All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 17
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CareersToxins, E. coli and soil nematodes - Megan reports on her AMI Summer Placement
Megan Cameron (27) undertook an Applied Microbiology International-sponsored Summer Placement examining the effects of feeding different strains of E. coli to the free living wild type nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.
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NewsPGPR strain from farmland in India boosts crops in chilly conditions
A bacterial strain isolated from agricultural soil in India can help crops to thrive in chilly conditions by promoting seed germination and growth, a new study shows.
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NewsFungal aroma can be used for behavioural pest control
Scientists exploring how blueberries infected with fungus Colletotrichum fioriniae emit odours which repel spotted-wing drosophila are able to trick the flies into perceiving healthy fruit as infected.
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NewsMineral nanoparticles can help fungi break down organic pollutants in soils
Mineral nanoparticles could potentially act as nanozyme mimics, assisting fungi in breaking down organic pollutants in soils, a new study has found.
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NewsResearchers reveal how microbes return after a wildfire
A study suggests that dispersal - through air or rain, for example - plays a major role in microbial succession after a destructive fire.
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NewsNanoparticles made from plant viruses could be farmers’ new ally
Engineers have developed nanoparticles, fashioned from plant viruses, that can deliver pesticide molecules to soil depths that were previously unreachable.
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CareersEdie uncovers how microbes can shine light on dirt bike vandalism
For her AMI-sponsored Summer Placement, forensic science student Edie Holmes joined a team investigating whether microbial profiling could be used to link dirt bikes to vandalised sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs). Here’s what happened.
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NewsUnzipping mRNA rallies plant cells to fight infection
Scientists studying a plant called Arabidopsis thaliana have discovered short snippets of folded RNA that are unzipped in the presence of a pathogen to allow plant cells to make defense proteins to fight infection.
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: the rhizosphere
Microorganisms have diverse roles in the rhizosphere, which can include plant nutrition, promoting growth, and inducing and/or preventing disease.
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CareersEarly career scientists team up with biotech firm NCIMB to tackle pesticide toxicity
Biotech company NCIMB, one of the industrial beneficiaries, recently hosted three early career scientists as part of the ARISTO programme which aims to develop tools to assess the toxicity of pesticides on soil microorganisms.
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NewsMysterious family of microbial proteins hijack crops’ cellular plumbing
Duke researchers may have come up with a way to disarm them, preventing $220 billion in annual crop damage.
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NewsLeading scientists issue ‘gain of function’ recommendations
A workshop of leading scientists has reviewed the benefits and risks of ’gain of function’ research, and proposed a foundation to guide discussions and improve oversight moving forward.
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NewsCustom extracellular membrane vesicles deliver crop growth payload, without downsides of PGPRs
Custom-built extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs) can be deployed as a microbe-free way of boosting crop growth without the downsides of plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), a new study reveals.
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CareersUnpeeling the layers - what my summer placement taught me about onion rot and lab life
Shi Yang Xie is doing a Applied Microbiology International Summer Placement at Cardiff University School of Biosciences with Dr Rebecca Weiser. She reveals what her research into bacterial onion rot is uncovering.
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CareersBacteria deliver living colour to the built environment
PhD student Ella Hetherington reports on her Biochrome installation at the London Festival of Architecture, which demonstrated the application of microbial pigments in architecture and design.
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NewsFungal-plant symbiosis offers a promising tool to boost crop resilience
A species of fungus that normally grows in the wild and kills insects can be successfully inoculated in oilseed rape plants where it fosters a unique symbiotic relationship.
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NewsStudy IDs secret of stealthy invader essential to ruinous rice disease
The virulence of a rice-wrecking fungus — and deployment of ninja-like proteins that help it escape detection by muffling an immune system’s alarm bells — relies on genetic decoding quirks that could prove central to stopping it.
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NewsFirst defence against devastating ToCSV tomato virus explored
How tomato plants defend themselves against a devastating ‘young’ Southern African virus has now been investigated at a molecular genetics level for the first time.
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NewsTeam find promising bacterial suicide gene against citrus Huanglongbing and canker
Researchers have found that an endolysin encoded by the CaLas prophage has dual resistance to Huanglongbing and citrus canker.
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NewsSoil microplastics could usher superbugs into food supply
Micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply, a new study warns.