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
Microbiome of an entire country is mapped for the first time
An international research team has systematically mapped the microbiome of an entire country for the first time. More than 10,000 environmental samples from across Denmark were analyzed, resulting in an atlas of environmental microbiomes with unprecedented spatial resolution and functional depth.
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NewsThe ship-timber beetle’s fungal partner: more than just a food source
Researchers studying the ambrosia fungus of the ship-timber beetle discovered that this fungus stores significantly more nutrients than other types of fungi. The beetle’s symbiotic fungus accumulates various phenolic substances from the wood in its mycelium.
NewsComplex life developed earlier than previously thought, study reveals
New research indicates that complex organisms evolved long before there were substantial levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, something which had previously been considered a prerequisite to the evolution of complex life.
NewsNew roadmap reveals how everyday chemicals and microbes interact to fuel antimicrobial resistance
A new perspective outlines an urgent scientific roadmap for understanding how common chemicals interact with microbial communities to accelerate the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
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Scientists clarify how much metal in soil is 'too much' for people and the environment
A new review explains which laboratory tools, models and tests best capture the true bioavailability of heavy metals in soil and how regulators worldwide are starting to use them.
NewsResearchers confirm new rickettsia species found in dogs
Researchers have confirmed that a species of Rickettsia first seen in dogs in 2018 is a new species of bacteria. The new species is associated with symptoms similar to those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in dogs, but has not yet been found in humans.
NewsCedars-Sinai and Exobiosphere partner to launch biomedical research aboard the Haven-1 Space Station
Cedars-Sinai is partnering with Exobiosphere, a company that has developed scientific hardware to automate biomedical research in space and on Earth, and will send experiments to Haven-1, set to become the world’s first commercial space station.
NewsPlant ‘first responder’ cells warn neighbors about bacterial pathogens
Researchers have found that a subset of epidermal cells in plant leaves serves as early responders to chemical cues from bacterial pathogens and communicate this information to neighbors through a local traveling wave of calcium ions.
NewsBlack carbon from wheat straw burning shown to curb antibiotic resistance spread in farmlands with plastic mulch residues
A new study reveals that black carbon formed during wheat straw burning can significantly reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil and soybean crops, offering a promising strategy for safer and more sustainable farming in regions burdened by plastic mulch debris.
NewsBiochar boosts hydrogen and methane yield in next-generation food-waste-to-energy systems
A research team has demonstrated that adding biochar to two-phase anaerobic digestion systems can significantly increase hydrogen and methane production from food waste, while maintaining system stability under high organic loading rates.
NewsAll life copies DNA unambiguously into proteins. Archaea may be the exception.
A study shows how a methane-producing member of the Archaea, interprets one three-letter sequence — normally a stop codon that signals the end of a protein — in two different ways, synthesizing two different proteins seemingly at random, though biased by conditions in the environment.
NewsProbiotics and prebiotics offer safer alternatives to antibiotics in animal agriculture
A new study shows how probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can safely enhance growth and immunity in livestock, and balance the growth of intestinal microbes, offering practical alternatives to antibiotics.
NewsGroundbreaking technique unlocks secrets of bacterial shape-shifting
Scientists have long known that bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but understanding what those differences mean has remained a major challenge, especially for species that can’t be grown in the lab. A groundbreaking method could change how researchers study bacterial diversity.
NewsAnts signal deadly infection in altruistic self-sacrifice
Researchers have discovered that terminally ill ant brood, like infected cells, release an odor signaling their impending death and the risk they pose. This sophisticated early warning system facilitates rapid detection and removal of pathogenic infections.
NewsVIRE: a global data platform to better understand viruses
Researchers have released a comprehensive viral genome database covering diverse ecosystems to advance the understanding of viral evolution and ecosystem functions.
NewsMicroalgae could play key role in bio-based circular economy
With food systems under pressure from climate change, geopolitical instability, and supply chain vulnerabilities, the EU is driving innovation toward more sustainable, resilient, and local production models. Microalgae have emerged as a promising resource for producing ingredients across food, feed, and other consumer goods.
NewsPlant extracts show promise in reducing human pathogen risks in agricultural soils
A new study has revealed that natural plant extracts can significantly lower the risks posed by human bacterial pathogens in manure amended agricultural soils. The eco friendly strategy disrupts the communication systems that bacteria use to coordinate harmful activities.
NewsNew global guidelines streamline environmental microbiome research
A team of nearly 250 researchers from 28 countries has developed a new set of reporting guidelines for environmental microbiomes called STREAMS. The guidelines are organized by the structure of a scientific manuscript and help ensure that important details aren’t overlooked.
NewsDynamic duo of bacteria could change Mars dust into versatile building material for first human colonists
Scientists are investigating a bacterial co-culture mixed with Martian regolith as a potential feedstock for 3D printing on Mars. At the intersection of astrobiology, geochemistry, material science, construction engineering, and robotics, this synergistic system could revolutionize the potential for construction on the Red Planet.
NewsCan a synthetic compound help plants recruit beneficial bacteria?
Researchers examining how a DMA analog called proline-2’-deoxymugineic acid (PDMA) influences the rhizosphere microbiome of peanut plants found that PDMA increased the abundance of beneficial microbes, particularly those within the phylum Actinobacteria.
NewsMicroplastics disrupt gut microbiome and fermentation in farm animals
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles pervasive in agricultural environments, interact with and disrupt the microbial ecosystem in the rumen – the first stomach chamber of cattle, reveals an international study.
NewsUS- & Argentina startup Michroma wins €250k investment with The Future is Fungi Award 2025
A new frontier in biotechnology just crowned its next pioneer. Out of 187 groundbreaking startups from 59 countries, Michroma wins the The Future is Fungi Award 2025, taking home €250,000 / USD 289 000 in investment.
NewsAcid rain may be training soil bacteria to become more deadly
Acid rain from fossil fuel pollution may be quietly training soil bacteria to become longer-lived, more transmissible, and more deadly, according to a new study that tracks how a notorious foodborne pathogen rapidly evolved under simulated acid deposition.