Climate action
Today we are seeing climate change in action, increased concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases have led to a rise in sea levels, temperatures, and extreme weather patterns. Researchers have acknowledged the pivotal role microorganisms in producing sustainable biofuels, increasing carbon sequestration via soil microbes and reducing methane emissions in landfill sites. Microbial innovation will be vital in moving towards a low carbon economy.
News
Bacteria rewire digestive systems to turn plant waste into power
A new study shows that Pseudomonas putida, a common soil bacterium, completely reorganizes its metabolism to thrive on complex carbons from lignin. By slowing down some metabolic pathways while accelerating others, the bacterium manages to extract energy from lignin without exhausting itself.
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NewsMicroalgae are more significant for carbon dioxide absorption in the Southern Ocean than previously thought
14,000 years ago, algal blooms in the Southern Ocean helped to massively reduce the global carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere – as has now been revealed by new analyses of ancient DNA. Declines in sea ice pose a serious threat to these algae.
VideoThe Microbiologist: Under the Lens | Episode 1
In our first episode, Professor Raquel Peixoto joins Professor Jack Gilbert for a deep dive into coral reefs, microbes, and the future of our planet.
NewsUnder The Lens: Raquel Peixoto reveals how tourists armed with probiotics could save world’s coral reefs
A fascinating conversation between Applied Microbiology International President Professor Jack Gilbert and Professor Raquel Peixoto examines how understanding and leveraging coral microbiomes is leading to innovative probiotic solutions to boost coral resilience.
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Microbiologists uncover bacteria that remove toxic sulfide and use iron minerals for growth
An international team of scientists has discovered a new microbial metabolism: so-called MISO bacteria “breathe” iron minerals by oxidizing toxic sulfide. The previously unknown biological process sees versatile microbes remove toxic sulfide and use it for their growth.
NewsHow plants rot: New method decodes hidden decomposers of wood and leaves
Researchers have developed a new method to identify the molecular tools that different species use to decompose dead plant material. Their analysis of over 18,000 species found that some invertebrates also evidently have a whole range of such tools at their disposal.
FeaturesHarnessing soil microbes to weather rock and fight climate change
Discover how Bacillus subtilis strain MP1 accelerates silicate weathering in agricultural soils, locking away 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per hectare annually through standard agricultural practices.
NewsWelsh mine microbes mapped to help heat homes
Welsh scientists have mapped the hidden microbes thriving in south Wales’s abandoned coal mines, helping to overcome obstacles to using mine water to heat Britain’s homes.
NewsUnicellular cyanobacterium UCYN-B significantly contributes to global oceanic nitrogen fixation
Researchers report that the cyanobacterium UCYN-B drives high N2 fixation rates in previously unrecognized hotspots accross the global ocean, making a significant contribution to the ocean’s nitrogen supply and productivity.
NewsNew study reveals phytoplankton’s contribution to centuries-long ocean carbon storage
Phytoplankton have long been viewed as transient players in the global carbon cycle, but researchers have discovered that these tiny organisms can directly pump “stubborn” carbon into the ocean, where it may persist for centuries.
NewsScientists hack microbes to identify environmental sources of methane
A new paper reveals how the activity of one of the main microbial enzymes involved in producing methane affects the isotope composition used as a fingerprint of various environmental sources.
NewsCorals in Brazilian archipelago capture carbon equivalent to the burning of 324,000 liters of gasoline per year
A single species found in the Alcatrazes Archipelago, brain coral, produces around 170 tons of calcium carbonate annually. This represents the retention of approximately 20 tons of carbon in mineral form, which can last for centuries or millennia.
NewsNew research reveals ancient alliance between woody plants and microbes has potential to protect precious peatlands
New research shows that during historic periods of drying the growth of woody plants in a subtropical Chinese peatland improved the quality of organic matter and suppressed decomposing microbial activity.
NewsJames Hutton Limited to open lab capable of analysing anaerobic digestate
New plans to open a lab capable of analysing anaerobic digestate have been announced by James Hutton Limited, the commercial wing of The James Hutton Institute.
NewsGreat Barrier Reef more volatile with sharp declines in coral cover
Hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef has declined substantially from the high levels of recent years back to near long-term average levels, underscoring a new level of volatility.
NewsNew study illuminates how diatoms thrive in — and light up — the Southern Ocean
An area of the remote Southern Ocean that’s long confused ocean color satellites by reflecting large amounts of turquoise-colored light appears to be full of silica-rich diatoms, according to a new study. There is also evidence in these polar waters of coccolithophores.
OpinionScience and the humanities in the crosshairs
The German Research Foundation (DFG) President Professor Dr Katja Becker issued a stark warning about the “war on science” and the need for solidarity at the organisation’s annual meeting in July. The Microbiologist reports her speech in full.
CareersMeet the Global Ambassadors: our Q&A with Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal
The Microbiologist gets to know our Global Ambassador for India, Dr. Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal, who is Assistant Professor at the Department of Biosciences, Graphic Era University, Dehradun, specializing in microbial biotechnology and sustainable agriculture.
NewsLarge study uncovers specific impacts of flooding on older adult health
New research examining 17 years of data from Medicare hospitalization claims and major flooding events finds increased rates of skin diseases, nervous system diseases, and injuries or poisonings among adults aged 65 and older following major floods.
NewsMicrobial map reveals countless hidden connections between our food, health, and planet
A new map of ‘agri-food system microbiomes’ reveals how players at every stage of the food system can restore and protect dwindling microbiomes to help boost human and planetary health.
NewsTurning biodiversity upside down: Conservation maps miss fungal hotspots by focusing on plants
For decades, scientists and conservationists have been using aboveground plant biodiversity as a metric for conserving ecosystems. Now a new study finds that there is a major mismatch between aboveground plant diversity and Earth’s underground fungal biodiversity.
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.
NewsRisk of deadly diarrheal diseases in children set to worsen as climate changes
Diarrhoea remains one of the most serious health threats to young children in the Global South, and new research shows that climate change is set to worsen the risk substantially.