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
Growing buildings in space: researchers test fungi as construction material for moon, Mars
A NASA-funded project will investigate whether certain fungi can be combined with regolith — loose rock and soil found on the surface of the moon and other planets — to create materials that could one day support construction in places other than Earth.
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NewsProlonged drought linked to instability in key nitrogen-cycling microbes in Connecticut salt marsh
A prolonged drought in southeastern Connecticut reduced the stability of microorganisms responsible for a critical step in the nitrogen cycle in a coastal salt marsh, according to new research.
NewsUnderground fungal map of the world’s oldest, slowest-growing rainforest trees can boost the resilience of Earth’s long-term carbon sinks
Protecting and conserving old trees will protect hundreds, if not thousands, of mycorrhizal and other fungal species that inhabit soils around these giants, each of which play a role we might not fully understand in keeping these forests healthy and resilient.
NewsBiodegradable mulch isn’t disappearing as expected, new study warns
Scientists investigated how soybean roots influence the degradation of PBAT microplastics in soil. They tracked both polymer loss and monomer accumulation over a full 70-day plant growth cycle, revealing size-dependent and condition-specific rhizosphere effects.
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News
Editing for timing, not overdrive: A new genetic route to fire blight resistance in apple
Fire blight remains one of the most destructive bacterial diseases threatening global apple production. A new study identifies a family of inducible lectin genes, MdAGGs, as critical components of apple immune defense and demonstrates that their precise activation timing is key to effective resistance.
NewsA common CRISPR platform enables comparative studies of multicellularity in social amoebae
Researchers have established a CRISPR genome editing technique that enables comparative analysis of the evolution of multicellularity across different species of social amoebas (cellular slime molds). Until now, genetic studies had been largely restricted to a single model species.
NewsAncient symbiosis between plants and fungi: Important insights for sustainable agriculture
Almost all plants live in close symbiosis with so-called mycorrhizal fungi – an important symbiosis for absorbing essential nutrients. Scientists have discovered that this mycorrhizal symbiosis is very sensitive to imbalances of certain nutrients in the soil.
NewsDiisobutyl phthalate at environmental concentration promotes conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers investigating the ecological safety risks posed by dibutyl phthalate (DBP), in aquatic environments found it significantly increased conjugative transfer frequency in both intragenus (E. coli DH5α to E. coli HB101) and intergenus (E. coli DH5α to B. subtilis WB100N) systems.
NewsBig and small dogs both impact indoor air quality - just differently
An initial study reports that dogs — both big and small — impact indoor air quality. The researchers found that small active dogs produced more airborne particles, but larger animals released more microbes into the air than people did.
NewsLife forms can planet hop on asteroid debris – and survive
The extremophile bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive the pressures developed during ejection from Mars as a result of massive asteroid impact, a study shows. It means microorganisms can survive more extreme conditions than previously thought, including launch across space after major impacts.
NewsHuge toll: Bird flu rampant among black vultures
More than four out of every five dead black vultures examined by University of Georgia researchers tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to a new study. Their indiscriminate scavenging appears to sustain transmission of the virus beyond the typical bird flu season.
News10 Years, 70% shift: Wastewater upgrades quietly transform river microbiomes
Researchers investigated how the upgrade of a WWTP influenced nitrogen-cycling microorganisms and DNA viruses in its receiving river. The research compared the river whose WWTP was upgraded during the study period against the river whose upgrade occurred prior to the study.
NewsPeriphyton closes the nitrogen budget gap in rice paddies
Scientists identify a previously overlooked microbial N sink in rice paddies. Periphyton, a thin microbial community that develops at the soil–water interface, is composed of algae, bacteria, and extracellular polymeric substances, forming a dense microhabitat with strong capacities for nutrient uptake, transformation, and temporary storage.
NewsEpigenetic rewiring fuels potato susceptibility to late blight
Scientists performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing on the widely cultivated potato cultivar Qingshu No.9 following Phytophthora infestans infection, uncovering dynamic DNA methylation shifts that correlate with large-scale transcriptional reprogramming and immune suppression.
NewsFungi could transform leftovers into lifelines
A new paper outlines an ’emerging circular fungal biorefinery’ – a system in which low-value agricultural byproducts are converted through fungal fermentation into high-protein, nutrient-rich foods.
NewsMicrobes unlock a hidden natural source of mercury emissions from ‘stable’ minerals
A new study reports a previously overlooked natural mechanism that could contribute substantially to global mercury emissions. Researchers show that chemolithoautotrophic microbes can use mercury sulfide nanominerals as an energy source and, in the process, release volatile Hg0 into the air.
NewsWater bears reveal potential for adapting and protecting Martian resources
Microscopic tardigrades help inform how simulated Martian soil might support plant life and mitigate contaminants shedding from human explorers, researchers report.
NewsNative forest litter helps rebuild soil life in post-mining landscapes
Researchers investigating rehabilitated land near a former uranium mine in northern Australia found that introducing leaf litter from nearby native Eucalyptus woodlands rapidly reshaped soil microbial communities and improved their functional potential.
NewsMountain soils in arid regions may emit more greenhouse gas as climate shifts, new study finds
A new field study from northwestern China reveals that climate-driven changes in temperature and moisture could significantly reshape nitrous oxide emissions from soils in arid mountain ecosystems, with important implications for future climate feedbacks.
NewsSource or sink? Trees with heart rot disease emit more methane, upending forest carbon models
New research suggests that upland forests harboring trees with a common and incurable fungal disease known as heart rot could actually be emitting more methane than they take in, therefore releasing more greenhouse gases than previously thought.
News How recycled sewage could make the moon or Mars suitable for growing crops
Scientists are investigating how a solution of recycled sewage interacts with simulated lunar and Martian regolith to see if the result provides a suitable medium to grow crops. Bioregenerative life support systems consist of a series of bioreactors and filters that transform sewage into a nutrient-dense solution.
NewsNew research highlights how biofilms could influence astronaut health, drug delivery and space agriculture
A global team of scientists has identified an often-overlooked biological system — biofilms — as a critical factor in the future of human space exploration.The team examines how biofilms could pose risks to astronaut health while also serving as powerful tools to sustain life beyond Earth.
NewsThe new ‘forever’ contaminant? Study raises alarm on marine fiberglass pollution
Researchers investigating fibreglass contamination of an estuary looked at the biofilm and the deeper sediment layer where sediment‑dwelling invertebrates live and feed. They found fibreglass particles at several of the surface biofilm testing sites and 96 per cent of the sediment testing sites.