microorganisms

Humans have been fermenting food and drinks — everything from kimchi and yogurt to beer and kombucha — for more than 13,000 years. Fermentation – a natural process that uses microorganisms to create alcohols and acids from carbohydrates – can preserve food so it lasts longer, and it can enhance the quality of a food by turning some components into more easily digestible forms. Some fermented foods that contain live microorganisms are called probiotics, which can increase the shelf life of food and provide a range…

Metamorphosed banded iron formation from southern Wyoming showing fine lamination. The rock is approximately 2.7 billion years old. Dark bands are iron oxides (magnetite, hematite) and red-orange bands are chert with iron oxide inclusions (jasper). Credit: Linda Welzenbach-Fries/Rice UniversityNew research suggests that ancient microorganisms helped cause massive volcanic events.Banded iron formations, sedimentary rocks with stunning strata of burnt orange, yellow, silver, brown, and a blueish black hue, may have been the…

In contrast to Earth's vibrant ecosystems, the moon has long been perceived as a barren and lifeless celestial body, devoid of water and signs of vitality. However, one NASA scientist believes there is more to the moon than meets the eye.According to Prabal Saxena, a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre, microbial life could persist in the severe circumstances found on the moon. "Relatively protected areas on airless bodies may harbour potentially habitable niches for such life," Saxena explained, as…

A study published in PLOS Biology indicates that microorganisms significantly influence the social development of zebrafish by affecting neural pruning in the developing brain. The absence of microbiota early in development led to inhibited social behavior and denser neural connections, but the addition of intestinal bacteria restored normal development, highlighting a critical role of microbiota in neural pruning and social behavior in zebrafish larvae.Germ-free larvae have altered neural connections due to a reduction…

Agricultural soils in southern Europe. Credit: Antonio Jordán, imaggeo.egu.eu According to a study recently published in Nature, microorganisms play a key role in soil carbon storage. The study, conducted by an international team of scientists including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, reveals that microbial carbon use efficiency is at least four times more influential than other…

By International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics April 19, 2023Foods with live microorganisms include yogurt and other fermented foods, as well as raw fruits and vegetables. The study found that increased consumption of these foods was linked to better health markers such as lower blood pressure, better blood glucose and insulin levels, lower inflammation, and lower waist circumference and body mass index.A recent study reveals that individuals who consume higher amounts of live microorganisms on a…

Photo: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant bacteria linked to contaminated eye drop products. Over 50 cases have been found to date, with most patients having reportedly used EzriCare Artificial Tears, while the CDC has found the bacteria in opened bottles of the brand from two states. At least one person has died from the infection, while some have been hospitalized or permanently lost their vision.News of the outbreak emerged in…

A ciliate, or cilia-propelled microorganism, belonging to the genus Halteria. New research led by Nebraska’s John DeLong has revealed that ciliates can feed on water-dwelling viruses — and even grow on a virus-only diet. Credit: Proyecto Agua via flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)Study first to investigate and demonstrate the effects of ‘virovory’Over a single day, in the placid waters of a single pond, a million virus particles might enter a single-celled organism known for the minuscule hairs, or cilia, that propel it through…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Curtin University researchers studying molecular fossils or "biomarkers" from deep beneath the Chicxulub impact crater have found evidence of how microorganisms changed in response to fluctuations in the Earth's climate, offering clues about how the planet and life forms may respond to climate change in our modern world.…

A  Colorado company is channeling the industriousness of microorganisms to grow zero-carbon cement in a process that is similar to the way corals build reefs or oysters produce shells. The startup Prometheus Materials recently closed an $8 million Series A financing round that included participation by the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund and Sofinnova Partners, a European venture capital firm. The technology is groundbreaking, but its basis has been around for billions of years, according to Loren Burnett, the company’s…