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
New class of fungi named after the King of Sweden
Researchers have discovered a completely new fungal species, which they chose to name after the King of Sweden. It is the first known representative of a new class of fungi that will be called Semicentenialomycetes.
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NewsAntibiotic resistant gene found in Australian soil
A new study reveals a hidden source of antibiotic resistance. The novel gene found in contaminated freshwater NSW sediment provides bacteria with resistance to polymyxin - a critical last line antibiotic, used when others stop working.
NewsConnection between forests and rivers strengthens amphibians’ microbiome and protects them against a lethal fungus
A study indicates that a frog’s resistance to a fungus that has decimated hundreds of amphibian species worldwide is due not only to its genes, but also to the beneficial bacteria living on its skin and to the organization of its surrounding landscape.
NewsLow carbon dioxide levels improve microbial production of biodegradable plastic
In an innovative gas fermentation process, reducing concentration of carbon dioxide was found to significantly improve microbial production of the biodegradable plastic, poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate]. The study provides a promising strategy for sustainable carbon recycling and efficient CO2 utilization.
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News
Scientists receive DOW funding for fungal biotechnology research
Scientists have been awarded funding to develop new tools permitting high-throughput analysis of fungal genes. The grant focuses on species of Candida, which can contaminate and sometimes cause operational issues in DOW systems like aircraft fuel systems, vehicles, and electronics.
NewsMystery of why some toads survive deadly fungus revealed
The mystery of why some populations of amphibians recover following outbreaks of a deadly fungus has been solved in a new study. Researchers looked at peptides that the toads secreted from their skin – a key part of their immune defence.
NewsKeystone microbes help stabilize nutrient cycling in a massive deep-water reservoir
A three-year genomic study reveals that microbial communities change substantially over time, while versatile keystone taxa help preserve essential ecosystem functions.
NewsThe family tree of viruses just grew – and it paves the way for a new approach to agricultural research
Researchers have discovered that a group of viruses known to infect an agriculturally important plant pathogen has remained genetically stable for an astonishing four decades. The work also led to the classification and naming of the group of phages.
NewsSix years of drought reshape soil microbiomes in tallgrass prairie, study finds
A new study tracking soil microbial communities across six years of experimental drought in a tallgrass prairie finds that prolonged water stress diminishes biodiversity, pushing communities toward less predictable, harder-to-reverse configurations.
NewsNew project ORIGIN aims to redefine how society accesses natural ingredients
The ORIGIN consortium will develop an integrated AI-supported platform designed to accelerate the path from natural molecules to sustainable, fermentation-based ingredients. The project aims to reduce development timelines to two to three years.
NewsFood waste treatment can boost renewable energy, but a hidden brown byproduct may be holding it back
Researchers have identified a key chemical obstacle in turning food waste into renewable methane, offering a new semi-quantitative way to track melanoidins and showing that higher doses can severely damage the microbial system.
NewsWarm temperatures disrupt spider sex-changing bacteria in dwarf-spiders across generations
A new study reveals that exposing dwarf spiders to a brief period of warm temperatures can disrupt a phenomenon where internal bacteria normally force genetic males to develop as females.
NewsBiochar ‘switches on’ natural oxygen chemistry to suppress soil-borne pathogens and reshape healthier microbial communities
A new study reveals how specially prepared biochar can directly suppress a destructive soil-borne pathogen while helping rebuild a richer and more stable soil bacterial community.
NewsArctic microplastics: A ticking time bomb for climate feedback loops
A new study systematically maps the major transport pathways—atmospheric, oceanic, and local—and details how microplastics infiltrate Arctic food webs and interact with physical and biogeochemical processes that govern regional climate.
NewsBiochar and smarter water management could help make rice safer in polluted soils
A new study suggests that pairing iron and manganese modified biochar with carefully chosen irrigation strategies can reduce cadmium and mercury buildup in rice, offering a practical path toward safer food production in co-contaminated paddy fields.
NewsUnder the Lens: Plant microbiomes could cut agriculture’s dependence on chemicals, says Davide Bulgarelli
Understanding the hidden microbial communities that surround plant roots could pave the way for more sustainable farming, according to award-winning plant microbiologist Dr Davide Bulgarelli in conversation with Professor Emmanuel Adukwu.
VideoThe Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 4
The microscopic organisms living around plant roots may hold the key to reducing agriculture’s reliance on chemical fertilisers and other non-renewable inputs, according to plant microbiome researcher Dr Davide Bulgarelli.
NewsGentian receives carbon through mycorrhizal fungi in addition to photosynthesis
Researchers have found that Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb. is partially mycoheterotrophic. The plant not only produces carbon through photosynthesis but also receives carbon through underground fungal networks.
NewsMicrobe-mapping project transforms entire university campus into a “living lab”
An innovative citizen science project is combining large-scale microbe sampling with metagenomics workshops and utilising the power of students to map out the varied microbiomes of the University of Milano-Bicocca’s campus - including those within the students themselves.
NewsAMI teams up with the International Symposium on Biopolymers to launch new themed collection on microbial polymers
The Journal of Applied Microbiology is joining forces with the International Symposium on Biopolymers to launch a new themed collection called ‘Microbial polymers for industrial and environmental applications’. Guest editors Tanja Narancic and Kevin O’Connor reveal why this is such a fascinating area of research.
NewsPlant DNA harbours virus ‘fossils’ that reflect 300 million years of evolution
New research shows that Caulimoviridae viruses have infected an extremely wide range of vascular plant hosts, from lycophytes to flowering plants, revealing the existence of 35 previously undescribed taxonomic clusters in Caulimoviridae.
NewsThe broader a fungus’s diet, the better it kills insects and helps plants
Entomologists have discovered that a single underlying trait—metabolic breadth, or the range of nutrients a fungus can use—links its ability to kill insects, partner with plants and thrive in different ecological roles.
NewsCould ‘Trojan horse’ microbes that exploit symbiotic systems be candidates for new biological pesticides?
Researchers have discovered a new insect pathogen that invades the gut symbiotic organ of stink bugs by mimicking their symbiotic microorganism, and this pathogen ultimately kills the host bugs.