nitrite and ammonia as a nitrogen source. Strain Time to growth [h] DSM 33351 23.35 DSM 33352 21.14 DSM 33349 18.89 DSM 33350 20.00 Spores of strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 were also tested for their ability to remove ammonia and nitrite in C minimal medium containing only glucose as a carbon source and a final concentration of 2.5 ppm of each nitrite and ammonia. 10 mL of the respective media in 100 mL shake flasks (0.0352 g / L MnSO4x1H2O, 2.46 g / L MnSO4x7H2O, 0.2 KH2PO4, 0.6 g / L K2HPO4, 0.02 FeSO4x7H2O, 0.1396 g / L (NH4)2SO4, 0.00375 g / L NaNO2, and 10 g / L glucose (C:N ratio = 20)) were inoculated with 107 CFU / mL of the spore stocks. The cultures were incubated at 28 °C and 200 rpm. After 52 h, ammonia and nitrite concentrations were determined using the procedures described above. The amount of ammonia and nitrite reduced by each strain was calculated with reference to the initial concentration, which was determined in the non-inoculated control (Table 2.2).Ammonia and nitrite were efficiently removed from flasks inoculated with spores of strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349, and DSM 33350. The strains were able to simultaneously remove a minimum of 99.6% of ammonia and 100% of nitrite within 52 h. ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Table 2.2. Reduction of ammonia and nitrite in a minimal C medium containing only glucose as a C source and a final concentration of 2.5 ppm of nitrite and ammonia as a nitrogen source inoculated with spores Strain* *Ammonia removed [%] / **Ammonia concentration [mg / L] *Nitrite removed [%] / “Nitrite concentration [mg / L] DSM 33351 99.7 100.0 DSM 33352 96.8 100.0 DSM 33349 98.8 100.0 DSM 33350 99.6 100.0 Initial concentration** 2.25 2.46 These data show that spores of strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349, and DSM 33350 can not only germinate and grow in a C-minimal medium containing 2.5 ppm of nitrite and ammonia as the sole nitrogen source, but can also remove 2.5 ppm of each nitrite and ammonia within 52 h. Example 3: Ability of strains to inhibit pathogens The inhibitory capacity of various important pathogens in aquaculture was analyzed using well diffusion antagonism tests (Párente et al., 1995). The pathogens tested in these trials were Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623, Vibrio parahaemolyticus DSM 10027, Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187, Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134, and Flavobacterium columnare DSM 25092. Vibrios are known to be associated with disease and high mortality in shrimp, but they can also infect fish (Chatterjee and Haldar, 2012). Tilapia infections can be associated with Streptococcus agalactiae, a widely distributed bacterium that causes, for example, hemorrhage or erratic swimming (Mishra et al., 2018). Columnaris disease is caused by Flavobacterium columnare, which affects freshwater fish. Salmon and trout farms, for example, report high annual losses (Pulkkinen et al., 2010). Pathogens were grown under appropriate conditions in liquid medium until an optical density OD6qo of at least 1.0 was reached. Pathogens were streaked onto Caso Yeast agar plates with a sterile spatula. Holes of 9 mm diameter were cut in the dry plates. Strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349, and DSM 33350 were grown in LB-Kelly (LB medium supplemented with DSMZ 1032 trace element solution) for 16 h at 37 °C and 200 rpm in 100 mL shake flasks. The cut-out wells were filled with uninoculated medium as a control and 100 µL of adjusted cultures with OD 5.0 ​​of strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350. The plates were incubated under appropriate conditions and the clearing zone in mm was determined by measuring from the edge of the cut-out well to the edge of the cleared lawn. This zone was measured horizontally and vertically, and the average was taken.A score was applied for low (+), medium (++), high (+++) and very high (++++) inhibition according to Table 3.1. ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Table 3.1. Pathogen inhibition score based on orifice diameter and clearance zone in well diffusion antagonism tests Score Hole diameter + clearance zone [mm] Low (+) < 9.5 mm Medium (++), > 9.5 < 15 High (+++) > 15 <25 Very high (++++) > 25 < 30 ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The results for the inhibition of pathogens by strains DSM 33351, DSM 33352, DSM 33349 and DSM 33350 can be found in Tables 3.2 to 3.6 respectively. Table 3.2. Inhibitory capacity of B. subtilis DSM 33351 against different pathogens in well diffusion antagonism assays in Caso Yeast medium, the inhibition intensity was graded according to Table 4.1 Pathogen Inhibition intensity Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623 + Vibrio parahaemolyticus DSM 10027 + Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187 ++ Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134 ++++ The data show that B. subtilis DSM 33351 can inhibit the growth of Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623, Vibrio parahaemolyticus DSM 10027, Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187 and Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134. Table 3.3. Inhibitory capacity of B. subtilis DSM 33352 against different pathogens in well diffusion antagonism assays in Caso Yeast medium, the inhibition intensity was graded according to Table 5.1 Pathogen Inhibition Intensity Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187 ++ Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134 +++ ίΓαοηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The data show that B. subtilis DSM 33352 can inhibit the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187 and Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134. Table 3.4. Inhibitory capacity of B. subtilis DSM 33349 against different pathogens in well diffusion antagonism assays in Caso Yeast medium, the inhibition intensity was graded according to Table 6.1 Pathogen Inhibition intensity Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623 + Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187 ++ Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134 ++++ Flavobacterium columnare DSM 25092 + The data show that B. subtilis DSM 33349 can inhibit the growth of Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623, Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187, Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134 and Flavobacterium columnare DSM 25092. Table 3.5. Inhibitory capacity of B. subtilis DSM 33350 against different pathogens in well diffusion antagonism assays in Caso Yeast medium, the inhibition intensity was graded according to Table 7.1 Patógeno Intensidad de inhibición Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623 + Vibrio parahaemolyticus DSM 10027 + Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187 ++ Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134 ++++ Flavobacterium columnare DSM 25092 + Los datos muestran que B. subtilis DSM 33350 puede inhibir el crecimiento de Vibrio harveyi DSM 19623, Vibrio parahaemolyticus DSM 10027, Aeromonas hydrophila DSM 30187, Streptococcus agalactiae DSM 2134 y Flavobacterium columnare DSM 25092. LITERATURA Párente, E., Brienza, C., Moles, M., & Ricciardi, A. (1995). A comparison of methods for the measurement of bacteriocin activity. Journal of microbiological methods, 22(1), 95108. Chatterjee, S. and Haldar, S. (2012). Vibrio Related Diseases in Aquaculture and 10 Development of Rapid and Accurate Identification Methods. J. Marine Sci. Res. Dev. S1:002. doi :10.4172 / 2155-9910.S1 -002. Pulkkinen, K., Suomalainen, L.-R., Read, A. F., Ebert, D., Rintamáki, P. and Valtonen, E.T. (2010). Intensive fish farming and the evolution of pathogen virulence: the case of columnaris disease in Finland. Proc. R. Soc. B. 277, 593-600. Mishra, A., Nam, G. H., Gim, J.A., Lee, H.E., Jo, A. and Kim, H.S. (2018). Current Challenges of Streptococcus Infection and Effective Molecular, Cellular, and Environmental Control Methods in Aquaculture. Mol. Cells.41 (6):495-505

