All Ecology & Evolution articles
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NewsTiny creatures, big insights: The microbial signature of the sea uncovered by copepods
A new study has revealed that tiny planktonic crustaceans carry a unique microbial signature that better reflects ocean currents and environmental gradients than microbes found freely in seawater.
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News‘Controlled evolution’ dramatically boosts pDNA production for biomedical manufacturing
Researchers have controlled the evolution of E. coli bacteria in the lab in order to dramatically increase the amount of plasmid DNA (pDNA) these modified bacteria produce. pDNA is an essential – and expensive – ingredient in many gene therapies.
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NewsScientists trace the evolution of the H5N1 virus
Researchers have discovered that the currently circulating 2.3.4.4b clade of H5N1 has specific mutations in its genome that increase its human adaptive potential.
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News4,000-year-old sheep reveals that livestock played a role in prehistoric plague infections
An ancient Yersinia pestis genome recovered from sheep sheds new light on a mysterious infectious disease that plagued prehistoric Eurasia for over 2000 years.
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NewsGeobiologist Dr. Ilya Bobrovskiy moves to MARUM with his ERC Starting Grant
Geobiologist Dr. Ilya Bobrovskiy, previously employed at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, is moving to the University of Bremen to establish a research group at MARUM as part of his ERC Starting Grant.
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NewsDancing against the current: Microbial survival strategy
In scalding hot water rushing through narrow channels, some bacteria have evolved a surprising survival technique: they cling to surfaces, stand upright, and sway rhythmically—like tiny street dancers fighting the flow.
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NewsStudy reveals how climate shapes fungal spore traits with applications for soil health
A new study reports on how global climate conditions affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore traits and the species biogeographic patterns. The study is the first to examine multiple traits of this kind on a global scale.
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NewsKākāpō decline reveals threat of parasite coextinction
Researchers have discovered that more than 80 per cent of parasites detected in kākāpō poo prior to the 1990s are no longer present in contemporary populations. They used ancient DNA and microscopic techniques to sample faeces dating back more than 1500 years.
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NewsBird-to-human jump by trichomonas parasites illuminated in new study
A new study reveals how genetic changes in the parasite responsible for one of the world’s most common sexually transmitted infections may have helped it adapt to human hosts.
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NewsStudy tracks Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation using benthic foraminifera
Scientists investigated how the weakening of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is connected to the ventilation of the shallow ocean. Using benthic foraminifera, the team was able to reconstruct changes in the oxygen content of the oxygen-minimum zone over 27,000 years.
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NewsStudy uncovers the hidden emerging pathogen behind Aspergillosis cases in Japan
Scientists have discovered the ancestral evolutionary links of Aspergillus latus strains through in-depth genome sequencing analyses.
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NewsOmicron strain BA.2.86 emergence ‘defies natural explanation’
A researcher investigating the origin of the BA.2.86 lineage found that sporadic cases were identified in multiple, geographically distant locations around the world during its initial appearance in the summer of 2023.
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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.
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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.
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NewsSwiss genome of the 1918 influenza virus reconstructed
Researchers have decoded the genome of the virus responsible for the 1918–1920 influenza pandemic in Switzerland, revealing that it had already developed key adaptations to humans at the outset of the deadliest influenza pandemic in history.
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NewsPrairie dogs carry genes linked to surviving plague
A study of the genetic basis of plague immunity in prairie dogs has broad implications for conservation. By comparing whole-genome sequences, the authors identified genetic variants associated with survivorship.
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NewsLarge-scale DNA study maps 37,000 years of disease history
A new study maps infectious diseases across millennia and offers new insight into how human-animal interactions permanently transformed our health landscape.
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NewsHow plants build the microbiome they need to survive in a tough environment
New research points to the idea that under some conditions plants can “curate” their microbiomes—selecting good microbes and suppressing harmful ones—to adapt to their environments.
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NewsEstrela brings microbial research to Texas A&M AgriLife Department of Nutrition
Sylvie Estrela, Ph.D., has joined the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Nutrition as an assistant professor. Estrela’s research focuses on microbial interactions, specifically, the way nutrients can impact bacterial communities.
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NewsWith AI, researchers find increasing immune evasion in H5N1
A new analysis suggests that the H5N1 avian influenza virus is evolving clever strategies. Using artificial intelligence tools, researchers analyzed thousands of viral proteins and found that their bonds to protective antibodies have weakened over time.