Microbial enzymes are the key to pectin digestion in leaf beetles
A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, shows in a new study how leaf beetles could successfully use new and previously indigestible food sources in the course of evolution. The insects acquired enzymes from.....»»
Beetles cooperate on tricky dung moves
Dung beetles are among the strongest animals in the world. They also possess an exceptional ability to cooperate. Research shows that female and male spider dung beetles together are able to move large dung balls across difficult obstacles. However,.....»»
Soil pH drives microbial community composition: Study shows how bacteria work together to thrive in difficult conditions
Though a founding concept of ecology suggests that the physical environment determines where organisms can survive, modern scientists have suspected there is more to the story of how microbial communities form in the soil......»»
Study shows microbial diversity differences in volcanic cones and craters
Volcanic activity alters the Earth's surface and promotes the development of new ecosystems, providing valuable models for studying soil formation processes such as microbial composition and vegetation succession. Increasing evidence suggests that so.....»»
Research points to a potential new ally in the fight against plant pathogens
When we talk about the microbiome, most of us think of the trillions of microorganisms that live in our bodies, supporting everything from digestion to mental health......»»
Study highlights role of computational biology in microbial community design
How can computer models help design microbial communities? A research team comprising members from Aachen, Düsseldorf and East Lansing/U.S. examined the development perspectives of so-called synthetic biology. In an article published in the journal.....»»
Enzyme-inspired catalyst puts chemicals in right position to make ethers
Taking inspiration from enzymes, chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a catalyst to simplify the synthesis of ethers, key functional components of many drugs, foods, personal care items and other consumer goods. The catal.....»»
Scientists learn how to drug wily class of disease-causing enzymes
UCSF scientists have discovered how to target a class of molecular switches called GTPases that are involved in a myriad of diseases from Parkinson's to cancer and have long been thought to be "undruggable.".....»»
Researchers propose mechanistic framework to explain complex microbe-host symbioses
Virtually all multicellular organisms on Earth live in symbiotic associations with very large and complex microbial communities known as microbiomes. New research has just been published aimed at offering a complete understanding how those relationsh.....»»
Scientists modify citrus pectin with induced electric field
Pectin, a natural and nontoxic acidic polysaccharide, is widely found in the primary cell wall and inner layer of terrestrial higher plants. The main domains of pectin are homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I, which contribute to the complexity.....»»
Machine-learning models can predict colonization outcomes of complex microbial communities
Microbial communities are constantly exposed to the invasion of exogenous species, which can significantly alter their composition and function. The capacity of a microbial community to resist invasion is regarded as an emergent property resulting fr.....»»
Loch Ness life seen through holographic lens
Holographic images of microbial life in Loch Ness have been captured for the first time using the University of Aberdeen's state-of-the-art digital holographic camera......»»
From leaf to cup: The essential role of magnesium in tea plant metabolism
Magnesium plays a vital role in the growth and quality of tea plants, influencing key processes such as photosynthesis and the synthesis of important metabolites. However, tea plants often suffer from magnesium deficiency due to factors like poor soi.....»»
Ancient microbes linked to evolution of human immune proteins
When you become infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it are those passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago. According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, two key e.....»»
"Masters of shape-shifting": How darkling beetles conquered the world
Large-scale genomic analysis of darkling beetles, a hyper-diverse insect group of more than 30,000 species worldwide, rolls back the curtain on a 150-million-year evolutionary tale of one of Earth's most ecologically important yet inconspicuous creat.....»»
Scientists propose gliding arc discharge plasma seawater sterilization technology for mariculture
Atmospheric pressure plasma technology has demonstrated vast potential in microbial inactivation due to its unique advantages, including no chemical residue, environmental friendliness, high treatment efficiency, low energy consumption and ease of us.....»»
Plant-microbe interactions underpin contrasting enzymatic responses to wetland drainage
Researchers led by Professor Feng Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) have analyzed the divergent responses of carbon-degrading enzymes to wetland drainage and found that enzymatic response to long-term dr.....»»
Revealing the mysteries within microbial genomes with a new high-throughput approach
A new technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will make it much easier for researchers to discover the traits or activities encoded by genes of unknown function in microbes, a key step toward understanding the role.....»»
In Colombia, hungry beetle larvae combat trash buildup
In the far-flung Colombian highlands, beetles are the secret weapon in an innovative project to combat the ever-growing problem of trash buildup......»»
Powering enzymes with light to make ammonia
The Earth's atmosphere contains large amounts of nitrogen in the form of dinitrogen gas (N2). Converting N2 to ammonia (NH3) is critical for making the fertilizer needed for agriculture......»»
Sward diversification more effective for higher yields than some microbial fertilizers
A new scientific paper from Teagasc, UCC and international collaborators has shown diversification of the plant species in swards can be more effective than the application of microbial inoculants in supporting productivity in intensively managed gra.....»»