Tag: soil microbiology
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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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Microplastics in Soil: Alarming Effects on Soil Health and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Understanding the Study and Its Implications Researchers from the Institute of Urban Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have highlighted a troubling link between microplastics in soil and deteriorating soil health, along with the unintended release of heat-trapping gases. While plastics have long been recognized for pollution in water and air, this study shifts…
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Chlorinated compounds from slime mold show antibiotic potential
Slime mold produces potent chlorinated antibiotics Soil-dwelling cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is emerging as a source of novel antibiotics. In recent work published by FEBS Open Bio, researchers report that this single-celled organism not only makes previously known chlorinated compounds but can also be coaxed to produce additional ones that demonstrate notable antimicrobial activity.…