Microbial consortia, as a biological process, refers to the dynamic, functionally integrated interactions among multiple co-occurring microbial species that collectively perform metabolic activities not achievable by individual taxa alone. These processes include syntrophy, cross-feeding, metabolic division of labor, and coordinated responses to environmental cues, often regulated through cell–cell signaling and resource partitioning. Within consortia, emergent properties such as enhanced stability, resilience to perturbation, and optimized biogeochemical cycling arise from coupled metabolic networks and spatial organization. Microbial consortia underlie key processes in natural and engineered systems, including nutrient turnover, waste degradation, bioremediation, and host-associated microbiome functions.
All living organisms need vitamin B12 to form red blood cells and DNA, as well as to build and support brain and nerve cells. But it's hard to come by: Humans don't make it. Animals don't make it. Plants don't make it. In ...
Cell & Microbiology
41 minutes ago
0
0
By making the Arctic less ice-covered, climate warming has increased both shipping traffic and the risk of oil spills in the region. Changing ice conditions may, however, affect the effectiveness of currently available oil ...
Environment
44 minutes ago
0
0
Researchers at Reichman University have developed a biological method for protecting marine infrastructure from corrosion caused by prolonged exposure to seawater. The study, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, presents ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 30, 2026
0
49
Ancient single-celled red algae that thrive in scalding, acidic waters are emerging as far more than specialized survivors.
Evolution
Jul 29, 2026
0
11
Every summer, algal blooms turn rivers and lakes green. Although they are widely known as a major form of water pollution that makes water murky, a KAIST research team has now shown for the first time that algal bloom conditions ...
Environment
Jul 28, 2026
0
69
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a method for systematically developing novel, complex combinations of probiotics and prebiotics to more effectively maintain gut health and treat various gastrointestinal ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 27, 2026
0
7
Microbes in the gut, lungs and biofilms do not simply exist as perfectly mixed populations; instead, they grow in layered and clustered three-dimensional (3D) arrangements. This spatial organization shapes how nutrients and ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 22, 2026
0
8
New research from Monash University revealed that microscopic life is actively breaking down decades-old mining waste in South Australia, turning stable radioactive and toxic metals into mobile nanoparticles that can easily ...
Environment
Jul 21, 2026
0
8
Microbial communities are considered particularly diverse—in soil, water and the human body. A common assumption in ecology is that the greater the diversity of available nutrients, the more species can coexist. A research ...
Ecology
Jul 20, 2026
0
8
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered that tiny photosynthetic bacteria band together into protective "herds" when attacked by predators—a survival strategy that could also influence how carbon is ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 15, 2026
0
20
