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
A new way to make microbial fuel cell - a 3D-printed fungal battery
Researchers have developed a full functional, non-toxic and biodegradable fungal battery, with enough to power a temperature sensor, which can be used in agriculture or in environmental research for several days.
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NewsPet dogs often overlooked as spreader of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella
Household dogs are an overlooked transmission point for zoonotic pathogens such as nontyphoidal Salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, with some infections potentially having life-threatening complications.
NewsSoil fungus mechanism yield slow but effective control of nematodes
For the first time, researchers have been able to understand how the soil fungus 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢 eliminates nematodes with the help of natural products and could thus also help agriculture.
NewsBacterial gene deployed in new trees to combat devastating citrus greening disease
Scientists are testing a new type of citrus tree, deploying a bacterial gene that can fight off the tiny insects responsible for citrus greening.
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News
New research reveals reasons for antibiotic usage in Indian chicken farming
New research exploring antibiotic use in chicken farming in eastern India reveals how poultry companies play a significant role in influencing the way antibiotics are used during food production compared to chicken farmers.
NewsChimpanzees are genetically adapted to local habitats and infections such as malaria
Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in their different forest and savannah habitats, some of which may protect against malaria, according to a study by an international team.
NewsBlueberries beware: Powdery mildew spreading across the globe
A new study pinpoints the worldwide spread of a fungus that taints blueberry plants with powdery mildew, a disease that reduces blueberry yield and encourages the use of fungicides to combat disease spread.
NewsScientists uncover key step in how diazotrophs ‘fix’ nitrogen
There are only two ways of fixing nitrogen, one industrial and one biological. To better understand a key component of the biological process, researchers took a multi-pronged approach.
NewsPlant cells gain immune capabilities when it’s time to fight disease
New research reveals how plant cells switch roles to protect themselves against pathogens. When a threat is encountered, the cells enter a specialized immune state and temporarily become PRimary IMmunE Responder (PRIMER) cells.
NewsAgricultural scientists call for removal of more than 120 ‘phantom agents’ from pathogen regulatory lists
Wiping “phantom agents” from a list of suspected plant pathogens would improve agricultural efficiency and food security by updating regulations on international shipment of pathogen-free plant materials destined for countries where they are needed.
NewsParasite ‘matchmakers’ genetically alter plant cells to attract insects
Researchers have revealed how parasitic phytoplasmas manipulate plant biology to act as matchmakers, boosting male insect appeal by modulating hosts to attract more reproductive females.
NewsSome bacteria evolve like clockwork with the seasons
The longest natural metagenome time series ever collected, with microbes, reveals a startling evolutionary pattern on repeat.
NewsNew study suggests RNA present on surfaces of leaves may shape microbial communities
Biologists have shown that the surfaces of plant leaves are coated with a diverse array of RNA molecules, suggersting this may play a role in shaping the microbial communities that inhabit them, potentially influencing plant health and interactions within their environment.
NewsThese bacteria perform a trick that could keep plants healthy
Researchers have shown that some types of soil bacteria can influence a plant’s balance of growth and defense. The bacteria produce an enzyme that can lower a plant’s immune activity and allow its roots to grow longer than they would otherwise.
NewsSugar solution fights infection in dairy cows just as well as antibiotics
A concentrated sugar solution could be just as effective as antibiotics at treating a common infection in dairy cows, according to a new study.
NewsDual activation of soybean resistance against Phytophthora sojae by pectin lyase and degraded pectin oligosaccharides
A study elucidates the mechanism by which pectin lyase, secreted by Phytophthora sojae activates plant immunity, thereby offering a theoretical foundation for further exploration of the role of pectinase in pathogen-plant interactions.
CareersThe Space Microbiology Group
The Space Microbiology Group studies how microorganisms behave in space conditions, using tools such as microbiology, molecular biology, system biology and geomicrobiology to learn how new biotechnologies could be applied to space.
NewsStudy reveals the fabrics most vulnerable to fungi attack during shipping - and the culprits
A new study could help consumer goods manufacturers to predict the likelihood of mold growth during shipping, enabling them to make informed decisions and mitigate economic losses.
NewsEvolutionary study reveals the toxic reach of disease-causing bacteria across the plant kingdom
The capacity of bacteria to spread disease across the plant kingdom may be much more widespread than previously suspected, according to a comparative evolutionary analysis, using the diversity of Pseudomonas syringae bacteria.
NewsCapybaras found dead from rabies on island in Brazil
The viral rabies strain found in the dead animals on Anchieta Island in Ubatuba was the variant transmitted by vampire bats, which probably fed on the capybaras’ blood at a time of habitat disturbance.
NewsConnectivity loss in pond networks threatens microbial biodiversity
A recent study explored the effects of connectivity loss within pond networks, using an outdoor experimental setup of artificial ponds (mesocosms).
NewsFlagella-free survival: How bacteria evolve by shedding their ‘wheels’
New research reveals that bacteria can evolve by losing their flagella, the structures responsible for movement.
NewsLiving in the deep, dark, slow lane: first global appraisal of microbiomes in earth’s subsurface environments
A new study reveals astonishingly high microbial diversity in some of the Earth’s deepest, darkest subsurface environments, including gold mines, in aquifers and deep boreholes in the seafloor.
