New cryo-electron microscopy images suggest archaeal microbes pack their chromatin into tight coils that can spring open, forming unexpected contortions.
Molecular & Computational biology
Mar 2, 2021
0
3190
Some microbes on Earth could temporarily survive on the surface of Mars, finds a new study by NASA and German Aerospace Center scientists. The researchers tested the endurance of microorganisms to Martian conditions by launching ...
Astrobiology
Feb 22, 2021
5
300
Wheat straw, the dried stalks left over from grain production, is a potential source of biofuels and commodity chemicals. But before straw can be converted to useful products by biorefineries, the polymers that make it up ...
Materials Science
Feb 17, 2021
2
1106
The presence of high salt and nitrogen concentrations in high-tunnel soils may make it more challenging to rebuild a healthy soil microbiome following a soil-clearing event, according to microbial ecologists in Penn State's ...
Environment
Feb 11, 2021
0
76
When the NASA Mars rover Perseverance touches down on the surface of Mars on February 18, it will arrive in Jezero Crater, which preserves evidence of a time when rivers flowed on Mars.
Astrobiology
Feb 5, 2021
3
30
Michelle O'Malley has long been inspired by gut microbes. Since she began studying the herbivore digestive tract, the UC Santa Barbara chemical engineering professor has guided several students to their doctoral degrees, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 1, 2021
1
43
Good news: The bacteria living on your toothbrush reflect your mouth—not your toilet.
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 1, 2021
1
20
As scientists learn more about the microorganisms that colonize the body—collectively called the microbiota—one area of intense interest is the effect that these microbes can have on the brain. A new study led by Salk ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 29, 2021
3
397
There's a better end for used food than taking up space in landfills and contributing to global warming.
Environment
Jan 28, 2021
2
122
In a study of 500 sourdough starters spanning four continents, scientists have garnered new insights into the environmental factors that contribute to each sourdough starter's microbial ecosystem, and how different types ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 26, 2021
2
712
