July - 2024

Freezing and melting reshape diversity and structure of glacier microbial communities

With the increasing attention on global climate change and glacier retreat, the study of glacier microbiota has gradually become an important field of research. Prof. Zhang Wei's research team from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that the processes of sequestration, release and colonization of glacier microbes alter the diversity and structure of glacier microbial communities as well as the complexity of microbial networks. The researchers used a Z-P plot of species topological roles to screen the keystone taxa of glacier microbial communities. The results indicated that the keystone taxa in the glacial microbial ecosystem of the Dongkemadi Glacier mainly belong to the genus Polaromonas. The findings are published in Environment International.   Source: Phys

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Microbes found to destroy certain 'forever chemicals' by cleaving stubborn fluorine-to-carbon bonds

A UC Riverside environmental engineering team has discovered specific bacterial species that can destroy certain kinds of "forever chemicals," a step further toward low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water sources. The microorganisms belong to the genus Acetobacterium and they are commonly found in wastewater environments throughout the world. Forever chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, are so named because they have stubbornly strong carbon-fluorine chemical bonds, which make them persistent in the environment.   Source: Phys

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Increasing the understanding of early life on Earth could shape the search for life on other planets

Despite decades of research, there's still much scholars don't understand about life's beginnings and early evolution. A UC Riverside paper has opened the door to understanding more and to framing future studies that could help predict climate change and the search for life beyond Earth. "This paper strives to inform the Earth sciences community where the research needs to go next," said Christopher Tino, a UCR Ph.D. candidate during the time of research and a first author.   Source: Phys

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Innovative light-driven enzymatic biosystem for the synthesis of natural terpenoids

Terpenoids, such as α-farnesene, are natural compounds widely used in flavoring agents, fragrances, and even in biofuels. Traditionally, α-farnesene is extracted from plants, and hence their production may suffer from low yields and poor purity, unable to meet the criteria for human use. Chemical synthesis methods may address the above issues but can be challenging and harmful to the environment. Alternative methods using engineered microbes like cyanobacteria and Escherichia coli offer promising ways to produce α-farnesene from renewable sources and addressing these challenges.   Source: Phys

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June - 2024

Many more bacteria produce greenhouse gases than previously thought, study finds

Caltech researchers have discovered a new class of enzymes that enable a myriad of bacteria to "breathe" nitrate when in low-oxygen conditions. While this is an evolutionary advantage for bacterial survival, the process produces the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) as a byproduct, the third-most potent greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide and methane. However, unlike carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide is not long lived in the atmosphere, meaning that any interventions to curb its emission can have immediate benefits. For example, overuse of fertilizer for crops provides soil bacteria with abundant nitrate, which they then convert into nitrous oxide more judicious application of fertilizer could both cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and save farmers money.   Source: Phys

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Engineering enzymes to break down microplastics in sewage and wastewater

There are over 5 billion tons of plastic waste accumulated across the planet, much of which are microplastics that may harm human health and pose a long-term threat to agricultural productivity and food security. The gargantuan task of cleaning up this pollution could be aided by a tiny protein: a specialized enzyme designed to break down plastics into simple components that natural bacteria in the environment can use as a food source.   Source: Phys

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New discovery reveals that ocean algae unexpectedly help cool the Earth

A common type of ocean algae plays a significant role in producing a massively abundant compound that helps cool the Earth's climate, new research has discovered. The findings of the study by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Ocean University of China (OUC) could change our understanding of how these tiny marine organisms impact our planet.   Source: Phys

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Study identifies fungus that breaks down ocean plastic

A fungus living in the sea can break down the plastic polyethylene, provided it has first been exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. Researchers from, among others, NIOZ published their results in the journal Science of the Total Environment. They expect that many more plastic degrading fungi are living in deeper parts of the ocean. The fungus Parengyodontium album lives together with other marine microbes in thin layers on plastic litter in the ocean. Marine microbiologists from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) discovered that the fungus is capable of breaking down particles of the plastic polyethylene (PE), the most abundant of all plastics that have ended up in the ocean.   Source: Phys

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May - 2024

You leave a 'microbe fingerprint' on every piece of clothing you wear—and it could help forensic scientists solve crimes

When you think of a criminal investigation, you might picture detectives meticulously collecting and analyzing evidence found at the scene: weapons, biological fluids, footprints and fingerprints. However, this is just the beginning of an attempt to reconstruct the events and individuals involved in the crime. At the heart of the process lies the "principle of exchange" formulated by the French criminologist Edmond Locard in the early 1900s, which states that "every contact leaves a trace." The transfer of materials between the parties involved in a crime (the victim, the perpetrator, objects, the environment) forms the basis for reconstructing the events.   Source: Phys

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AI can help researchers understand what viruses are up to in the oceans and in your gut

