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
Epidemiology: Key predictors of avian flu outbreaks in Europe identified
Several local factors — including the minimum temperature reached in autumn, the water level in lakes and ponds in winter, and the presence of mute swans — could be key for predicting the potential of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) occurring in Europe.
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NewsResearchers develop process to turn food waste into biodegradable plastic
Researchers have developed a process to turn food waste into biodegradable plastic. Their new study offers fundamental findings for any company interested in scaling up the process.
NewsResearchers explore ways to better safeguard romaine supply from E coli outbreaks
E. coli outbreaks in romaine lettuce have long been a public health concern. and now a new paper suggests that a combination of efforts in the field, and even postharvest techniques, can minimize risk to human health.
NewsModel can calculate the often hidden costs of fungicide resistance
An international research team has developed a mathematical model that can be used to calculate the economic and often hidden costs of fungicide resistance. They used a model that can be used to calculate the spread of fungal diseases in several fields.
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News
Harmful algae blooms have secret to success over other algaes
An alga that threatens freshwater ecosystems and is toxic to vertebrates has a sneaky way of ensuring its success: It suppresses the growth of algal competitors by releasing chemicals that deprive them of a vital vitamin.
NewsBiologicals vs. biostimulants: study clarifies crop input confusion
Scientists have published a commentary on use of biologicals and biostimulants in agriculture, calling for more nuanced labelling and regulation.
NewsDelicious but damaging invasive golden oyster mushrooms are decreasing fungal community richness
The golden oyster mushroom has spread rapidly throughout the US since escaping from cultivation into the wild. Ecosystems invaded by the golden oyster support less diversity of fungal species and smaller numbers of native fungal species.
NewsHow do traditional and biodegradable microplastics affect agricultural ecosystems?
With biodegradable plastics viewed as potential alternatives to traditional plastics in agriculture, researchers investigated the differences in their impacts on agricultural fields and the health of the crop-soil system.
NewsAvian flu has major economic costs for dairy industry
A new paper shows that the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus causes severe mastitis and decreased milk production in dairy cows, a drop-off that may extend beyond the clinical outbreak period.
NewsHow do oxo-degradable plastics perform in soil?
A study systematically revealed the effects of oxo-degradable plastics of different sizes and concentrations on soil and corn growth, providing important evidence to address concerns about degradation efficiency and impact on crop growth and soil quality.
NewsDual lifestyle plant fungus turns ally, protecting cereal crops against harmful Fusarium infections
A plant-friendly fungus that colonises cereal crops can protect the plants against harmful fungal infestations, a new study reveals.
NewsSimple rules govern soil microbiome responses to environmental change
New research shows that a deceptively simple mathematical model can describe how the soil responds to environmental change. Using just two variables, the model shows that changes in pH levels consistently result in three distinct metabolic states of the community.
NewsNitrogen may limit natural climate solutions
A global inventory reveals nitrogen is in shorter supply than previously thought in natural areas, which could limit carbon storage in plants and soils.
NewsBacteria gene discovery enhances key antibiotic production for farming and medicine
Monensin is a vital antibiotic used in agriculture and medicine. By analyzing the genome of Streptomyces cinnamonensis, the team discovered that specific genes (fadD, fadE, fadB, fadA) in the fatty acid degradation pathway significantly boost monensin synthesis.
NewsCan biodegradable mulch films harm soil health?
A new study validates the long-term ecological safety of biodegradable plastic mulch films in temperate maritime climates, breaking the traditional belief that “mulch films increase yield at the cost of soil fertility”.
NewsMichael Danquah named Fellow of Royal Society of Biology
Michael Danquah, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the associate dean for academic and student affairs at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
NewsH5N1 influenza outbreaks in US cattle likely triggered by ‘milk-stealing’ behavior of lactating cows
As of June 2025, H5N1 outbreaks have been reported on more than 1,070 dairy farms across 17 US states. Researchers have solved the mystery of how H5N1 virus enters the mammary glands of dairy cows, and provide a strategy on how to control the disease.
NewsPenicillium hispanicum yields discovery of new bianthrones and chlorinated bianthrones with cytotoxic activity against cancer cells
A new study reports the discovery of three novel racemic bianthrones from Penicillium hispanicum LA032 using HSQC-based DeepSAT, as well as their cytotoxic evaluation and mechanistic investigation through network pharmacology.
NewsLong Covid lessons: New cell therapy boosts immune recovery in cats with severe coronavirus
Feline infectious peritonitis is a serious and historically fatal disease in cats caused by a coronavirus. Scientists have found that mesenchymal stromal cells, or MSC therapy, in combination with antiviral drugs, helped cats’ immune systems recover and reduced systemic inflammation.
NewsForest trees and microbes choreograph their hunt for a ‘balanced diet’ under elevated CO2
Oak trees change their fine roots and ‘energise’ soil microbes by supplying them with a cocktail of small organic compounds, all to supplement the trees’ supply of essential nutrients when exposed to higher levels of carbon dioxide.
NewsAnswers to existence of alien life might be found in Earth’s deep-sea volcanoes
NASA has awarded microbiologist James Holden $621,000 to spend the next three years using his expertise to help predict what life on Jupiter’s moon Europa might look like. For that, Holden turned to an unexpected place: the volcanoes a mile beneath our own oceans.
NewsBeetles under climate stress lay larger male eggs: Wolbachia infection drives adaptive reproduction strategy
Researchers find that azuki bean beetles, a common pest, produce larger eggs yielding male offspring when infected with Wolbachia bacteria under elevated temperature and carbon dioxide conditions.
NewsGut morphology, not just diet or phylogeny, shapes mammalian gut microbiomes
Diet and evolutionary history have long been viewed as the main drivers of the mammalian gut microbiome. However, a new study offers the first systematic evidence that gut morphology significantly influences both the structure and function of gut microbial communities.