Healthy land
Land has a wide variety of uses: agricultural, residential, industrial, and recreational. Microbes play a key role in the terrestrial ecosystem, providing symbiotic relationships with plants. Human use of land has led to the exhaustion of nutrients in soils, contamination of land, and a reduction in biodiversity. Applying our knowledge of microbes will be essential in restoring the biodiversity of affected ecosystems. Greater research into how microbes impact human life on land could all have a positive impact, by increasing crop production, repurposing areas of land and improving microbial biodiversity in soil, land, and water.
News
Seasonal allergies caused by fungal spores now start three weeks earlier under climate change
Researchers have found that, on average, spore allergy season in the US was kicking off 22 days earlier in 2022 than it had been in 2003.
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News New collaboration harnesses COVID methods to combat multi-billion threat to UK forests
Harnessing methods used to successfully predict and understand the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic, a new project aims to combat the impact of forest diseases that can cost the UK economy billions.
NewsRain showers can dramatically impact fungal communities in urban lakes
Rainfall can have dramatic effects on the microbial communities living in urban lakes, a new paper published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology reveals.
FeaturesHow artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming agriculture’s future
Agriculture is at a pivotal moment in history, and the sector needs to adopt new ideas to survive and flourish. AI and Machine Learning are no longer futuristic concepts; they are transforming farming today and helping to solve problems that have persisted for a long time.
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News
New viruses discovered in bat kidneys in Yunnan province
The viruses, as well as new bacterial species and a new parasite, were discovered in bats inhabiting orchards near villages in southwestern China, raising concerns about transmission to livestock or humans.
NewsCan straw mulching affect soil CO2 emissions in bamboo forests?
Scientists have found that straw mulching in bamboo forests not only significantly increased soil carbon emissions in the short term but also had enduring effects that persisted for at least three years after the removal of the mulching material.
NewsCoveted lac pigment may have a fungal origin
The colourful pigment extracted from the lac insect may actually be produced by a symbiotic yeast-like organism living inside the insect, a new study has found. The yeast-like organism exclusively harbours genes coding for key ingredients in the pigment synthesis pathway.
NewsNew research reveals how octopus uses arms to sense chemical clues from microbes
A new study reveals what the octopus is feeling when it ‘tastes’ the seafloor— biochemical information from the microbial world. The animal uses its arms to determine whether prey is safe to eat or whether unhealthy eggs should be ejected from the nest.
NewsLiving near harmful algal blooms reduces life expectancy with ALS
Living close to cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms — which are present US-wide but are more common in coastal and Great Lake states — heightens the rate of dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a study suggests.
NewsMushrooms could be the key to developing better materials
Researchers are studying the cell structure of fungi to learn how it determines their mechanical properties and what science can learn from that to create better materials. They analyzed their cell structures and tested them to calculate the stress loads they could handle.
NewsVirus transmission between bee species does not lead to new variants
A new study has found transmission of viruses between different bee species did not lead to the formation of new virus variants, a rare bit of good news for bee pollinators, which have been in decline for over 25 years.
NewsScientists strive to place tens of thousands of previously unknown fungi in the evolution tree
Scientists have received a grant to systematise and describe members of the 95% majority of previously unclassified microscopic fungi, and other eukaryotic organisms not yet included in the current tree of life system.
NewsEnzymes from fungi can help extract plant components for biofuels and bioplastics
Plant cell wall components such as cellulose are abundant sources of carbohydrates that are widely used in biofuels and bioproducts. Investigators have found that a combination of fungal enzymes can efficiently degrade plant biomass to allow for extraction.
NewsWar, trade and agriculture spread rice disease across Africa
Since the mid-1800s, human activities have rapidly facilitated the spread of rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), a pathogen that infects rice, far and wide across Africa, according to a new study.
NewsResearchers to harness the power of fungi for water filters
A groundbreaking project exploring the power of fungi to combat agricultural pollution is making significant strides, with researchers looking to begin live field trials later this year.
NewsPFAS-eating bacteria discovered in Veneto soil
Researchers have isolated about 20 species of bacteria from PFAS-contaminated soil in Veneto that are capable of degrading these forever chemicals, i.e. using them as a source of energy.
NewsScientists team up to identify infectious diseases using AI and hyperspectral imaging
A collaboration will expand patented technology to detect viral signatures in animals. ESS Protect – Animal will offer rapid, non-invasive, and contactless screening for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) using hyperspectral imaging and advanced machine learning.
NewsSimultaneous knockout of multiple eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E genes confers durable and broad-spectrum resistance to potyviruses in tobacco
Resistant tobacco varieties carrying the va locus significantly reduced Potato virus Y (PVY) incidence and yield loss, according to a new study. However, prolonged cultivation of va-resistant varieties has led to the emergence of resistance-breaking (RB) PVY isolates.
NewsLove your Cavapoo? It’s one of the 6 dog breeds that are more likely to get diarrhoea
Approximately one in every 12 dogs in the UK will be diagnosed with diarrhoea each year, with some breeds more susceptible than others, according to a new study.
NewsScientists reveal gene pairs conferring resistance to wheat diseases
A research team led by Prof. Liu Zhiyong at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified two novel genetic mechanisms for disease resistance in wheat, offering promising strategies to enhance resilience against powdery mildew and stripe rust. The discoveries were published in ...
NewsResearchers pinpoint fungal hotspots of ‘dark taxa’ across Earth’s underground ecosystems
A new study finds that 83% of ectomycorrhizal fungi are known only by their DNA sequences that can’t be linked to named or described species, posing problems for conservation.
NewsGene pyramiding protects peppers from devastating viral diseases
Researchers demonstrates how combining two different resistance genes can make pepper plants remarkably more resilient against even the most virulent begomovirus combinations.
NewsDrone-based tech deployed to detect subtle signs of rice blast disease
Scientists have developed a novel vegetation index—the Rice Blast Index (RBI)—using drone-based hyperspectral remote sensing technology, to rapidly and non-invasively detect subtle signs of rice blast disease and achieve precise field management.