All Environmental Microbiology articles
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NewsThe climate crisis threatens river microbial biodiversity
A study warns that the biodiversity and biological functions of aquatic fungi in rivers are at risk due to rising temperatures, prolonged dry periods and the loss of riparian vegetation caused by climate change.
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NewsA soil bacterium turns electricity and carbon dioxide into acetate
A new study shows that a soil bacterium can directly reduce Fe(III) minerals, exchange electrons with electrodes, and use electrode-derived electrons to convert carbon dioxide into acetate under autotrophic conditions.
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NewsNative litter jump-starts microbial recovery in mine soils
By applying litter collected from nearby native woodland to rehabilitated mine land, a study has shown increases in microbial diversity, enrichment of carbon- and nitrogen-cycling microorganisms, and stronger biochemical potential for soil organic matter decomposition and nitrogen mobilization.
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NewsNatural symbiosis: How plants and microbes share vital nutrients in fragile ecosystems
Researchers using stable isotope labelling to investigate how different forms of nitrogen are used by plants and microbes in alpine heath environments found that plants and microbes use distinct strategies to access this critical nutrient.
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NewsMicrobes reveal how tillage shapes soil carbon storage
A new study on maize fields in Jilin Province, China, found adding organic carbon sources on top of straw had different effects on the organic carbon in the topsoil in comparison to the subsoil.
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NewsGlobal port microbiomes reveal hidden biosecurity signals
By analyzing more than 16 million 16S rRNA gene sequences from 1,045 port water samples collected in 23 cities across five continents, a study has found clear biogeographic patterns, a core set of dominant bacterial genera, and widespread potential pathogens.
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NewsPhylogenetic analysis reveals ten new species of Inocybe mushrooms
New taxonomic and phylogenetic investigation of Inocybe mushrooms reveals ten new species, one newly discovered in the Gaoligong Mountains, China.
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NewsHow cyanobacteria developed photosynthetic membranes over the course of evolution
New research analyses hundreds of cyanobacterial genomes to understand the origin of thylakoids, the internal membranes involved in photosynthesis.
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NewsMovement of “forever chemicals” through the Great Lakes
New analysis of 42 years worth of biological records from the Great Lakes, unveils how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” have moved across the region, contaminating a variety of wildlife.
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NewsHow H5N1 bird flu hid unrecognized for weeks in dairy cattle
A new study reveals why H5N1 influenza infection looked so different in dairy cows, offering a framework for spotting new host species quickly. Instead of affecting the lungs, it caused severe infection in the cows’ udders, largely sparing the lungs.
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NewsOrangutans seek out medicinal plants
New research shows orangutans seek out plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. The findings suggest orangutans eat combinations of plants in specific sequences – consistent with “self-medication” seen in other species.
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: extremophiles of the Earth
Extremophiles are microbial organisms that live in extreme environments normally considered uninhabitable. Over the past few decades, extremophiles have been discovered in increasingly bizarre and unexpected environments around the globe, including within acid lakes, plastic recycling centres and even in radioactive sites such as Chernobyl.
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NewsHow sea-ice microbes survive the Southern Ocean’s harsh winter, and the implications for climate change
New study reinforces the importance of the Southern Ocean marginal ice zone as a critical hotspot for global sulfur cycling where biogeochemical processes for climate regulation are enhanced.
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NewsThe greener the street view, the richer the microbiota?
A new study investigates how the Green View Index (GVI) relates to the richness and diversity of bacteria in the Taipei metropolitan area in Taiwan. The more vegetation in the area, the richer its microbial community.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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NewsGlobal map of mycorrhizal fungi reveals true scale of underground networks
Researchers have produced the first global maps visualising the distribution and mass of the Earth’s arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks, revealing the true scale of this underground fungal infrastructure.
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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.
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NewsExploring potential of virovory in combating harmful algal blooms
Toxic cyanobacterial blooms can close lakes, contaminate drinking water and pose risks to human health. A new project is exploring an unlikely tool for mitigating these blooms: virovory, the phenomenon of organisms eating viruses as a food source.