Healthy land
Land has a wide variety of uses: agricultural, residential, industrial, and recreational. Microbes play a key role in the terrestrial ecosystem, providing symbiotic relationships with plants. Human use of land has led to the exhaustion of nutrients in soils, contamination of land, and a reduction in biodiversity. Applying our knowledge of microbes will be essential in restoring the biodiversity of affected ecosystems. Greater research into how microbes impact human life on land could all have a positive impact, by increasing crop production, repurposing areas of land and improving microbial biodiversity in soil, land, and water.
News
How math helps to protect crops from invasive disease
New research demonstrates how mathematical modeling can predict outbreaks of toxic fungi in Texas corn crops—offering a potential lifeline to farmers facing billions in harvest losses.
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NewsGlobal virus network issues urgent call to action to mitigate the rising threat of H5N1 avian influenza
The Global Virus Network (GVN) has issued a call-to-action, calling on world governments to address the threat of H5N1 avian influenza by enhancing surveillance, implementing biosecurity measures, and preparing for potential human-to-human transmission.
NewsNew pests and diseases will cut UK tree growth
The arrival of new plant pests and diseases is likely to severely damage UK trees and woodlands in the coming decades, new research shows.
NewsBirds hold remarkable clues to fighting human and animal infections
Researchers have uncovered a remarkable evolutionary adaptation in birds that could hold vital clues for combating avian flu and respiratory infections in humans, including pneumonia and COVID-19.
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News
Scientists repurpose gene editing tool to help uncover hidden microbial diversity
Pioneering research has repurposed a gene editing tool to help shed light on the true biodiversity present in natural environments. The study could help pave the way for more productive soils and improved health.
NewsMicrobes used to mine magnesium from waste heaps
Researchers have pioneered a microbially driven process that utilises low-value waste products, such as magnesium mine waste and sulfur from desulfurisation plants, to leach the wastes and generate a stream of solubilised magnesium.
NewsControlling starch levels in algae could have biotechnology and sustainability benefits
Researchers have found a new method to control starch storage in algae - a finding with potential applications in areas such reducing greenhouse gases. Modifying a blue light-activated signalling pathway makes it possible to regulate storage, they say.
NewsSugar-mimicking molecule central to virulence of a common crop disease, study finds
A strain of Pseudomonas syringae manipulates plants by producing a substance called glycosyrin to suppress the immune response. New research shows that glycosyrin does this by mimicking galactose, acting like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
NewsNew giant virus isolated in Jyväskylä for the first time in Finland
For the first time in Finland, researchers have isolated a giant virus, which was named Jyvaskylavirus. The discovery shows that giant viruses are more common in northern regions than researchers have thought.
NewsCyanobacterium study reveals how circadian clocks maintain robustness in changing environments
New research has uncovered how a simple circadian clock network demonstrates advanced noise-filtering capabilities, enhancing our understanding of how biological circuits maintain accuracy in dynamic natural environments.
NewsNew study confirms copper-based fungicides as a reliable solution for aerial stem rot in potatoes
A new study confirms that confirmed that copper fungicide treatments consistently slow disease spread and improve yields in potato crops threatened by aerial stem rot (ASR), a bacterial disease primarily caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum.
NewsMicrobes in Brooklyn Superfund site teach lessons on fighting industrial pollution
Researchers discover unprecedented pollution-fighting genetic adaptations in tiny organisms inhabiting Brooklyn’s highly contaminated Gowanus Canal, revealing a potential new approach for cleaning contaminated waters and recovering valuable resources.
NewsAñana Saltern microorganisms help to clarify the groundwater flow pattern
The MicroIker group of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has explored the diversity and distribution of unicellular organisms in the springs of the Añana Salt Valley.
NewsDeadly rodent-borne hantavirus is an emerging disease with pandemic potential
Researchers have found three hotspots of hantavirus circulation in wildlife in the US – Virginia, Colorado, and Texas – and identified 15 rodent species as carriers, including six species that had not previously been identified as hosts of the virus.
NewsDogs could help predict valley fever spread in humans
Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused by a fungus that thrives in moist soils and becomes airborne during drought. In a new study, researchers show that dogs, who are also susceptible to the disease, can help us understand its spread.
NewsEngineered bacteria emit signals that can be spotted from a distance
Engineers have found a way to read out bacterial signals from as far as 90 meters away. This work could lead to the development of bacterial sensors for agricultural and other applications, which could be monitored by drones or satellites.
NewsMicrobial vanadate reduction: unveiling electron transfer and isotope fractionation
A recent study has shed light on the microbial reduction of vanadate (V(V)), a crucial process in environmental geochemistry and vanadium detoxification. It investigated electron transfer pathways and vanadium isotope fractionation during this process.
NewsA new tool for parsing the ‘metabolic dialogue’ between microorganisms
Scientists have developed an innovative system – called MetaFlowTrain – that allows the study of metabolic exchange and interactions within microbial communities under different environmental conditions.
NewsScientists decode citrus greening resistance and develop AI-assisted treatment
Researchers have identified the first mechanism of citrus resistance to citrus greening disease, or huanglongbing (HLB), and also used AI to develop antimicrobial peptides that offer a promising therapeutic approach to combat the disease.
NewsIn Croatia’s freshwater lakes, selfish bacteria hoard nutrients, shaping food webs
Researchers have documented ’selfish polysaccharide uptake’ by bacteria in freshwater ecosystems for the first time. They found that nutrient hoarding allows selfish species to dominate over others, which could shape a lake’s food web.
NewsBad breath, bad news: how gum disease could worsen liver conditions
A review discusses the close association of oral health and liver diseases, since oral pathogens and their factors can translocate to liver through the gastrointestinal tract and exacerbate chronic liver conditions in multiple ways, as supported by animal and clinical studies.
NewsFiber consumption protects gut from serious bacterial infection, study suggests
Brazilian researchers have gained better understanding of the role of soluble dietary fibre in the mechanism of immune modulation and fight against gut pathogen Clostridioides difficile that causes severe diarrhoea and colon inflammation.
NewsReduced movement of starlings with parasite infections has a negative impact on offspring
Researchers have shown for the first time that the impaired reproductive success in individuals with parasites is connected to altered movement behaviour. Infected starlings have a smaller action radius, which limits their access to high-quality foraging habitats.