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Content Tagged "microbes"

Bacterial sequence to help understand ant fungal gardens

Leaf-cutter ant colonies are comprised of millions of ants harvesting hundreds of kilos of leaves annually for use in growing their primary food source, a fungus. The fungal gardens tended by these ants allow them to convert plant biomass on a very large scale. Bioenergy researchers are looking at the microbial composition of the fungal… [Read More]

A photosynthetic pathway for mats under anoxic conditions

Many microbes are unculturablebecause they do not thrive when extracted from their habitats. Studies conducted within the context of a group allows researchers to see the interactions taking place and use the clues provided to identify the individual roles of the microorganisms. Photosynthetic microbial mats fix carbon in the day, but it turns out that… [Read More]

Targeted metagenomics approach pins down role of “wild” alga

Marine microbes play key roles in cycling carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean depths, but little is known about their populations throughout the waters. As global temperatures change, so do these populations, which in turn impacts their contributions to the carbon cycle. Researchers want to learn more about these effects, but one of the… [Read More]

Prototypical genomic study of Plant-Microbe Interaction

Instead of using dangerous and toxic pesticides or expensive fertilizers, farmers may one day use microbes to fully manage diseases in soil. Already the microbial community in and surrounding plant roots fights pests and manages carbon and other soil nutrients, ultimately contributing to plant health and growth. What’s more, they aid plants in sequestering pollutants…. [Read More]

Arabidopsis root microbiome project: release from University of Queensland

Led by the University of North Carolina and the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, the research studied the microbiome in soil around the roots of more than 600 Arabidopsis thaliana plants. The team, which included The University of Queensland Professor Philip Hugenholtz, investigated how the microbiome helps shuttle nutrients and information into and out… [Read More]

Arabidopsis root microbiome project in GenomeWeb Daily News

“In the same way that microbes play critical roles in and around our own bodies, we are adopting this concept of host-associated metagenomics in plant genomics as well, as it will ultimately lead to predictive interventions that will increase plant health and productivity, disease resistance, and carbon capture,” co-author Susannah Tringe, who heads the metagenome… [Read More]

Maturing Metagenomics Needs Ground Rules

For every known star in our universe, there are billions of microbes here on Earth. But scientists are unable to culture most of these species in the lab. One approach to getting to know these beguiling bugs is to look at the big picture of their community. Metagenomics aims to characterize the overall genomic profile… [Read More]

Microbes as the unknown variable in thawing permafrost

Permafrost covers a quarter of the Earth’s land surface and stores significant amounts of carbon. As global temperatures rise and cause the frozen soils to thaw, so have concerns on the fate of the stored carbon and on the global climate. One of the recent studies that looked at this question was conducted by researchers… [Read More]