Microbiology

A groundbreaking study by UC San Diego researchers has uncovered thousands of new bile acids, shedding light on their critical roles beyond digestion and highlighting their potential in treating various diseases. This discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of the gut microbiome’s communication with the body and human metabolism.Scientists at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, part of the University of California San Diego, have discovered thousands of new bile acids. These…

By Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) March 9, 2024The perplexing phenomenon of homochirality in life, where biomolecules exist in only one of two mirror-image forms, remains unexplained despite historical attention from scientific figures like Pasteur, Lord Kelvin, and Pierre Curie. Recent research suggests the combination of electric and magnetic fields might influence this preference through experiments showing enantioselective effects on chiral molecules interacting with magnetized…

One of the scientists who was fired from Canada's top infectious disease laboratory "intentionally" shared scientific information with China — potentially putting people's health in jeopardy — says an assessment by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).  The intelligence assessment was released late Wednesday afternoon by the federal government, along with hundreds of other documents about the mysterious dismissal of Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng.The scientists and their students worked in the…

Subarctic grassland undergoing natural geothermal warming in Iceland. Credit: Christina KaiserNew findings enable more accurate prediction of the carbon cycle.Warmer soils harbor a greater diversity of active microbes, according to a new study from researchers at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna. The study, published in Science Advances, represents a significant shift in our understanding of how microbial activity in the soil influences the global carbon…

New research has solved a long-standing mystery in microbiology, revealing how Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predates on other bacteria by using fiber-like proteins to capture a wide variety of targets. This finding opens up potential uses of these predators in combating harmful bacteria in healthcare, food, and the environment, representing a significant leap forward in the development of natural antibacterial strategies.A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill…

A team of Australian researchers discovered a mutation in E. coli that enables it to cause severe infections by preventing cellulose production, offering new insights into combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Mutation in E. coli facilitates severe disease by hindering cellulose production, revealing new approaches to fight antibiotic resistance.Queensland researchers have discovered that a mutation allows some E. coli bacteria to cause severe disease in people while other bacteria are harmless, a finding that could…

Microbe models leverage extensive genomic data to power soil-carbon simulations. Credit: Illustration by Victor O. LeshykScientists are using the DNA from soil microbes to model how they function and use carbon, ultimately helping to advance the accuracy of climate models.Climate models are essential to predicting and addressing climate change, but can fail to adequately represent soil microbes, a critical player in ecosystem soil carbon sequestration that affects the global carbon cycle. A team of scientists led by the…

Scientists are zeroing in on the virus species in the world’s oceans that are most likely to combat climate change by helping trap carbon dioxide in seawater. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearchers begin applying lessons learned from the ocean to soils.Armed with a catalog of hundreds of thousands of DNA and RNA virus species in the world’s oceans, scientists are now zeroing in on the viruses most likely to combat climate change by helping trap carbon dioxide in seawater or, using similar techniques, different viruses that…

Researchers diving on a coral reef in Mo’orea, French Polynesia during the 2019 bleaching event. Credit: Milou Arts of NIOZNew findings show that coral bleaching prompts the release of compounds that encourage harmful bacterial growth, suggesting these changes could serve as early indicators of reef stress and aid in conservation efforts.On healthy reefs around the world, corals, algae, fishes and microbes live interconnected and in balance—exchanging nutrients, resources, and chemical signals. New research led by the…

Researchers have identified a single-celled microbe that aids coral survival during ocean-warming events, like bleaching. This study reveals the critical role of specific protists in the coral microbiome in determining a coral’s ability to withstand heat stress. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew research highlights the role of microorganisms in protecting corals from heat stress.Researchers discovered for the first time a single-celled microbe that can help corals survive ocean-warming events like bleaching. The new study, led…