Microbiota, in the context of biological processes, refers to the dynamic, collectively functioning community of microorganisms that engage in continuous interactions with each other and with their host or environment. These processes include colonization, succession, metabolic activity (such as fermentation, vitamin synthesis, and xenobiotic transformation), signaling, competition, and cooperative interactions that shape local ecological niches. Through these activities, microbiota modulate host physiological processes including barrier function, immune maturation, and energy harvest, and participate in biogeochemical cycles. The term emphasizes the ongoing, emergent biological processes arising from microbial community composition, gene expression, and environmental feedbacks.
Members of the Horse Microbiome Research Group recently published a new study in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, led by Dr. Joy Leng, who is currently undertaking the Alborada Well Foal 2 project. This research aims ...
Molecular & Computational biology
19 hours ago
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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
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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
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St. Louis is a plant science powerhouse, but outside the neatly tended rows of crops and gleaming greenhouses sits another treasure trove of biological data: The wild plants tucked into yards, sidewalk cracks, ditches and ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 20, 2026
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Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Kiel University (CAU) have examined immune system function in an early-branching animal—a sea anemone. They discovered that the immune systems of these animals ...
Ecology
Jul 16, 2026
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Wetlands are a significant producer of methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. Yet not all of it escapes into the atmosphere. One reason is crabs. A study published in the journal Environmental Science ...
Across North America, in places such as Illinois, Iowa and Texas, farmers are busy growing the crops the world depends on for food, fuel and fiber.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 8, 2026
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40
A new study reveals that exposing dwarf spiders to a brief period of warm temperatures can disrupt a phenomenon in which internal bacteria normally force genetic males to develop as females. Surprisingly, this reproductive ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2026
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Scientists at Leiden University have discovered that plants are strongly influenced by their neighbors, not just above ground but also through hidden networks in the soil. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about how ...
Ecology
Jul 6, 2026
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Millions of women worldwide suffer from vaginal yeast infections. These infections are most commonly caused by the fungus Candida albicans and can lead to symptoms ranging from itching and burning to recurrent inflammation. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 1, 2026
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