Climate action
Today we are seeing climate change in action, increased concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases have led to a rise in sea levels, temperatures, and extreme weather patterns. Researchers have acknowledged the pivotal role microorganisms in producing sustainable biofuels, increasing carbon sequestration via soil microbes and reducing methane emissions in landfill sites. Microbial innovation will be vital in moving towards a low carbon economy.
News
Soil ecosystem more resilient when land managed sustainably
Compared to intensive land use, sustainable land use allows better control of underground herbivores and soil microbes, a new study shows. The soil ecosystem is thus more resilient and better protected from disturbance under sustainable management.
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OpinionCOP29: Doomism is turning audiences off climate action - so let’s share the success stories
With governments under pressure to deliver on Net Zero targets, doomism in climate communication threatens to backfire and deter audiences from taking action. But microbiology’s stories of hope could be the inspiration we need.
NewsArctic viruses in the surface microlayer help their hosts to survive extreme temperatures
Arctic viruses employ specialized mechanisms, including cryoprotective genes, to thrive in harsh environmental conditions despite limited host availability, reveals Dr Janina Rahlff from our Ocean Sustainability Advisory Group.
NewsFunding boost to bring engineering biology technologies to market
Part of a £2.8 million UKRI seed corn fund has been awarded to the Environmental Biotechnology Innovation Centre (EBIC) to bridge the gap between research and market-ready products and technologies, with comprehensive support and resources for researchers.
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News
Novel electro-biodiesel a more efficient, cleaner alternative to existing alternatives
Researchers have used electrocatalysis of carbon dioxide to create an electro-biodiesel that is 45 times more efficient and uses 45 times less land than soybean-based biodiesel production.
NewsSusanne Neuer receives Petersen Foundation Excellence Professorship for work on biological carbon pump
Professor Dr Susanne Neuer has been awarded the 31st Excellence Professorship of the Prof. Dr Werner Petersen Foundation for her work on the Biological Carbon Pump.
NewsMigrating birds have stowaway passengers: invasive ticks could spread novel diseases around the world
Ticks have always travelled on migrating birds — but the rising temperatures of the climate crisis mean they may now survive at their destination, and so could the pathogens they carry.
NewsClimate change responsible for 19% of today’s rising dengue burden - but Wolbachia offers hope
Climate change is having a massive global impact on dengue transmission, accounting for 19% of the current dengue burden, with a potential to spark an additional 40%-60% spike by 2050 — and by as much as 150%-200% in some areas.
NewsClimate change threatens key ocean plankton groups
Planktonic foraminifera species may face unprecedented environmental conditions by the end of this century, potentially surpassing their survival thresholds, with extinctions impacting marine ecosystems and the ocean’s carbon storage capacity.
NewsYoung coral use metabolic tricks to resist bleaching
Reduced metabolism and increased nitrogen storage allow coral larvae to keep algae around at high temperatures.
NewsScientists successfully produce microbial plastic to replace PET bottles
A research team has succeeded in developing a microbial strain that efficiently produces pseudoaromatic polyester monomer to replace polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using systems metabolic engineering.
NewsScientists issue call to action underlining importance of microbial solutions to tackle climate crisis
Ahead of COP29, Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has partnered with leading global scientific organisations to issue a unified call to action, spotlighting microbial solutions as pivotal in combating climate change.
NewsScientists predict the spatial-temporal dynamics of soil microbial-derived carbon stocks
Scientists forecasting the spatial-temporal dynamics of microbial-derived carbon stocks revealed that for every 1°C increase in temperature, there was a global decrease of 6.7 Pg in the soil MDC stock within the predictable areas.
CareersDeep insights and a new direction for polyethylene: Kamaluddeen Kabir on EcoMat conference 2024
Kamaluddeen Kabir, lecturer at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, reports back from a recent trip to EcoMat Conference in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, supported with a Professional Development Support Grant from AMI.
NewsScientists team up with NASA to unlock ocean phytoplankton secrets from space
Scientists have teamed up with NASA on a new-generation satellite mission to study the colour of the ocean from space, providing vital information about ocean health and its role in climate regulation.
NewsBreakthrough study shows coral reefs will transform but can persist, if carbon is curbed
In a breakthrough study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers in the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa have shown that, contrary to most projections, coral reefs are not inevitably doomed, but have the potential to ...
NewsNewly discovered cyanobacteria could help sequester carbon from oceans and factories
Strains specialized to live in high-CO2 oceanic environments have evolved traits that are useful for decarbonization and bioproduction.
NewsWater fern offers safe potential global food insecurity solution - with no cyanotoxins
An international effort to test Azolla found that it does not contain cyanotoxins, potent toxins produced by a type of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, associated with the plant.
NewsNew study links climate change to malaria increase in northern Kenya
A new study reveals key insights into how climatic factors like rainfall and temperature, combined with socio-economic changes such as urbanization and malaria control interventions, are affecting the spread of malaria in Kenya.
NewsNew study reveals how microbes feed on iron
A new study reveals details about how one bacterial species corrodes iron in an extremely efficient way.
NewsA metabolic secret of ethane-consuming archaea unraveled
Scientists have presented a study on the degradation of ethane, the second most abundant alkane in seeps on the deep seafloor. They characterized enzymes involved in the process and found that their reaction breaks an established dogma in the field of anaerobic biochemistry.
NewsPolar bears’ exposure to pathogens is increasing as their environment changes
As the Arctic warms, polar bears now face a greater risk of contracting several pathogens than bears three decades ago, a new study reveals.
NewsPlastic mulch is contaminating agricultural fields
Using plastic sheets for weed control, even under current best management practices, pollutes soil with macro- and micro-plastics and negatively affect critical soil functions, according to a study.
