October- 2023

Comprehensive pan-genome analysis of lactic acid bacteria unveils new avenues for food industry and health care

	A team of international researchers has published the first comprehensive comparative pan-genome analysis of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), a family of microorganisms essential to natural ecosystems and the food industry. Published in Food Microbiology, the study was carried out by scientists from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain) and the University of California, San Diego. The new study represents a crucial leap in understanding the genetic capabilities of 26 LAB species, in the first of it's kind family-wide pangenome analysis. By analyzing over 2,400 publicly available genomes of high quality, the researchers successfully mapped the functional genetic capabilities, metabolic pathways, and biosynthetic gene clusters of individual strains across 26 species in the Lactobacillaceae family. Source: Phys

— Read more

Researchers say that disinfectants can promote antibiotic resistance

	According to figures published by the journal Nature, 73% of the world's antibiotics are used in the production of domestic animals. They are used primarily for preventive purposes because these animals are kept in confined and unhygienic conditions, but are also administered to promote growth. The result is that bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to essential and life-saving antibiotics. So says Gunhild Hageskal, who is a Senior Research Scientist at the Norwegian science institute SINTEF. Together with her colleagues, including Anne Tøndervik, she is currently working in the field of antibiotic resistance, which is currently regarded as one of the biggest threats to global public health. Source: Phys

— Read more

A new method for assessing the microbiome of the human gut

	The gut microbiome—the population and variety of bacteria within the intestine—is thought to influence a number of behavioral and disease traits in humans. Most obviously, it affects intestinal health. Cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and celiac disease, for example, are all affected by the gut microbiome. But recent research at Caltech and other research centers has identified connections between the gut microbiome and diseases such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis as well as links between the gut microbiome and the presence of autistic behaviors, anxious behaviors, and a propensity to binge-eat sweets. Most of this work has been done in the laboratory of Sarkis Mazmanian, Caltech's Luis B. and Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology, who works mainly on mouse models. Source: Phys

— Read more

Finding a balance in antibiotic medicine: Can we kill bad bacteria while preserving the good?

	A new study led by scientists at University of St Andrews has found that antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis kill other potentially useful bacteria. The work has been published in The Lancet Microbe. Human life and microorganisms evolved together mostly in a mutually beneficial relationship. Billions of these microorganisms live happily inside the body while others live outside on the skin. Together they are called microbiota. The good microbiota help strengthen our immunity against diseases, as well as helping to turn the food we eat into nutrients which nourish our bodies. A tiny minority of microbiota cause disease, which compels us to use medicines known as antibiotics that kill them. Source: Phys

— Read more

September- 2023

Your microbes live on after you die—a microbiologist explains how your necrobiome recycles your body

	Each human body contains a complex community of trillions of microorganisms that are important for your health while you're alive. These microbial symbionts help you digest food, produce essential vitamins, protect you from infection and serve many other critical functions. In turn, the microbes, which are mostly concentrated in your gut, get to live in a relatively stable, warm environment with a steady supply of food. Source: Phys

— Read more

Bacterial biosensors: The future of analyte detection

	Scientists can do some nifty things with microbes, including engineering bacterial cells to sense and signal the presence of specific compounds. These microbial whole-cell biosensors have numerous purposes, from detecting toxins in the environment to signaling infections or disease in humans. Propelled by advances in synthetic biology, researchers are continuing to refine the methodology for creating bacterial biosensors and are developing new ways to apply these devices to promote human and planetary health. Source: Phys

— Read more

Experiment demonstrates how worm hosts and associated microbiome jointly contribute to environmental adaptation

	All multicellular organisms—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to humans—live in close association with a variety of microorganisms, known as the microbiome, which colonize on and in their tissues and form symbiotic relationships with the host. Many vital functions such as nutrient uptake, regulation of the immune system or even neurological processes result from the interactions between host organism and microbial symbionts. Source: Phys

— Read more

Understanding how cells avoid obstacles while navigating complex environments

	Imagine a dark room packed full of furniture. Now imagine moving through it to get to the other side, using only your toe tips for guidance. While it may seem challenging (or unspeakably tedious) to us, this is a task that many cells in our body perform regularly while migrating through tissues. New research from the Diz-Muñoz group at EMBL Heidelberg has now identified a novel molecular pathway that helps cells achieve this feat. Source: Phys

— Read more

August- 2023

Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?

