All Environmental Microbiology articles
-
NewsPlastic-degrading enzymes from landfills
Researchers identified and analysed the structure and predicted functions of potential plastic-degrading enzymes in collected landfills sample from around the world, in an effort to reduce plastic pollution.
-
NewsWithout oxygen: How primordial microbes breathed
Scientists decode the fundamental mechanisms of a cell respiratory enzyme in ancient bacterial cells, with potential applications in removing greenhouse gases and drug development against pathogens.
-
NewsSwRI receives $3 million NASA astrobiology grant to study microbial life in Alaska’s arctic sand dunes
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has received a three-year, $2,999,998 million grant from NASA to identify and characterize life and its biosignatures in frozen sand dunes in Alaska, under conditions similar to dune fields on early Mars and Saturn’s moon Titan. Source: Southwest Research Institute The Great Kobuk Sand ...
-
NewsResearch team publishes paradigm-challenging discovery in a Yellowstone thermophile
A graduating PhD student has made an interesting discovery about a common thermophilic bacteria dwelling in hots prings which is able to simultaneously respirate and metabolize via aerobic and anaerobic pathways.
-
NewsBacteria and minerals work together to detoxify arsenic in contaminated soils
New research shows that the interaction between arsenic-oxidizing bacteria and goethite, a common Fe mineral, significantly accelerates the conversion of arsenic from its highly toxic form, arsenite [As(III)], into the less harmful arsenate [As(V)].
-
NewsSulfur-reducing bacteria team-up to break down organic substances in the seabed
Researchers have decoded the molecular strategies employed by the underappreciated sulfate-reducing bacteria, <i>Desulfobacteraceae</i>, which is capable of breaking down organic carbon in the oxygen-limited seabed.
-
NewsScientists reveal anti-bacterial role of plant metabolite
A study shows that a plant metabolite, erucamide, is able to target and disrupt a protein assembly of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, thus inhibiting their virulence. Understanding the metabolite’s molecular mechanisms could protect crops from infection.
-
NewsResearcher measures microplastics’ massive changes in microbes
A new ecological research is underway to investigate the impact of microplastics on aquatic microbial communities in the Virginia Tech Duck Pond.
-
NewsToxic chemical pollutants detected in lichens and mosses in the Irati forest
Scientists used a species of lichen (Parmelia sulcata) and a species of moss (Hypnum cupressiforme) from Irati Forest as sentinels or biomonitors to determine the organic pollution in the atmosphere.
-
NewsCold temperatures promote spread of a bird pink eye pathogen at winter feeders
A pathogen for bird pink eye remains viable on bird feeders in winter conditions much longer than in summer conditions without losing any of its severity, according to a study.
-
NewsFlexible and resilient: remarkable cell functions of newly discovered algae species
A new species of algae, demonstrating its incredible resilience to extreme environmental conditions including cold and light, is identified in the Baltic Sea and Arctic tundra. Its unique property could be applied to potential cosmetic product manufacturing.
-
NewsGHG concentration and emissions vary seasonally and alongside human behaviors in estuaries
A new study suggests that industrial processes can be a major factor in the concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide in the the Pearl River Estuary and possibly other estuarine areas - but there are other influences.
-
NewsLooking to Kenya’s Lake Victoria for what may come for Lake Erie
Scientists conducted a genetic survey on cyanobacteria in the Winam Gulf of Kenya’s Lake Victoria, which serves as a model for the cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanHABs) in Lake Erie under the warming climate.
-
NewsExtreme rain heightens E. coli risks for communities of color in Texas
New research shows that communities of color in Texas face pronounced risks of E. coli exposure in nearby waters following storms that dump abnormally high amounts of rain.
-
NewsBeach guardians: How hidden microbes protect coastal waters in a changing climate
Coastal water quality is closely impacted by the microbial compositions living in groundwater within beach sands due to the rising sea level, a new study reveals.
-
NewsA Sustainable Development Goal for space?
Scientists have called for the designation of a new United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) with the aim to conserve and sustainably use Earth’s orbit, and prevent the accumulation of space junk.
-
NewsScientists uncover key step in how diazotrophs ‘fix’ nitrogen
There are only two ways of fixing nitrogen, one industrial and one biological. To better understand a key component of the biological process, researchers took a multi-pronged approach.
-
NewsStudy uncovers complex drivers of phytoplankton bloom
A new study investigates three key processes, each triggered by different aspects of the wind field, that drive the upward transport of nutrients to the surface capable of triggering plankton blooms at the equator.
-
FeaturesMars analogues and where to find them
“Are we alone in the universe?” is one of humanity’s oldest questions, with tremendous scientific and social ramifications. In search of answers, a great deal of attention has been focused on our closest neighbour, the red planet, Mars.
-
NewsNew method detects fecal contamination of water using viral DNA
Researchers have developed a novel MST detection method using CrAss-like phages that is capable of specifically detecting human feces-contaminated water.