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
Wearable nanotech could combat nerve agents
Fungi-inspired nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the frontline. Scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents.
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NewsRoot gene panel reveals hidden apple replant disease
In-depth research is needed to identify biomarkers that can diagnose apple replant disease (ARD) consistently across diverse soils. Researchers measured the expression of 90 candidate genes in the roots of ARD-sensitive ‘M.26’ apple plants grown in soils from 151 German sites.
NewsOne Health model links spillover, microbiomes and governance to global risk
Global health risks continue to emerge where people, animals and the environment meet. A new review highlights that managing these threats requires more than reacting to individual outbreaks: health systems need to monitor the biological, ecological and institutional conditions that allow risks to build.
NewsNew tool closes gap on untapped potential of phages
A new tool to mutate bacteriophages – viruses that infect bacteria – provides a big leap forward in both our understanding of how they function, and our ability to harness their full potential. The new method allows for genome-wide mutagenesis of bacteriophages using CRISPR-Cas technology.
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Research advances understanding of tick-borne Powassan virus
Researchers characterized changes in brain microRNAs during Powassan virus infection. MicroRNAs are tiny, natural molecules that help regulate how cells function by controlling protein production. The researchers found that these important regulators were widely disrupted as the infection progressed.
NewsHigh-altitude wetland reveals a distinctive genetic signature in DNA polymerase genes
Metagenomic analysis shows that DNA polymerase genes from China’s Napahai plateau wetland form distinctive evolutionary clusters, highlighting how geography and local environmental conditions may shape microbial genetic diversity.
NewsHow straw is returned to soil can make a major difference in nitrous oxide emissions
Returning crop straw to farmland is widely used to recycle nutrients and improve soil quality. But new research shows that the way straw is returned to soil can strongly influence how effectively it limits emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
NewsChina’s microecology journey points to a one health future
Microbes are often associated with disease, but the trillions of microorganisms living in and around us also help support health, food production and environmental balance. A new review in Microbiome and One Health examines the development of China’s microecology field across more than 70 years and its contribution to the ...
NewsNew dynamic vision of the rhizosphere moves beyond the drive to just add more inputs
A new Perspective argues the case for an expanded view of the rhizosphere as a dynamic system, paving the way for a vision of sustainable soil management that moves beyond simply adding more fertilizers, microbial products, or other inputs.
NewsFrog’s coat of bacterial armor helps protect it from fungal disease
The bacteria living on frogs’ skin could serve a vital role in protecting the animal from a deadly fungal disease. A team of researchers found that frogs’ natural skin bacteria can help them fight disease and improve their chances of survival.
NewsKibble with microbial proteins appeals to cats and dogs in new study
In a new study, cats and dogs showed a short-term preference for kibble containing some protein derived from microorganisms over kibble containing only standard, animal-derived protein.
NewsHow human impacts increase risk of emerging infectious disease outbreaks
Global fragmentation of ecosystems and changing patterns of rainfall have increased the risk of diseases spreading to humans from animals, mosquitoes and ticks, finds a study.
NewsCan this biotech innovation halt the destructive march of a cereal killer?
Researchers explored a recently discovered class of plant defence receptors, showing at molecular level how they function to limit blast pathogen attacks and how they might be bioengineered to introduce broader more durable immunity into wheat, barley, and rice.
NewsHot spring organism breaks record for heat tolerance of complex life
Scientists describe a new species of amoeba that can eat and reproduce in hot spring water as warm as 63°C (145°F) in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park. The amoeba can protect itself at temperatures up to 70°C (158°F) by changing shape and forming a protective outer layer.
NewsScientists advance fungi-based upcycling of waste concrete
Scientists are investigating how fungi can be harnessed to transform demolished concrete into reliable, high-value materials for future infrastructure.
NewsScientists reveal tissue culture-free (“ex vitro”) transformation method for trees
This technology introduces a novel “ex vitro” transformation method that utilizes Agrobacterium rhizogenes to genetically modify the roots of woody plants without the necessity for tissue culture.
NewsSixteen new fungus species found hiding in Thailand’s flowers
Researchers have discovered sixteen new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden and wild flowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country.
NewsBacteria pulled from local pond water show early promise for cleaning up sewage
A new study identifies green sulphur bacteria from Peshawar pond samples that reduced pollution markers in wastewater after a week of treatment.
NewsNew study uncovers the complex history of the plague after the Black Death
A new study sheds fresh light on the long and complex history of the plague by analysing the DNA of the bacterium. Researchers reconstructed 26 genomes of Yersinia pestis from archaeological sites in Estonia, Russia, England, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
NewsGlobal Virus Network comments on H5N1 detections in Australian mammals
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, in several mammal species in Australia as the virus continues to spread among birds and mammals worldwide.
NewsSuccession of colonising fungi reveals the dynamic nature of herbivore dung
Scientists investigating fungi colonising the dung of African herbivores, including rhinoceros, giraffe and zebra, have revealed how different groups of fungi succeed one another as dung decomposes.
NewsScientists develop microbially produced adhesive materials from glucose instead of petroleum
Researchers have demonstrated the potential of using microorganisms to produce a bio-based alternative to petroleum-derived materials for hot-melt adhesives.Using Escherichia coli, the team produced a new polymer from glucose and demonstrated performance and properties that support its potential use as a hot-melt adhesive.
NewsHow a pathogen turns flowers into leaves
Scientists have found how a protein produced by bacteria disrupts the mechanism that controls flower development in plants, turning reproductive organs into leaf-like structures. These findings shed light on a plant disease that is expected to spread as climate change expands the range of its insect vectors in northern latitudes.