All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 10
-
Careers
Adam probes biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis in his Summer Placement
Adam Bryson (21), from Dunblane, reveals what happened during his Applied Microbiology International-sponsored Summer Placement at the University of Dundee investigating biofilm formation by soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis.
-
News
Emerging diseases threatening trees around the world are accelerating
A study analyzing more than 900 new disease reports on 284 tree species in 88 countries found that the number of new disease emergences globally is doubling every ~11 years, with pines accumulating the most new diseases.
-
News
‘Lawnmower-like’ viruses change up after dry soils are watered
Viruses in soil may not be as destructive to bacteria as once thought and could instead act like lawnmowers, culling older cells and giving space for new growth.
-
News
Soil 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.
-
Careers
Toxins, E. coli and soil nematodes - Megan reports on her AMI Summer Placement
Megan Cameron (27) undertook an Applied Microbiology International-sponsored Summer Placement examining the effects of feeding different strains of E. coli to the free living wild type nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.
-
News
PGPR strain from farmland in India boosts crops in chilly conditions
A bacterial strain isolated from agricultural soil in India can help crops to thrive in chilly conditions by promoting seed germination and growth, a new study shows.
-
News
Fungal aroma can be used for behavioural pest control
Scientists exploring how blueberries infected with fungus Colletotrichum fioriniae emit odours which repel spotted-wing drosophila are able to trick the flies into perceiving healthy fruit as infected.
-
News
Mineral nanoparticles can help fungi break down organic pollutants in soils
Mineral nanoparticles could potentially act as nanozyme mimics, assisting fungi in breaking down organic pollutants in soils, a new study has found.
-
News
Researchers reveal how microbes return after a wildfire
A study suggests that dispersal - through air or rain, for example - plays a major role in microbial succession after a destructive fire.
-
News
Nanoparticles made from plant viruses could be farmers’ new ally
Engineers have developed nanoparticles, fashioned from plant viruses, that can deliver pesticide molecules to soil depths that were previously unreachable.
-
Careers
Edie uncovers how microbes can shine light on dirt bike vandalism
For her AMI-sponsored Summer Placement, forensic science student Edie Holmes joined a team investigating whether microbial profiling could be used to link dirt bikes to vandalised sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs). Here’s what happened.
-
News
Unzipping mRNA rallies plant cells to fight infection
Scientists studying a plant called Arabidopsis thaliana have discovered short snippets of folded RNA that are unzipped in the presence of a pathogen to allow plant cells to make defense proteins to fight infection.
-
Features
Under the microscope: the rhizosphere
Microorganisms have diverse roles in the rhizosphere, which can include plant nutrition, promoting growth, and inducing and/or preventing disease.
-
Careers
Early career scientists team up with biotech firm NCIMB to tackle pesticide toxicity
Biotech company NCIMB, one of the industrial beneficiaries, recently hosted three early career scientists as part of the ARISTO programme which aims to develop tools to assess the toxicity of pesticides on soil microorganisms.
-
News
Mysterious family of microbial proteins hijack crops’ cellular plumbing
Duke researchers may have come up with a way to disarm them, preventing $220 billion in annual crop damage.
-
News
Leading scientists issue ‘gain of function’ recommendations
A workshop of leading scientists has reviewed the benefits and risks of ’gain of function’ research, and proposed a foundation to guide discussions and improve oversight moving forward.
-
News
Custom extracellular membrane vesicles deliver crop growth payload, without downsides of PGPRs
Custom-built extracellular membrane vesicles (MVs) can be deployed as a microbe-free way of boosting crop growth without the downsides of plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), a new study reveals.
-
Careers
Unpeeling the layers - what my summer placement taught me about onion rot and lab life
Shi Yang Xie is doing a Applied Microbiology International Summer Placement at Cardiff University School of Biosciences with Dr Rebecca Weiser. She reveals what her research into bacterial onion rot is uncovering.
-
Careers
Bacteria deliver living colour to the built environment
PhD student Ella Hetherington reports on her Biochrome installation at the London Festival of Architecture, which demonstrated the application of microbial pigments in architecture and design.
-
News
Fungal-plant symbiosis offers a promising tool to boost crop resilience
A species of fungus that normally grows in the wild and kills insects can be successfully inoculated in oilseed rape plants where it fosters a unique symbiotic relationship.