More Healthy Land
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NewsNew insights into divergent nitrogen fixation in subtropical forests
This study focuses on two primary forms of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF): symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF), which occurs within the root nodules of nitrogen-fixing plants, and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation (ANF), carried out by free-living microorganisms in soil and litter.
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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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FeaturesFrom barnyard to bench: what sequencing reveals about microbial life across the farm-scape
We understand the water cycle and the flow of nutrients in ecological systems, but might microbial life also follow a cyclical, interconnected pattern, and how does that look with regards to food production?
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NewsMediterranean bacteria may harbor new mosquito solution
Researchers recently identified bacteria in Crete producing metabolites that quickly kill mosquito larvae in lab tests. The compounds might be useful for the development of new biopesticides, though developing the right formulations and delivery method remains a challenge.
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NewsSpace Park Leicester developing technology for ultra-clean mini-lab to potentially contain extra-terrestrial samples returned to Earth
Work has begun to design and build a Double-Walled Isolator (DWI), akin to an ultra-clean miniature laboratory, to safely store and analyse extra-terrestrial materials, such as the first material from Mars.
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NewsStudy reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields
Naturally occurring bacteria in rice roots could help reduce the reliance on chemical fertilizers for rice cultivation, paving the way for sustainable agriculture.
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News BugBiome to test lead bioinsecticide in sugar beet field trials with partner Niab
BugBiome, an agritech innovator developing new bioinsecticides from crop-associated microbes, is field testing its lead product against aphids via a new Innovate UK grant with partner Niab, an experienced crop trial specialist.
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NewsAI revives classic microscopy for on-farm soil health testing
The classic microscope is getting a modern twist - US researchers are developing an AI-powered microscope system that could make soil health testing faster, cheaper, and more accessible to farmers and land managers around the world.
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NewsPuerto Rico launches first Microbiome Research Center in the Caribbean
The University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus (UPR-MSC) has been awarded an $11.3 million NIH-COBRE grant to establish the Puerto Rico Center for Microbiome Sciences (PR-CMS)—the first of its kind in the region.
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NewsSeasonal allergies caused by fungal spores now start three weeks earlier under climate change
Researchers have found that, on average, spore allergy season in the US was kicking off 22 days earlier in 2022 than it had been in 2003.
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News New collaboration harnesses COVID methods to combat multi-billion threat to UK forests
Harnessing methods used to successfully predict and understand the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic, a new project aims to combat the impact of forest diseases that can cost the UK economy billions.
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NewsRain showers can dramatically impact fungal communities in urban lakes
Rainfall can have dramatic effects on the microbial communities living in urban lakes, a new paper published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology reveals.
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FeaturesHow artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming agriculture’s future
Agriculture is at a pivotal moment in history, and the sector needs to adopt new ideas to survive and flourish. AI and Machine Learning are no longer futuristic concepts; they are transforming farming today and helping to solve problems that have persisted for a long time.
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NewsNew viruses discovered in bat kidneys in Yunnan province
The viruses, as well as new bacterial species and a new parasite, were discovered in bats inhabiting orchards near villages in southwestern China, raising concerns about transmission to livestock or humans.
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NewsCan straw mulching affect soil CO2 emissions in bamboo forests?
Scientists have found that straw mulching in bamboo forests not only significantly increased soil carbon emissions in the short term but also had enduring effects that persisted for at least three years after the removal of the mulching material.
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NewsCoveted lac pigment may have a fungal origin
The colourful pigment extracted from the lac insect may actually be produced by a symbiotic yeast-like organism living inside the insect, a new study has found. The yeast-like organism exclusively harbours genes coding for key ingredients in the pigment synthesis pathway.
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NewsNew research reveals how octopus uses arms to sense chemical clues from microbes
A new study reveals what the octopus is feeling when it ‘tastes’ the seafloor— biochemical information from the microbial world. The animal uses its arms to determine whether prey is safe to eat or whether unhealthy eggs should be ejected from the nest.
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NewsLiving near harmful algal blooms reduces life expectancy with ALS
Living close to cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms — which are present US-wide but are more common in coastal and Great Lake states — heightens the rate of dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a study suggests.
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NewsMushrooms could be the key to developing better materials
Researchers are studying the cell structure of fungi to learn how it determines their mechanical properties and what science can learn from that to create better materials. They analyzed their cell structures and tested them to calculate the stress loads they could handle.
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NewsVirus transmission between bee species does not lead to new variants
A new study has found transmission of viruses between different bee species did not lead to the formation of new virus variants, a rare bit of good news for bee pollinators, which have been in decline for over 25 years.