Tag: microbial ecology
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Legacy Effects of Soil Microbes Help Plants Survive
Introduction: The Hidden Memory in Soil Soil is more than dirt. It is a living archive where microscopic communities remember past conditions and shape how plants respond to drought, pests, and nutrient stress. A recent study published in Nature Microbiology investigates soils sampled across Kansas to understand the so-called “legacy effects”—the idea that soils carry…
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A New Microscopy Breakthrough Reveals the Oceans’ Invisible Life
Introduction: A Collaboration That Survived a Pandemic When the COVID-19 pandemic upended many scientific plans, a surprising outcome emerged from a Zoom call that linked researchers across continents. EMBL Group Leader Gautam Dey spoke with Omaya Dudin, then leading a study group at EPFL, about adapting an imaging technique that could peer into the ocean’s…
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Planetary Analog Sites in South Asia and the Indian Ocean: Underexplored Habitats for Astrobiology
Introduction: Why planetary analog sites matter for astrobiology Planetary analog environments on Earth offer invaluable windows into how life might endure on other worlds. In the field of astrobiology, studying extreme terrestrial settings helps scientists test life-detection instruments, understand biosignatures, and develop survival strategies for organisms facing alien-like stresses. A growing synthesis highlights more than…
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Planetary Analog Sites in the Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean: Underexplored Environments for Astrobiology
Introduction: Why Planetary Analogs Matter Astrobiology aims to understand where life could exist beyond Earth and how to detect it. Given the high costs and logistical hurdles of space missions, terrestrial planetary analog sites offer an essential, cost-effective means to test hypotheses, refine life-detection technologies, and study how life persists under extreme conditions. A comprehensive…