Why do deep-sea microbes have such small appetites?
The deep sea is one of Earth’s largest reservoirs of carbon, yet microbes don’t consume very much of it. Researchers showed that this is…
Category: Microbiology
Gases power diverse microbial life in caves
Researchers found that cave-dwelling microbes use atmospheric trace gases like methane and carbon monoxide as sources of energy and carbon.
Spacecraft microbes “sleep” to survive sterilization
Researchers discovered a bacterium in NASA’s spacecraft assembly facilities that can enter a hibernation state to survive planetary…
Artificial cells that reproduce without biology
Researchers used simple molecules to create cell-like bubbles that grow and divide on their own, without the need for DNA or enzymes.
Lava tubes contain unknown “microbial dark matter”
Researchers discovered lava tubes on Mauna Loa containing previously unknown microorganisms with metabolisms and communities that could…
Do microbes prefer biodegradable plastic?
Researchers found that microbes living on biodegradable plastics have more genes for plastic degradation than those living on traditional…
Could cells form in Venus’s clouds?
Astrobiologists demonstrated that cell membrane structures can form in high concentrations of sulfuric acid similar to the clouds of Venus.
Can 300-year-old Antarctic microbes help us understand climate change?
Researchers demonstrated that microbial DNA from a 300-year-old ice core can help track how microbes respond to global change.
Methane-munching microbes modify the seafloor
Researchers showed that methane-eating bacteria acidify their surroundings and dissolve carbonate rocks on the seafloor.
Microbes make different greenhouse gases during wetland drainage
Researchers found that soil microbes release less methane but more carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in draining peatlands.