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
AI and citizen science reveal potential first detection of invasive malaria mosquito in Madagascar
Researchers used AI and citizen science to identify what may be the first Anopheles stephensi mosquito ever detected in Madagascar — a species capable of spreading deadly malaria across urban Africa. A single smartphone photo submitted through NASA’s GLOBE Observer app led to the discovery.
Read story
NewsViral infections at the heart of why honey bees overthrow their queen
Common viral infections shrink a queen bee’s ovaries, reducing both her egg-laying capacity and her production of methyl oleate, a pheromone that normally keeps worker bees loyal. When methyl oleate levels drop, workers will “smell” the queen’s weakness - and begin preparing her successor.
NewsA nose for microbes: how hunger tunes the brain
New research reveals how missing just one essential amino acid can change gene expression and the brain’s sensory systems, prompting animals to seek out protein-rich yeast and gut bacteria that help them restore nutritional balance and survive in times of need.
NewsBiochar and hydrochar show contrasting climate effects in boreal grasslands
Researchers tested how biochar and hydrochar, combined with nitrogen fertilizer, affected greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon pools, and crop yield in a typical boreal legume grassland. They found that biochar and hydrochar influenced soil processes in opposite ways.
More Healthy Land
News
Powered by mushrooms, living computers are on the rise
Researchers have discovered that common edible fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, can be grown and trained to act as organic memristors, a type of data processor that can remember past electrical states. They could also be used to create other types of low-cost computing components.
NewsWarmer Nordic springs double the incidence of avian malaria
A unique long-term study, in which biological samples were collected from the same population of blue tits over a 30-year period, shows that rising spring temperatures have doubled the incidence of avian malaria in southern Sweden.
NewsMicrobial iron mining: turning polluted soils into self-cleaning reactors
Scientists have presented “microbial iron mining,” a process where soil microbes activate natural iron cycling. Microbes reduce and mobilize iron minerals, producing tiny iron nanoparticles that act as powerful traps for a variety of pollutants.
NewsHarnessing solar energy for environmental cleanup: Iron mineral-bacterial biofilms degrade pollutants
Researchers offer a sustainable, efficient, and scalable method for addressing soil and groundwater pollution, opening new possibilities for clean-up strategies in diverse ecosystems. This process significantly enhances the degradation of antibiotics like tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and chloramphenicol (CPL).
NewsMalaria risk in the Amazon is higher in regions with intermediate forest degradation
Research shows that areas with 50% deforestation near residential areas or fragmented vegetation allow greater contact between mosquitoes and humans. The study helps us understand the link between forest destruction and the spread of the disease.
NewsRhizosphere metabolites influence the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil-plant systems
A study sheds new light on the complex mechanisms by which plants and their associated microorganisms contribute to the migration of ARGs through the environment, offering important implications for food safety and public health.
NewsNew biochar-powered microbial systems offer sustainable solution for toxic pollutants
Researchers have unveiled a promising strategy to address persistent organic pollutants. Their latest review highlights how biochar-supported microbial systems can revolutionize the remediation of these contaminants.
NewsMaking yeast more efficient ‘cell factories’ for producing valuable plant compounds
Researchers have discovered a new way to make yeast cells more efficient “factories” for producing valuable plant compounds. By studying a plant membrane protein called AtMSBP1, they uncovered a mechanism that helps yeast cells better support plant cytochrome P450 enzymes.
NewsAn edible fungus could make paper and fabric liquid-proof
Researchers report a way to waterproof materials using edible fungus. In a proof-of-concept study, the fungus grew an impervious film on common materials such as paper, denim, polyester felt and thin wood, revealing its potential to replace plastic coatings with sustainable materials.
NewsSpectral signatures reveal hidden pine defenses: New tech enhances fusiform rust Resistance screening
A research team has developed a novel way to detect disease resistance in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, offering a faster and more objective alternative to traditional visual inspection.
NewsFeeding off spent battery waste, a novel bacterium signals a new method for self-sufficient battery recycling
A unique bacterium that thrives in highly acidic environments feeds on spent battery “waste”, making it a promising new method for self-sufficient battery recycling. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Atf) has a natural metabolic cycle that produces protons capable of leaching electrode materials from spent batteries.
NewsFungi paved the way for life on land hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought
After reviewing the evolutionary timeline of fungi, scientists have determined that their origin dates back to between 900 million and 1.4 billion years ago. This means that fungi had already been living on Earth hundreds of millions of years before plants took root on our planet.
NewsAfter injuries, carpenter ants use amputation to stop potential infections from spreading
Carpenter ants are not squeamish when it comes to caring for the wounded. To minimise the risk of infection, the insects immediately amputate injured legs – thereby more than doubling their survival rate.
NewsUnderwater thermal vents may have given rise to the first molecular precursors of life
A new study shows that, without the presence of enzymes, natural gradients of pH, redox potential, and temperature present in underwater hydrothermal vents could have promoted the reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid and the subsequent formation of acetic acid.
NewsHow a pyrite-oxidizing microbe helps preserve atmospheric oxygen in sulfate
Research shows that O₂ in sulfate deposits, coupled with geochemical clues, could help identify microbial activity in Earth’s rock record and even in Martian sediments.
NewsBiochar and wetter soils offer breakthrough path to slash farm emissions without cutting crop yields
Raising groundwater levels and adding biochar to agricultural peat soils could dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining healthy crop production, according to a new study from Bangor University.
NewsDoes floral scent affect insect visitors and bacterial strains on flowers?
A new study reveals that high floral scent chemodiversity is associated with increased pollinator richness but reduced bacterial richness on flowers. The findings led the scientists to propose the ’Filthy Pollinator Hypothesis’.
NewsNew hope for cats with eye infections: Study finds common cold sore cream safe and effective for feline use
A common human cold sore cream may soon help cats with painful eye infections: researchers found that 1% penciclovir cream (Fenlips®), when applied to cats’ eyes, was safe, well-tolerated, and maintained antiviral levels for over eight hours.
NewsCrop-killing pathogen found to disable plant ‘alarm system’
An international team has discovered that the pathogen Phytophthora infestans - which caused the Irish potato famine - employs special enzymes, called AA7 oxidases, to disable the plants’ early warning system, weakening their defenses before they can respond.