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
Scientists just found something weird inside moss - an unexpected fungal roommate
According to new research, mosses have also been hiding something. Researchers studying desert mosses have found evidence that these ancient plants may host fungi inside their tissues. This relationship has not previously been documented.
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NewsThe drive to protect Missouri’s $4 billion cattle industry from tick threats
A tiny parasite-carrying tick is posing an outsized threat to Missouri’s cattle. Now, researchers are stepping in to protect the state’s $4 billion cattle industry by tracking different ways the American dog tick spreads a deadly disease known as bovine anaplasmosis.
NewsAlluring yeast species could yield new mosquito traps to combat malaria
An orange-colored yeast species isolated from a Baltimore sidewalk several years ago could be the basis of eco-friendly mosquito traps that reduce malaria transmission, according to a new study.
NewsMicrobes hold the key: unlocking sustainable carbon storage in farmland with biochar
New analysis reveals how soil bacteria and fungi govern biochar’s effectiveness in Chinese agriculture, guiding optimized carbon sequestration strategies
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News
New biobank decodes survival secrets of extreme acid mine drainage microbes
Over 97 percent of microorganisms in acid mine drainage have never been cultured, leaving their metabolism and adaptation strategies locked as “microbial dark matter.” Now, a new culturomics‑driven resource called the Microbial Biobank of AMD (mbAMD) changes that.
NewsScientists uncover hidden phosphorus reservoir vital for future food production
Researchers have developed a simpler and more cost-effective method to measure a biologically important form of phosphorus in soils, providing new insights into nutrient cycling that could help improve sustainable agricultural management.
NewsNanozeolite-coupled biochar fertilizer may help bamboo forest soils hold on to carbon
A new study finds that a biochar-based phosphate fertilizer can reduce soil carbon loss and lower the temperature sensitivity of carbon decomposition in Moso bamboo forests.
NewsMicrobes frozen in ancient rubbish heaps help reconstruct ancient Greenlanders’ farms, seal hunts, and toilets
The microbiome of ancient middens in Greenland sheds new light on the daily life of Paleo-Inuit and old Norse communities. Researchers say the middens in the cold Arctic acted like long-term natural experiments, with human- and animal-associated bacterial signals remaining detectable many centuries later.
NewsInvisible chemical landscapes shape life
Plants, animals, and microorganisms constantly communicate through chemical signals. A research team has now shown that these signals merge in the environment to form complex “chemical landscapes” that have effects far beyond those of their individual components.
NewsHow biochar helps soil carbon last longer: microbes turn dissolved organic matter into more stable forms
A long-term field study reveals that biochar does more than add carbon to soil. Over time, it can reshape microbial activity and help transform dissolved organic matter into more humified, stable carbon pools.
NewsEffects of polystyrene nanoplastics and organophosphorus flame retardants on salamander gut-liver axis
New research reveals the effects of polystyrene nanoplastic and the organophosphorus flame retardant exposure on the gut-liver axis of salamanders.
NewsJust 10 viral particles can cause H5N1 avian flu infection in cows
Just 10 viral particles of the H5N1 bird flu that caused hundreds of influenza outbreaks in U.S. dairy cattle can cause infection in cows, a new study shows. The research also hints at why the outbreaks have confounded scientists, farmers and livestock handlers hoping to contain and prevent the disease.
NewsResearchers produce biodegradable bioplastic from potato starch using a modified bacterium
A new study has produced a biodegradable bioplastic from unprocessed potato starch in a single 24-hour step, establishing that the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is a robust platform of great industrial interest for producing polyhydroxybutyrate from a low-cost agricultural by-product.
NewsPathogens survive conditions on extraterrestrial locations
Microorganisms from our planet could survive on celestial bodies where water is present, such as Mars, reveals a study focusing on simulated space conditions. Our immune system reacts less effectively to pathogens that have undergone such a simulated space journey.
NewsFungi help biochar and compost lock more carbon in nutrient-poor urban soils
A new field study shows that soil fungi can determine whether urban greenspace amendments build long-term soil carbon or accelerate carbon consumption.
NewsCapacity of certain unicellular organisms to stick together may be key to animal evolution
Researchers have found that after feeding a specific bacteria to a certain unicellular relative of animals, the single cells began to stick to one another, revealing a possible mode by which our ancestors began to evolve into animals billions of years ago.
NewsBiochar may help stop antibiotics from escaping through hidden soil highways
A new study reveals that biochar can do more than simply trap pollutants. It may actively redirect antibiotic movement in structured soils, helping reduce the risk of contamination in nearby water systems.
NewsBiochar’s hidden electron power could unlock cleaner pollution control and energy recovery
A new review highlights how biochar’s natural redox properties may help overcome key barriers to large-scale environmental applications.
NewsMaterial extends shelf life and prolongs release of fungus used as bioinsecticide
Encapsulating Beauveria bassiana in a biopolymer made of cellulose and aluminum increased the viability of the fungus from 69% to 85% after five months of storage, providing a more sustainable alternative that releases the bioinsecticide.
NewsPathogenic fungus transmitted by domestic cat scratches is present in wild animals
Researchers detected pathogenic species of Sporothrix in the internal organs of mammals, birds, and reptiles that were killed by vehicles on Brazilian roads. The study reveals a new reservoir for fungi and highlights the need for surveillance.
NewsSlow down, microbes: When wheat learns to protect the nitrogen
Wheat plants can do more than grow grain. Research shows that their roots release natural compounds that slow down soil microbes and keep nitrogen in the soil potentially cutting losses, greenhouse gas emissions and costs for farmers.
NewsScientists probe antiviral molecules in bacteria that target bacteriophages
Researchers have examined the antiviral molecule daunorubicin, produced by Streptomycetes, and decoded its mode of operation against viruses. They now describe this mechanism, which primarily targets a specific group of viruses – namely bacteriophages.
NewsBiochar triggers a five-year soil recovery cascade in acidifying rice paddies
A long-term field study reveals how biochar reshapes soil chemistry, microbes, viruses, and metabolites to support healthier agricultural ecosystems.