Doubling Down on Known Protein Families
Through a novel approach detailed in Nature, a massive computational analysis of microbiome datasets focuses on unveiling protein functional diversity. [Read More]
Content Tagged "microbial communities"
The heat is on – microbial mat communities in Hot Lake
Diverse underwater communities of cyanobacteria and other microorganisms are capable of withstanding drastic changes in salinity. The Science The microbial mat communities—multi-layered sheets of bacteria and archaea that grow at the interface between submerged, moist or even desiccated surfaces—in a remote lake near the border with Canada are relatively stable, despite weathering a 10-fold increase… [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 genetic diversity of the maize microbiome
The rhizosphere is the space in, on and around the plant roots where microbes in the plant interact with the microbes in the soil. The DOE JGI did a study with the plant Arabidopsis. [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]
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]
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]
Waves of Berkeley Lab Responders Deploy Omics to Track Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Cleanup Microbes
In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago, various strategies were deployed to prevent 4.9 million barrels of light crude oil from fouling the waters and reaching the shores. A team of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) researchers found that nature also played a role… [Read More]
Protein studies offer clues on how palm worms can take the heat
Hydrothermal vents behave like geysers at a national park, except that they erupt deep underwater in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Though the water that shoots out of these vents can reach temperatures as high as 300°C (572°F), many animals and other organisms thrive in the surrounding area. Two such extremophiles are “palm worms,” named… [Read More]
DOE JGI’s IMG/M data system in Berkeley Lab’s release on the Human Microbiome Project
Berkeley Lab’s role in mapping the human microbiome revolves around big data, both analyzing it and making it available for scientists to use worldwide…. Berkeley Lab scientists developed and maintain a comparative analysis system called the Integrated Microbial Genomes and Metagenomes for the Human Microbiome Project (IMG/M HMP). It allows scientists to study the human microbiome… [Read More]