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.
Plenty of studies have linked exposure to nature to a wide variety of health benefits, from improved cognitive function to lower blood pressure to better mental health. Other research has found connections between the human ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 6, 2026
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A new study led by Professor Mark Trimmer of Queen Mary University of London, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, explains how increases in natural methane emissions will be maximized under future climate warming.
Earth Sciences
Jun 5, 2026
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The presence of the marine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, which is potentially dangerous to humans, can now be predicted up to five weeks in advance in the Baltic Sea using artificial intelligence (AI). A research team led ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 28, 2026
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A new study shows crop species, and not soil type, primarily determines the beneficial functions provided by root-associated microbes. In the study, soil obtained from across nine UK locations was used to cultivate six key ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 28, 2026
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Curtin University researchers have discovered some agricultural soils can naturally suppress one of Australia's most damaging broadacre crop diseases. The research, published in the journal Applied Soil Ecology, found some ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 28, 2026
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A colony of macaques that gorge on snacks offered by tourists in the British territory of Gibraltar swallow soil to recover from their junk food binges, a study has found.
Plants & Animals
May 22, 2026
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Blessed are the tiny cheesemakers: scientists have mapped out the bacteria responsible for giving three British cheeses their distinct flavor, which may also be beneficial to human health. Scientists in the Food Microbial ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 21, 2026
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A study led by researchers from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Malaga has revealed how organic farming—using natural substances and processes and avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals—can, in the long ...
Ecology
May 21, 2026
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Cows eat grass...everyone knows that. But climate change is forcing producers and scientists to rethink some of our long-held assumptions about livestock nutrition. Crop costs are climbing. Traditional pastures are under ...
Veterinary medicine
May 19, 2026
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Intensive agriculture poses a significant threat to global biodiversity. However, one aspect of biodiversity in farmland is little studied: algae. Most people have seen algae growing in streams, lakes or the sea. However, ...
Ecology
May 18, 2026
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