	Like every industry, modern farming relies heavily on plastics. Think plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging, to name a few. In a new review article, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers say these plastics are now widely dispersed in agricultural soils in the form of microplastics and nanoplastics. That's not necessarily new; microplastics have been found in nearly every ecosystem and organism on Earth. The twist, according to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) researchers, is that micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply. Source: Phys

— Read more

Research shows beavers are remaking microbial ecosystems in the Arctic

	As the Arctic has warmed and beaver populations have rebounded, the animal architects known for greatly modifying their natural environments have moved to higher and higher latitudes. Now, researchers show that beaver-instigated alterations translate all the way to the microscopic level, reshaping microbial communities in Arctic waterways. The work is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. In northern Alaska, the researchers waded into the water and sampled sediment from seven ponds formed by beavers and from seven beaver-free lakes and streams. Back in the lab, they analyzed the populations of bacteria, archaea, and fungi present in the samples. Source: Phys

— Read more

Study reveals metabolic capacities of microorganisms in ferromanganese nodule sediments

	Ferromanganese nodule-bearing deep-sea sediments harbor unique conditions characterized by high iron concentration and low degradable nutrient levels, which pose challenges to the survival and growth of most microorganisms. Recently, a research team led by Prof. Sha Zhongli from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has investigated the adaptability of microorganisms inhabiting metal-rich ferromanganese nodule sediments. The study was published in Microbiome on July 25. Source: Phys

— Read more

How Salmonella grow together in the gut and exchange antibiotic resistance

	The ability to utilize a mere single alternative food source is all it takes for diarrhea-causing Salmonella bacteria to bloom when a gut is already colonized by a closely related strain, according to researchers from ETH Zurich. This coexistence enables the exchange of antibiotic resistance. Bacteria are growing more resistance to common antibiotics, and one key factor contributing to this problem is the exchange of antibiotic resistance genes between closely related bacterial strains. When these related bacteria come into proximity, they can share information about how to survive antibiotics. Unfortunately, our intestines appear to provide an ideal environment for this exchange to occur. The reasons for this had remained unclear. Source: Phys

— Read more

July- 2023

Soil microbes help plants cope with drought, but not how scientists thought

	There's a complex world beneath our feet, teeming with diverse and interdependent life. Plants call out with chemical signals in times of stress, summoning microbes that can unlock bound nutrients and find water in soil pores too small for the finest roots. In return, microbes get a safe place to live or a sugary drink. Source: Phys

— Read more

Cleaning up contaminated industrial sites in battle against soil pollution

	The answer to cleaning up contaminated industrial sites in Europe could lie in the microbes that are already there. Trees and other vegetation grow on the site of a former soap factory in northwestern France. While the greenery suggests all is well in the Ploufragan commune near the Brittany coast, the truth is that a plant for making cleaning products has left a mess. The surrounding soil is saturated with toxic hydrocarbons—byproducts of the soap production. Source: Phys

— Read more

Immune systems develop 'silver bullet' defenses against common bacteria

	Immune systems develop specific genes to combat common bacteria such as those found in food, new research shows. Previous theories have suggested that antimicrobial peptides—a kind of natural antibiotics—have a general role in killing a range of bacteria. However, the new study, published in Science, examined how the immune systems of fruit flies are shaped by the bacteria in their food and environment. It is titled "Ecology-relevant bacteria drive the evolution of host antimicrobial peptides in Drosophila." Source: Phys

— Read more

Helping plants and bacteria work together reduces fertilizer need, finds new study

	Helping to promote the natural relationship between plants and bacteria could reduce reliance on environmentally damaging fertilizers, a study has found. As the population grows and crop yields are threatened by climate change, scientists are keen to help promote plant growth in a natural and sustainable way. Source: Phys

— Read more

June- 2023

Host genetics shown to play a significant role in the composition of switchgrass root microbiomes

	Plants provide a home for a wide diversity of microbes, especially in their roots. In turn, these communities can provide important benefits for the host. A study published in Current Biology investigated how the genetics of host plants determine the composition of the bacterial communities associated with the plants' roots. The study identified a core set of bacterial strains that colonize switchgrass roots. Source: Phys

— Read more

New pathway discovered for RNA degradation in iron-rich environments

	RNA, an essential biomolecule for life, has been used in environmental applications including monitoring microbial communities, developing pesticides, and quantifying the abundance of pathogenic viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, in water and wastewater systems. Understanding how quickly RNA breaks down in given conditions is critical to harnessing the molecule in these and other emerging technologies. Source: Phys