Viruses are a mysterious and poorly understood force in microbial ecosystems. Researchers know they can infect, kill and manipulate human and bacterial cells in nearly every environment, from the oceans to your gut. But scientists don't yet have a full picture of how viruses affect their surrounding environments in large part because of their extraordinary diversity and ability to rapidly evolve. Communities of microbes are difficult to study in a laboratory setting. Many microbes are challenging to cultivate, and their natural environment has many more features influencing their success or failure than scientists can replicate in a lab.   Source: Phys

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How wildfires change soil chemistry

The huge, long-lasting wildfires that have become increasingly common in recent years can cause changes in soil chemistry that affect water contamination, air quality, and plant growth. But these changes are poorly monitored and rarely factor into post-fire recovery efforts or risk assessments, according to a review study published May 14 in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The study, led by Stanford University and Colorado State University scientists, found that better techniques are needed to monitor changes in soil and surrounding ecosystems. This enhanced monitoring could inform decisions on how to treat drinking water sourced from burned areas, support reforestation, and protect workers against toxins during cleanup, rebuilding, or revegetation.   Source: Phys

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Persistent strain of cholera defends itself against forces of change, scientists find

A deadly strain of cholera bacteria that emerged in Indonesia back in 1961 continues to spread widely to this day, claiming thousands of lives around the world every year, sickening millions, and with its persistence, baffling scientists. Finally, in a study published in Nature, researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have discovered how this dangerous strain has held out over decades. A longstanding mystery about the strain of Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) responsible for the seventh global cholera pandemic is how this lineage has managed to out-compete other pathogenic variants. The UT team identified a unique quirk of the immune system that protects the bacteria from a key driver of bacterial evolution.   Source: Phys

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April - 2024

Study finds microbes hitchhike on microplastics to reach the sea

The oceans contain large amounts of microplastics, particles that are less than 5 mm in size. In parts of the Baltic Sea, the concentration of microplastics can be as much as 3,300 particles per cubic meter. The microplastics end up in aquatic environments through industrial or domestic sewage and littering. Because they are difficult to degrade, they can be persistent in the ecosystem and affect many aquatic organisms. A large proportion of microplastics in the oceans have been washed out via rivers and other waterways. These microplastics are also accompanied by the microorganisms that grow on the surface of the particles. But the composition of microorganisms differs between freshwater and seawater. The fact that the microorganisms "hitchhike" with the plastic particles means that many microorganisms from the freshwater follow the small particles into the sea. Will this affect the composition of microorganisms in the marine environment?   Source: Phys

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Unique field study shows how climate change affects fire-impacted forests

During the unusually dry year of 2018, Sweden was hit by numerous forest fires. A research team led from Lund University in Sweden has investigated how climate change affects recently burned boreal forests and their ability to absorb carbon dioxide. The boreal forests form a single biome that spans the entire Northern Hemisphere. These forests play a key role in the global climate system by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Increasing forest fires, in the wake of climate change, threaten to undermine this ecosystem service.   Source: Phys

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Soil bacteria link their life strategies to soil conditions: Study

Soil bacteria help regulate the cycling of carbon and nutrients on Earth. Over time, these bacteria have evolved strategies that determine where they live, what they do, and how they deal with a changing environment. However, microbiologists do not fully understand how bacteria's genes relate to their life strategies. By analyzing large DNA sequencing datasets from around the globe, researchers discovered a new way of categorizing the dominant life strategies of soil bacteria based on their genes. This technique allowed the researchers to link different life strategies with specific climate and soil conditions. Their paper is published in the journal Nature Microbiology.   Source: Phys

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Attack and defense in the microverse: How small RNA molecules regulate viral infections of bacteria

Viruses need hosts. Whether it's measles, the flu or coronavirus, viral pathogens cannot multiply or infect other organisms without the assistance of their hosts' cellular infrastructure. However, humans are not the only ones affected by viruses: animals, plants and even microorganisms can all serve as hosts. Viruses that use bacteria as host cells are called bacteriophages (or simply "phages" for short) and are thought to be the most abundant biological entities of all. Just as the human immune system springs into action to resist a flu or coronavirus infection, bacteria do not simply allow phages to infiltrate their cellular machinery without a fight.   Source: Phys

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March - 2024

Say hello to biodegradable microplastics: Plant-based polymers that can disappear within seven months

Microplastics are tiny, nearly indestructible fragments shed from everyday plastic products. As we learn more about microplastics, the news keeps getting worse. Already well-documented in our oceans and soil, we're now discovering them in the unlikeliest of places: our arteries, lungs and even placentas. Microplastics can take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to break down and, in the meantime, our planet and bodies are becoming more polluted with these materials every day . Source: Phys

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Tropical plants beat drought by interacting with specific microbes, study shows

Plant-soil-microbe interactions play a crucial role in processes that take place in the soil directly around plant roots, or the rhizosphere, and these processes contribute to nutrient cycling and metabolite turnover in the environment. Amid the water scarcity that occurs with climate change, plants are forced to adapt through a range of processes that impact soil organic matter turnover in the rhizosphere. Source: Phys

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'Molecular Rosetta Stone' reveals how our microbiomes 'talk' to us

