All University of Vienna articles
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NewsMicrobiologists uncover bacteria that remove toxic sulfide and use iron minerals for growth
An international team of scientists has discovered a new microbial metabolism: so-called MISO bacteria “breathe” iron minerals by oxidizing toxic sulfide. The previously unknown biological process sees versatile microbes remove toxic sulfide and use it for their growth.
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NewsThe Holobiont Revolution: How wheat is becoming more climate-resilient
A new breeding concept, specifically for wheat, could help reduce nitrogen fertilization. This holobiont principle places the complex interactions between plants and soil microbiomes at the center of plant breeding.
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NewsResearchers reveal how microbes can swim without a brain
Many microorganisms can move in a goal oriented way in liquids, despite the lack of a complex nervous system. New research explains the behaviour of microorganisms, and could also enable nanobots to move in a targeted manner.
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NewsNew hope against superbugs: Promising antibiotic candidate discovered
An international team of researchers has discovered saarvienin A, a new type of glycopeptide antibiotic. Their findings introduce a compound with strong activity against highly resistant bacterial strains.
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NewsNew antibiotic for multidrug resistant superbug triggers suicide mechanism
Researchers have discovered a new class of antibiotic that selectively targets Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea.
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NewsOrigin of life: How microbes laid the foundation for complex cells
Researchers examining links between Asgard archaea and eukaryotes have shown that Asgard tubulins form similar microtubules, albeit smaller than those in their eukaryotic relatives. Unlike actin, these tubulin proteins appear in very few species of Asgard archaea.
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NewsParkinson’s drug changes the gut microbiome for the worse due to iron deficiency
Scientists have revealed that the widely prescribed Parkinson’s disease drug entacapone significantly disrupts the human gut microbiome by inducing iron deficiency.
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NewsNewly discovered ability of comammox bacteria could help reduce nitrous oxide emissions in agriculture
An international research team has discovered that comammox bacteria can grow using guanidine, a nitrogen-rich organic compound, as their sole energy and nitrogen source, opening new avenues for targeted cultivation of these enigmatic microbes.
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NewsLong-standing marine mystery solved: How algae get nitrogen to grow
In a new study, scientists have shed light on an unexpected partnership: a marine diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean.
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NewsWastewater plant yields giant viruses that infect deadly parasite
Researchers have discovered giant viruses that infect the single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri which ranks among the deadliest human parasites.
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NewsScientists reveal how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments
A new study reveals how desert soil bacteria are highly adapted to survive the rapid environmental changes experienced with prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall.
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NewsGlobal warming increases the diversity of active soil bacteria
Warmer soils harbour a greater diversity of active microbes, reveals a study that represents a shift in our understanding of how microbial activity in the soil influences the global carbon cycle and possible feedback mechanisms on the climate.
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NewsStudy of usefulness of lockdowns during epidemics identifies alternate solution
Researchers found that small nonpharmaceutical interventions can tip the optimal response between very different approaches to slowing viral spread and identified an alternate approach that has previously not been recognized as effective.
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NewsSyphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before the arrival of Columbus
Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have discovered the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. Source: Photo: Dr. Jose Filippini Skeleton at the site in Jubuicabeira II, Brazil. This is the oldest ...
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NewsNew research lays groundwork for personalized dietary supplements
Researchers used fluorescence-labeled inulin-grafted nanoparticles to track the interaction of inulin with gut bacteria - when incubated with human stool samples, a wider range of gut bacteria thatn previously assumed were found to bind to inulin.
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NewsMicrobial metabolites linked to Parkinson’s disease
Researchers have uncovered a microbial metabolite’s role in inducing Parkinson’s-like symptoms. This discovery could reshape our understanding of the environmental triggers of Parkinson’s disease.
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NewsSoil bacteria prevail despite drought conditions
Recent research has uncovered the resilience of certain soil microorganisms in the face of increasing drought conditions. While many bacteria become inactive during dry spells, specific groups persist and even thrive.
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NewsUnknown bacteria key players in ocean energy cycle
Researchers have identified a previously unknown group of bacteria, called UBA868, as key players in the energy cycle of the deep ocean.
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NewsNew technique reveals marine microbes’ outsized role in carbon cycle
A small fraction of marine microorganisms are responsible for most of the consumption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide in the ocean, new research suggests.