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
Frog’s coat of bacterial armor helps protect it from fungal disease
The bacteria living on frogs’ skin could serve a vital role in protecting the animal from a deadly fungal disease. A team of researchers found that frogs’ natural skin bacteria can help them fight disease and improve their chances of survival.
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NewsKibble with microbial proteins appeals to cats and dogs in new study
In a new study, cats and dogs showed a short-term preference for kibble containing some protein derived from microorganisms over kibble containing only standard, animal-derived protein.
NewsHow human impacts increase risk of emerging infectious disease outbreaks
Global fragmentation of ecosystems and changing patterns of rainfall have increased the risk of diseases spreading to humans from animals, mosquitoes and ticks, finds a study.
NewsCan this biotech innovation halt the destructive march of a cereal killer?
Researchers explored a recently discovered class of plant defence receptors, showing at molecular level how they function to limit blast pathogen attacks and how they might be bioengineered to introduce broader more durable immunity into wheat, barley, and rice.
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News
Hot spring organism breaks record for heat tolerance of complex life
Scientists describe a new species of amoeba that can eat and reproduce in hot spring water as warm as 63°C (145°F) in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park. The amoeba can protect itself at temperatures up to 70°C (158°F) by changing shape and forming a protective outer layer.
NewsScientists advance fungi-based upcycling of waste concrete
Scientists are investigating how fungi can be harnessed to transform demolished concrete into reliable, high-value materials for future infrastructure.
NewsScientists reveal tissue culture-free (“ex vitro”) transformation method for trees
This technology introduces a novel “ex vitro” transformation method that utilizes Agrobacterium rhizogenes to genetically modify the roots of woody plants without the necessity for tissue culture.
NewsSixteen new fungus species found hiding in Thailand’s flowers
Researchers have discovered sixteen new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden and wild flowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country.
NewsBacteria pulled from local pond water show early promise for cleaning up sewage
A new study identifies green sulphur bacteria from Peshawar pond samples that reduced pollution markers in wastewater after a week of treatment.
NewsNew study uncovers the complex history of the plague after the Black Death
A new study sheds fresh light on the long and complex history of the plague by analysing the DNA of the bacterium. Researchers reconstructed 26 genomes of Yersinia pestis from archaeological sites in Estonia, Russia, England, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
NewsGlobal Virus Network comments on H5N1 detections in Australian mammals
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, in several mammal species in Australia as the virus continues to spread among birds and mammals worldwide.
NewsSuccession of colonising fungi reveals the dynamic nature of herbivore dung
Scientists investigating fungi colonising the dung of African herbivores, including rhinoceros, giraffe and zebra, have revealed how different groups of fungi succeed one another as dung decomposes.
NewsScientists develop microbially produced adhesive materials from glucose instead of petroleum
Researchers have demonstrated the potential of using microorganisms to produce a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived materials for hot-melt adhesives.Using Escherichia coli, the team produced a new polymer from glucose and demonstrated performance and properties that support its potential use as a hot-melt adhesive.
NewsHow a pathogen turns flowers into leaves
Scientists have found how a protein produced by bacteria disrupts the mechanism that controls flower development in plants, turning reproductive organs into leaf-like structures. These findings shed light on a plant disease that is expected to spread as climate change expands the range of its insect vectors in northern latitudes.
NewsFungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugar
A newly discovered detoxification strategy employed by fungi disarms spruce defense compounds by binding a sugar to them, which makes spruce trees more susceptible to bark beetle attacks.
NewsWhat you need to know about rabies after recent North Carolina cases
In late August, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats at a mobile petting zoo based in Iredell County. Hundreds of people may have been exposed to rabies from the goats when the zoo visited various locations over a five-week period.
NewsBreakthrough optimization of chlamydospore fermentation for Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2
The dark septate endophyte Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2 exhibits excellent control efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt but industrial production of its chlamydospores has been challenging. Researchers have optimized the liquid fermentation process using chlamydospore yield of strain HX2 as the key response indicator.
NewsDogs and cats carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria also found in people, study finds
Pets may carry strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae — a potentially serious bacterium that can cause infections that are also found in humans. The study is the first to map the global genetic makeup of K.pneumoniae carried by domestic dogs and cats, and to compare it on a large scale with the same bacteria in people.
NewsShapeshifting plant roots rely on a balance of anatomy, metabolism, and microbes to maximize survival
Scientists have identified the mechanisms that allow plants to change their root anatomy to maximise survival when nutrients are scarce. The findings could pave the way for developing new ways to improve beneficial plant-microbe interactions in agriculture.
NewsScientists break down shoe foam by genetically tweaking a microbe found in compost
Researchers have developed a new kind of enzyme based on a bacterium found in compost that can degrade the polyurethane material in shoe foams. The results could one day help recycle plastic waste from shoes, mattresses, kitchen sponges, and more.
NewsResearchers find plastic-degrading enzymes in nature
Danish researchers have found 12 new polyurethane- and nylon-degrading enzymes by bioprospecting bacteria at the largest scale and broadest range of environments so far: in a compost heap, in a landfill in Kenya, a tropical zoo and in guts of larvae.
NewsLong-term biochar use may help conserve nitrogen deep in alkaline paddy soils
Five years of biochar amendment shifted nitrate transformation toward a nitrogen-retaining pathway in deeper soil layers, revealing why soil depth matters when biochar is used to manage nitrogen in rice fields.
NewsMajor investment to unlock the potential of protist research
A new collaboration will tackle major technical challenges currently limiting protist genomics, helping to unlock the potential of protist research for biomanufacturing, sustainable agriculture and environmental applications.