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.
Understanding how bacteria influence one another is essential for understanding how microbial communities are formed and maintained. Researchers at Umeå University have now systematically mapped interactions between common ...
Ecology
Aug 24, 2026
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171
Bacteria, too, depend on good neighborly relations: A new study by the Osnabrück University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cambridge in England, shows that soil bacteria live in beneficial communities ...
Ecology
Aug 24, 2026
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11
In the vast, nutrient-poor regions of the world's oceans, there is a constant struggle for survival. Yet tiny organisms known as Collodaria have thrived there for millions of years. These Collodaria host microscopically small ...
Ecology
Aug 21, 2026
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19
Low concentrations of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) are more efficient than high doses for preparing organic waste for biogas production. This finding increases methane production, reduces reagent consumption and, ...
Biotechnology
Aug 20, 2026
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85
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
Aug 7, 2026
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172
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
Aug 7, 2026
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14
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
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50
Ancient single-celled red algae that thrive in scalding, acidic waters are emerging as far more than specialized survivors.
Evolution
Jul 29, 2026
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12
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
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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
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