A 3D Earth system model incorporates variables such as temperature and sulfurization to shed light on the end-Permian extinction event.
bacteria & microbes
Climate Change Could Reshape Pathogen Profile of Diarrheal Disease
An illness caused by rotavirus could recede as temperatures warm, whereas wetter conditions might favor some bacterial competitors.
Rethinking How Valley Fever Spreads
Scientists have long assumed that dust storms lead to infections with the desert soil fungus Coccidioides, but new evidence suggests otherwise.
Large Herbivores May Improve an Ecosystem’s Carbon Persistence
The grazing habits of wild animals like elephants and boars enable long-term carbon storage, according to new research that stresses the need to align climate mitigation goals with biodiversity conservation.
Biocrust “Probiotics” Can Aid Dryland Restoration Efforts
Bacteria can speed up the growth of biocrust-forming organisms in nurseries, providing more material for restoration of degraded dryland soil.
Hydrothermal Microbes Can Be Green Energy Producers
In ultramafic, reducing environments, forming microbial proteins can actually release energy.
Wildfires May Alter the Nitrogen Cycle—and Air Pollution
Research indicates that wildfires could be bolstering soil emissions of air pollutants that contribute to smog and climate change.
A New Technique Could Identify Algae from Space
Some types of algal blooms produce dangerous toxins, while others are relatively harmless to humans.
Cyanobacteria Blooms Exceed WHO Thresholds in Midwest Lakes
A study of 369 lakes across the Midwest finds that many of them, especially those close to agriculture, have high concentrations of harmful algal bloom-causing cyanobacteria.
Shedding Light on Microbial Communities in Deep Aquifers
Researchers use a packer system to study the microbial communities living in waters sampled from deep, uncontaminated peridotite aquifers.
