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Content Tagged "microbes"

Combining profiling and genomics yields novel metabolites

Cyanobacteria’s ability to capture solar energy and fix CO2 holds promise for biotech applications The Science Researchers studied 10 different cyanobacteria to identify their secondary metabolites (compounds produced during normal cellular metabolism not directly involved in cell growth, that may play an important role in interactions outside the cell) and the genes linked to those… [Read More]

Analyzing the Role of DNA Methylation in a Bioremediation Bacterium

Characterizing functional roles in a microbe with bioremediation applications a first step toward similar studies for other prokaryotes The Science Researchers studied the role of DNA methylation on gene expression and other processes in the heavy-metal reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 with the help of next-generation Single-Molecule Real Time (SMRT) sequencers from Pacific Biosciences. The… [Read More]

Subsurface Sediment Yields Novel Organism

Metagenomic analysis emphasizes the “extraordinary microbial novelty” of poorly-explored subsurface ecosystems The Science Through metagenomics, researchers reconstructed a dominant organism and member of a new phylum-level lineage from an aquifer sediment in Colorado. The Impact Analysis of the complete microbial genome led to a detailed metabolic model with evidence for multiple new enzymes and pathways…. [Read More]

Hope for Re-establishing Gulf of Mexico Microbial Populations

Comparative Analysis Shows Petroleum Reduced Species Diversity The Science Researchers used metatranscriptomic analyses to compare the microbial populations in the Gulf of Mexico before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to learn more about the impact of adding petroleum to the waters. The Impact Though the oil spill reduced the diversity of the microbial… [Read More]

The Importance and Function of Nitrogen-Fixing Microbes

All organisms on Earth require nitrogen to survive, but most cannot use nitrogen unless it is combined with other elements. These compounds are formed by the process known as nitrogen fixation, which can only be carried out in nature with the help of microorganisms. In agriculture, fertilizers are often deployed to supplement nitrogen levels in… [Read More]

Microbial dark matter study in The Scientist

“Its scale and impact are exactly what Nature is there for,” [said Argonne National Laboratory’s Jack Gilbert.] “The data allow us to confirm some known relationships, but also uncovered some awesome new ones.” Read more in The Scientist [Read More]

Genome Streamlining a Survival Strategy in Marine Microbes

The ocean’s surface or photic zone, where sufficient light enables photosynthesis, harbors vast amounts of life-sustaining microbes that attach themselves to plankton. A large portion of the carbon in the ocean is processed by these microbes, which helps sustain the abundance of diverse marine life. But these microbes can be exceedingly difficult to culture in… [Read More]

Marine metagenome offers clues to ocean nitrogen cycle

Nitrification is the process by which ammonia is converted first into nitrites and then into nitrates, a form of nitrogen that can then be used by plants to grow. However, understanding how the nitrogen cycle works in marine environments is equally crucial. Until 1977, scientists believed that ammonium could only be oxidized by aerobic bacteria…. [Read More]

Termite diets dictate microbes in their guts

Realtors and homeowners cringe at the thought of termites on their properties, but for bioenergy researchers, these insects are rich harbors of microbial communities that can break down woody lignocellulose. In 2007, the DOE Joint Genome Institute sequenced the microbes in the hindgut of termites from Costa Rica (from the Nasutitermesgenus) to identify the genes… [Read More]