Microbiology
Phage-producing gut bacterium protects mice against Salmonella
A genetically modified, bacteriophage-producing E. coli bacterium protects mice against Salmonella infections, provided it has already established itself in the gut before infection occurs.
Summertime blues: why toxic algal blooms are closing our swimming spots
Anyone visiting a swimming lake this summer may well encounter a sign reading 'closed due to toxic algae'. How does this happen, and is the phenomenon on the rise?
Dying bacteria help their kin survive antibiotics
The death of individual bacteria can save an entire population. Burst *Escherichia coli* cells release an enzyme that breaks down antibiotics, thereby clearing the way for the population to recover.
Bacteria launch themselves out of dying colony using ‘ejection seat’
New research shows that the bacterial species *Bacillus subtilis* is capable of ejecting a small group of cells when the entire colony is in mortal danger. In doing so, the species hedges its bets, hoping to establish a new colony elsewhere.
Bacteria share protein-packed vesicles to help their neighbours survive
New research shows that E. coli bacteria can exchange proteins with one another via membrane vesicles – and that this transfer helps them withstand antibiotics. The finding opens up new possibilities for undermining antibiotic resistance in pathogens.
Global mycorrhizal fungal networks mapped for the first time
Researchers at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have produced the first global density maps for the underground partner fungi of countless wild plants and agricultural crops.
Fungi: the surprisingly convincing designers of the natural world
Fungi are decomposers, builders, pathogens and silent orchestrators of natural cycles. The exhibition Fungi: Anarchist Designers invites visitors not merely to observe that versatility,...
Newly discovered organelle in ciliates drives methane production
Chinese scientists have discovered a new hydrogen-producing organelle in ciliates. This so-called hydrogenobody turns out to be one of the driving forces behind methane production in the rumen of ruminant animals.
Discovery of aerobic Asgard archaea supports oxygen-rich origin of eukaryotes
The discovery of aerobic Asgard archaea makes it plausible that the endosymbiosis that gave rise to eukaryotes took place under oxygen-rich conditions.
Avian flu virus better equipped to resist fever
A poultry shed in Florida. Photo: Larry Rana, USDA
Avian influenza viruses are more resistant to fever and therefore likely to cause more severe disease...