Researchers from Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego have uncovered thousands of previously unknown bile acids, a type of molecule used by our gut microbiome to communicate with the rest of the body. "Bile acids are a key component of the language of the gut microbiome, and finding this many new types radically expands our vocabulary for understanding what our gut microbes do and how they do it," said senior author Pieter Dorrestein, Ph.D., professor at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and professor of pharmacology and pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "It's like going from 'See Spot Run' to Shakespeare." Source: Phys

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In peatland soil, a warmer climate and elevated carbon dioxide rapidly alter soil organic matter

Soils in northern freshwater wetlands, called peatlands, are cold, water-saturated, and acidic. These conditions slow microbes' decomposition of organic matter into greenhouse gases. This process stores carbon in the soil. Researchers use the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment to warm air and soil in a northern Minnesota bog to simulate the effects of climate change on the carbon cycle. Source: Phys

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February - 2024

Anoxic marine basins are among the best candidates for deep-sea carbon sequestration, say scientists

Anoxic marine basins may be among the most viable places to conduct large-scale carbon sequestration in the deep ocean, while minimizing negative impacts on marine life. So say UC Santa Barbara researchers in a paper published in the journal AGU Advances. As we explore ways to actively draw down the levels of carbon in the atmosphere, sending plant biomass to these barren, oxygen-free zones on the seafloor becomes an option worth considering, they suggest. Source: Phys

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Interaction between two common oral bacteria creates chemical compound responsible for bad breath

In a study published last month in mSystems, researchers from Osaka University revealed that the interaction between two common types of oral bacteria leads to the production of a chemical compound that is a major cause of smelly breath. Bad breath is caused by volatile compounds that are produced when bacteria in the mouth digest substances like blood and food particles. One of the smelliest of these compounds is methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), which is produced by microbes that live around the teeth and on the surface of the tongue. However, little is known about which specific bacterial species are involved in this process. Source: Phys

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Microfluidic environments alter microbe behaviors, opening potential for engineering their social evolution

Microbes are social beings. Much like humans, they communicate and cooperate with each other to solve problems bigger than themselves. In a microbial community, there will even be free riders and others that police them. So, what if researchers could influence their social evolution to promote certain behaviors? Doing so can be vital to solving many of today's challenges such as combating infection and antibiotic resistance, developing microbial strategies for wastewater treatment or harvesting alternative energy sources. Source: Phys

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In peatland soil, a warmer climate and elevated carbon dioxide rapidly alter soil organic matter

Soils in northern freshwater wetlands, called peatlands, are cold, water-saturated, and acidic. These conditions slow microbes' decomposition of organic matter into greenhouse gases. This process stores carbon in the soil. Researchers use the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment to warm air and soil in a northern Minnesota bog to simulate the effects of climate change on the carbon cycle. In a new study, researchers have tested whether different components of the organic matter in soil would degrade at different rates in response to climate change. Surprisingly, the experiments showed that all organic soil components can break down more quickly in warmer conditions. Source: Phys

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January - 2024

How much life has ever existed on Earth?

All organisms are made of living cells. While it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the first cells came to exist, geologists' best estimates suggest at least as early as 3.8 billion years ago. But how much life has inhabited this planet since the first cell on Earth? And how much life will ever exist on Earth? Source: Phys

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Iron influences plant immunity and may promote resiliency against climate change

Plants and animals alike rely on iron for growth and regulation of microbiomes—collections of bacteria, fungi, and more that co-exist in places like the human gut or the soil around a plant's roots. Plants face a special challenge when acquiring iron, since the strategies plants use to increase iron availability alter the root microbiome and can inadvertently benefit harmful soil-dwelling bacteria. Now, Salk scientists have discovered how plants manage iron deficiency without helping "bad" bacteria thrive—by eliminating IMA1, the molecular signal for iron deficiency in roots at risk of bacterial attack. Additionally, they found that more IMA1 in leaves can make them more resistant to bacterial attack, suggesting the iron deficiency signaling pathway and plant immune system are deeply intertwined. Source: Phys

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The surprisingly resourceful ways bacteria thrive in the human gut

The gut microbiome is so useful to human digestion and health that it is often called an extra digestive organ. This vast collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the intestine helps us break down foods and produce nutrients or other metabolites that impact human health in a myriad of ways. New research from the University of Chicago shows that some groups of these microbial helpers are amazingly resourceful too, with a large repertoire of genes that help them generate energy for themselves and potentially influence human health as well. Source: Phys

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Uncovering how tiny plastics threaten our soil and health

In a study published online in Eco-Environment & Health, researchers from Zhejiang Shuren University and China Agricultural University have delved into the interaction of tiny plastics and soil, aiming to provide insights into the mechanisms and implications of plastic pollution on soil health and antibiotic resistance. In this study, scientists investigated the effects of tiny plastic particles, known as nanoplastics and microplastics, on the bacterial community structure and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil. They focused on polystyrene, a common plastic pollutant. Source: Phys

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