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.
A comparison of the genomes of methane-producing microorganisms reveals that temperature adaptation might not be genomically encoded, but rather enforced through protein regulation and finer scale adaptations in amino acids.
Read storyThe first study into the biological response of the upper ocean in the wake of South Pacific cyclones could help predict the impact of warming ocean temperatures, New Zealand researchers believe.
Continued warming of the climate would see a rise in the number and spread of potentially fatal infections caused by bacteria found along parts of the coast of the United States, researchers predict.
Use of microbes to produce polyphosphate could help to reduce EU reliance on imports of phosphate rock in the future, according to a team from RWTH Aachen University.
An edible seaweed could provide a potential environmentally friendly source of silver nanoparticles for antibacterial and anticancer applications.