Claims

1. A strain of Bacillus or a preparation thereof, wherein the strain or preparation is capable of degrading at least one inorganic nitrogen compound and is also capable of inhibiting the growth of at least one pathogen.

2. The Bacillus strain or preparation thereof according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pathogen is an aquatic animal pathogen and preferably selected from Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila and / or Streptococcus agalactiae, inhibition of Streptococcus agalactiae being particularly preferred.

3. The Bacillus strain or preparation thereof according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one inorganic nitrogen compound is selected from ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

4. The Bacillus strain or preparation thereof according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the Bacillus strain or preparation thereof is selected from the following group: a) a Bacillus strain deposited under one of the following numbers with the DSMZ: DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 and DSM 33352; b) a mutant of a Bacillus strain listed in (a) having a sequence identity with the strain listed in (a) of at least 95%, preferably at least 98%, 99% or 99.5%; c) a strain preparation according to (a) or (b); d) a preparation comprising an effective mixture of compounds contained in a strain listed in (a) or (b) or contained in a preparation of (c).

5. The Bacillus strain or preparation thereof according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the Bacillus strain or mutant thereof has a 16S rDNA sequence with a sequence identity of at least 99%, preferably at least 99.5 or 99.8%, particularly 100%, to a sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO:

16.

6. The Bacillus strain according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the strain is characterized by at least one, preferably at least two or three, of the following characteristics: a) being able to grow anaerobically, in particular being able to degrade cellulose and water-insoluble proteins under anaerobic conditions; b) being able to grow under conditions of high salinity, in particular in the presence of 1 wt% NaCl, more preferably in the presence of 1.5 or 2 wt% NaCl, especially in the presence of 2.5 or 3% by weight of NaCl, for at least one day; c) be able to germinate and / or degrade inorganic nitrogen compounds in minimal C media; d) have enzymatic activity, in particular at least one, two or three of the following enzymatic activities: cellulase activity; xylanase activity; protease activity; catalase activity; superoxide dismutase activity; e) be able to grow in the presence of 2 mM bile, preferably in the presence of 4 mM bile, and / or in the presence of 0.3% by weight of porcine bile and / or in the presence of 0.3% by weight of chicken bile.

7. A composition containing at least two Bacillus strains or preparations thereof according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the Bacillus strains and preparations thereof are preferably selected from the following group: a) a Bacillus strain deposited under one of the following numbers with the DSMZ: DSM 33349, DSM 33350, DSM 33351 and DSM 33352; b) a mutant of a Bacillus strain listed in (a) having a sequence identity with the strain listed in (a) of at least 95%, preferably at least 98%, 99% or 99.5%; c) a preparation of a strain according to (a) or (b); d) a preparation comprising an effective mixture of compounds contained in a strain listed in (a) or (b) or contained in a preparation of (c).

8. The use of a Bacillus strain or a preparation according to any of claims 1 to 6 or of a composition according to claim 7 for reducing the amount of inorganic nitrogen compounds in an aqueous system, wherein the inorganic nitrogen compound is selected from ammonium, nitrite and nitrate and combinations thereof.

9. The use of a Bacillus strain or a preparation according to any of claims 1 to 6 or of a composition according to claim 7 as a probiotic ingredient (DFM) in feed or food products.

10. A feed or food product composition containing a strain of Bacillus or a preparation thereof according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or a composition according to claim 7 and at least one other feed or food ingredient, preferably selected from proteins, carbohydrates, fats, plus probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, vitamins, immunomodulators, milk substitutes, minerals, amino acids, coccidiostats, acid-based products, medicaments and combinations thereof.

11. A pharmaceutical composition containing a Bacillus strain or a preparation thereof according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or a composition according to claim 7 and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle.

12. A method for decreasing the amount of inorganic nitrogen compounds in an aqueous system and / or controlling the amount of inorganic nitrogen compounds in an aqueous system, the method comprising supplying the aqueous system with at least one strain and / or at least one preparation according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and / or with at least one composition according to any one of claims 7, 10 or 11, wherein the inorganic nitrogen compounds are preferably selected from ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, and wherein the aqueous system is preferably rearing water.

13. A method for feeding an animal, in particular an aquatic animal, preferably a crustacean or finned fish, characterized by applying to the animal a strain of Bacillus or a preparation thereof according to any of claims 1 to 6 and / or a composition according to claim 7 and / or a feed composition according to claim 10 and / or a pharmaceutical composition according to claim 11.

14. A method for improving animal health and / or improving the general physical condition of animals and / or improving the feed conversion ratio of animals and / or decreasing the mortality rate of animals and / or increasing the survival rates of animals and / or improving the weight gain of animals and / or increasing the resistance to disease of animals and / or modulating the immune response of animals and / or establishing or maintaining a healthy intestinal microflora in animals and / or improving the meat quality of animals and / or reducing the shedding of pathogens through the feces of animals, wherein at least one strain and / or at least one preparation according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and / or at least one composition according to any one of claims 7, 10 or 11 is administered to the animals, wherein the animals are preferably aquatic animals,particularly fish with fins or crustaceans, preferably tilapia or shrimp.

15. A method for controlling and / or improving the quality of water or aqueous solutions, in particular drinking water, breeding water, effluent water or wastewater, the method comprising the step of applying to water or an aqueous solution at least one strain and / or at least one preparation according to any of claims 1 to 6 and / or at least one composition according to any of claims 7, 10 or 11.

16. A method for controlling and / or preventing the harmful environmental effects of manure or contaminated liquids, the method comprising the step of applying to the manure, contaminated liquids, bedding, a pit or manure pond at least one strain and / or at least one modifier thereof and / or at least one preparation thereof according to any of claims 1 to 6 and / or at least one composition according to any of claims 7, 10 or 11.

17. A method for the treatment and / or prevention of a microbial disease of cultivated plants, comprising the step of applying to a cultivated plant at least one strain and / or at least one preparation according to any of claims 1 to 6.