— Read more

Scientists discover small RNA that regulates bacterial infection

	People with weakened immune systems are at constant risk of infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common environmental bacterium, can colonize different body parts, such as the lungs, leading to persistent, chronic infections that can last a lifetime—a common occurrence in people with cystic fibrosis. But the bacteria can sometimes change their behavior and enter the bloodstream, causing chronic localized infections to become acute and potentially fatal. Despite decades of studying the transition in lab environments, how and why the switch happens in humans has remained unknown. Source: Phys

— Read more

How a microbe creates its own sulfate reduction machinery

	Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, have uncovered the molecular secrets of a methane-generating microbe that can transform sulfate into sulfide—a ready-to-use cellular building block. This discovery opens up exciting opportunities in biofuel production. Sulfur is a fundamental element of life and all organisms need it to synthesize cellular materials. Autotrophs, such as plants and algae, acquire sulfur by converting sulfate into sulfide, which can be incorporated into biomass. However, this process requires a lot of energy and produces harmful intermediates and byproducts that need to be immediately transformed. Source: Phys

— Read more

May- 2023

Death cap mushroom's invasion success may be linked to newly documented variability of toxin genes

	It's a cold, wet day in 2015 and Anne Pringle is scouring the understory of a Northern California forest for the unassuming organism that has consumed her research for the last several years: the death cap mushroom, or Amanita phalloides. This fungus isn't the whimsical, polka-dotted toadstool of childhood cartoon nostalgia, but the fatally toxic mushroom that has invaded the North American West Coast. Pringle and her lab have been collecting specimens to try and determine how the death cap has been able to invade this environment. Source: Phys

— Read more

Scientists provide first field observations of coccolithophore carbon extraction

	Coccolithophores, a globally ubiquitous type of phytoplankton, play an essential role in the cycling of carbon between the ocean and atmosphere. New research from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences shows that these vital microbes can survive in low-light conditions by taking up dissolved organic forms of carbon, forcing researchers to reconsider the processes that drive carbon cycling in the ocean. The findings were published this week in Science Advances. Source: Phys

— Read more

New book eyes Earth's excavators, from microbes to elephants and dinosaurs

	The ordinary person looks at Stone Mountain and sees a solid, unmovable monolith. Emory paleontologist Anthony Martin, who thinks in geologic time, sees something more akin to a giant sugar cube. Ever since the crystalized mass of igneous-born minerals rose from deep underground, pushed by the upwelling of magma that formed the Blue Ridge Mountains around 350 million years ago, the giant rock's flanks have faced continuous assault—and not just from weather and water. Source: Phys

— Read more

Plastic-eating fungi thriving in man-made 'plastisphere' may help tackle global waste

	In a new study published in eLife, lead author Carolyn Elya, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard, reveals the molecular and cellular underpinnings behind the parasitic fungus, Entomophthora muscae's (E. muscae), ability to manipulate the behavior of fruit flies. Source: Phys

— Read more

April- 2023

Machine learning helps scientists identify the environmental preferences of microbes

	Researchers have figured out a way to predict bacteria's environmental pH preferences from a quick look at their genomes, using machine learning. Led by experts at the University of Colorado Boulder, the new approach promises to help guide ecological restoration efforts, agriculture, and even the development of health-related probiotics. Source: Phys

— Read more

How dormant bacteria come back to life

	Solving a riddle that has confounded biologists since bacterial spores—inert, sleeping bacteria— were first described more than 150 years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered a new kind of cellular sensor that allows spores to detect the presence of nutrients in their environment and quickly spring back to life. Source: Phys

— Read more

Metallophiles and their bioremediation applications

	Certain species of microbes have evolved to survive in harsh environments, even those that were previously thought to be too extreme to support life. These include environments, such as mines and industrial sewage, that are rich in heavy metals. On the other hand, human exposure to toxic levels of metals, like cadmium and mercury, is known to lead to health risks, including cancer and damage to multiple organ systems. Source: Phys

— Read more

Scientists track evolution of microbes on the skin's surface

	Human skin is home to millions of microbes. One of these microbes, Staphylococcus aureus, is an opportunistic pathogen that can invade patches of skin affected by eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis. In a new study, researchers at MIT and other institutions have discovered that this microbe can rapidly evolve within a single person's microbiome. They found that in people with eczema, S. aureus tends to evolve to a variant with a mutation in a specific gene that helps it grow faster on the skin. Source: Phys

— Read more

March- 2023

Novel nano-optical technology tracks communications in living cells

	Microbes may be among the smallest living things on Earth, but bioimaging to understand the chemistry that fuels these organisms could reveal important clues about the intricacies of gene function and the health of the planet. Because of this, scientists have long sought ways to eavesdrop on conversations between living microbes in their environment. Source: Phys

