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Environmental microbiology is the scientific study of microorganisms in the environment. This discipline includes air microbiology, soil microbiology and water microbiology.
Carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) are non-catalytic domains found within multi-modular carbohydrate-active enzymes like glycoside hydrolases. Here, the authors show the crystal structures of two CBM family 92 members, which use three different surface binding sites to bind to β-glucans.
Here, by applying evolutionary genomics approaches to metagenomics data of lake microbiomes, the authors reveal that freshwater species with small genomes face extended periods with their niche adaptation capabilities frozen.
Metagenomic taxonomic profiling usually relies either on reads or assembled contigs/MAGs. Here, authors present RAT, a tool that integrates taxonomic signals from reads, contigs, and MAGs into one profile with high precision and sensitivity. RAT provides a comprehensive view of the microbiome.
Prompt physiological reactivation after rainfall pulses may be key for microbial survival in arid ecosystems. Here, the authors use stable isotope tracers, single-cell NanoSIMS and metatranscriptomics to shed light on how desert biocrust microbial communities respond to rewetting.
Characterizing bacterial responses to mixtures of chemical pollutants reveals interactive effects among pollutants. Our study highlights the predictability and resilience of microbial responses to complex mixtures of pollutants, offering the potential for improvements in ecotoxicological assessments.
Active hydrothermal vents are hotspots of life in the deep sea, but even after hot springs go extinct, highly productive microbial communities continue to thrive on the chemical energy in the minerals left behind.
In this study, Achberger et al. report that microbial communities of inactive hydrothermal deposits contribute to primary productivity in the deep sea.
Decomposer microbiomes are universal across cadavers regardless of environmental conditions, and they use complex cross-feeding and interkingdom interactions to break down organic matter.
The spread of vector-borne infectious diseases is driven by a complex array of environmental and social drivers, including climate and land-use changes. Global and regional action is urgently needed to tackle carbon emissions and deforestation to halt future outbreaks.