— Read more

How the gut creates a cozy home for beneficial microbiome species

	The digestive tract of fruit flies remodels itself to accommodate beneficial microbiome species and maintain long-term stability of the gut environment, according to new research led by William Ludington and Allan Spradling of the Carnegie Institution for Science. Their findings are published in Nature Communications. Source: Phys

— Read more

Humans are leaving behind a 'frozen signature' of microbes on Mount Everest

	Almost 5 miles above sea level in the Himalayan mountains, the rocky dip between Mount Everest and its sister peak, Lhotse, lies windswept, free of snow. It is here at the South Col where hundreds of adventurers pitch their final camp each year before attempting to scale the world's tallest peak from the southeastern side. Source: Phys

— Read more

Researchers prove that tough, woody lignin can be broken down in an anaerobic environment

	It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. In this case, the "job" is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial polymers on Earth, lignin surrounds valuable plant fibers and other molecules that could be converted into biofuels and other commodity chemicals—if we could only get past that rigid plant cell wall. Source: Phys

— Read more

February- 2023

Wastewater sector emits nearly twice as much methane as previously thought

	Municipal wastewater treatment plants emit nearly double the amount of methane into the atmosphere than scientists previously believed, according to new research from Princeton University. And since methane warms the planet over 80 times more powerfully than carbon dioxide over 20 years, that could be a big problem. Source: Phys

— Read more

Microbes may play a key role in unleashing 'forever chemicals' from recycled-waste fertilizer

	"Forever chemicals" are everywhere—water, soil, crops, animals, the blood of 97% of Americans—researchers from Drexel University's College of Engineering are trying to figure out how they got there. Their recent findings suggest that the microbes that help break down biodegradable materials and other waste are likely complicit in the release of the notorious per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment. Source: Phys

— Read more

Microbes are 'active engineers' in Earth's rock-to-life cycle

	The name "critical zone" may give off 1980s action thriller vibes, but it's the term scientists use to refer to the area of Earth's land surface responsible for sustaining life. A relatively small portion of the planetary structure, it spans from the bedrock below groundwater all the way up to the lower atmosphere. Source: Phys

— Read more

Current microbiome analyses may falsely detect species that are not actually present

	Common approaches to analyzing DNA from a community of microbes, called a microbiome, can yield erroneous results, in large part due to the incomplete databases used to identify microbial DNA sequences. A team led by Aiese Cigliano of Sequentia Biotech SL and Clemente Fernandez Arias and Federica Bertocchini of the Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas Margarita Salas report these findings in a paper published February 8 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. Source: Phys

— Read more

January- 2023

Microbes in your food can help or hinder your body's defenses against cancer

	The microbes living in your food can affect your risk of cancer. While some help your body fight cancer, others help tumors evolve and grow. Gut microbes can influence your cancer risk by changing how your cells behave. Many cancer-protective microbes support normal, cooperative behavior of cells. Meanwhile, cancer-inducing microbes undermine cellular cooperation and increase your risk of cancer in the process. Source: Phys

— Read more

More to E. coli than meets the eye: Lab discovers evidence of multicellularity in single cell organism

	Researchers in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University have uncovered something new in one of the most studied organisms on Earth, and their discoveries could impact the treatment and prevention of devastating bacterial diseases. Escherichia coli, or E. coli, gets a bad rap, and for good reason. This diverse group of bacteria that live in our intestines are mostly harmless and play an important role in sustaining a healthy digestive system. But some E. coli are among the most virulent disease-causing micro-organisms. Source: Phys

— Read more

Study discovers immense diversity and interdependence in high temperature deep-sea microorganism communities

	A new study by researchers at Portland State University and the University of Wisconsin finds that a rich diversity of microorganisms live in interdependent communities in high-temperature geothermal environments in the deep sea. The study, which was published in the journal Microbiome, was led by Anna-Louise Reysenbach, professor of biology at PSU. Emily St. John, who earned a master's degree in microbial ecology from PSU, also contributed significantly to the study, along with researchers from the University of Wisconsin. Source: Phys

— Read more

Methane-generating microbe can grow on toxic sulfite without becoming poisoned

	Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology reveal how a methane-generating microbe can grow on toxic sulfite without becoming poisoned. Methanogens are microorganisms that produce methane when little or no oxygen is present in their surroundings. Their methane production—for example in the digestive tract of ruminants—is relevant for global carbon cycling, as methane is a very potent greenhouse gas, but can also be used as an energy source to heat our houses. Source: Phys

— Read more