Rock-eating microbes survive in deep ocean off Peru
... abundance and diversity of these microbes and the environments in which they live. "The implications of this mis...es questions about the presence of life in extreme environments on this planet and possibly other planets." The drillship JOIDES Resolution is scheduled to depart ...Still waters? 'Clear-cutting' robs the deep-sea of ancient treasures
... perspective: Some life forms in extreme deep-sea environments date to the Mesozoic Era, she noted, while others ..., he noted, but the low productivity of deep-water environments makes sustainable fisheries less than economically viable. "It is clear that the biology of deep-sea...The oceans top 10 coral reef hotspots identified for first time
...parate animal groups that all require healthy reef environments in order to survive. The creation of marine reserves off limits to fishing is one of the steps that should be taken immediately, Roberts said. About six percent of the worlds land is in parks. But at sea, less than one-half of one percent is in any...Genomic tools reveal new microbial phototrophs in the ocean
...sheet. Microbial diversity and function in natural environments is not all that well understood. With new tools to compliment more traditional approaches, we can begin to get a more realistic picture of real-world complexity, said DeLong. Genomic technology is opening up a whole new and previously unseen world....Discovery of bacterial 'touch sensor' could lead to biofilm treatments
...y. Many kinds of bacteria commonly found in liquid environments naturally form biofilms when they meet a solid surface. Biofilms often occur on teeth where, if not removed, they become part of plaque and lead to decay. They also can pose a problem on any artificial surface implanted in the body, such as prostheti...Bhutan signs conservation agreement at Field Museum Jan. 22
...age shrinks, the value of saving rare and pristine environments like the ones in Bhutan rises, says Mingma Norbu Sherpa, WWFs Director of Himalayas and South Asia Program. Active in Bhutan since 1977, WWF has trained over 40 Bhutanese park and resource managers. In 1991, it created the Bhutan Trust Fund for Envi...UMass study uses microbes to turn mud into electricity
...anic compounds with oxygen, Geobacters can grow in environments lacking oxygen by using the iron naturally present...included in technology used to clean up subsurface environments contaminated by organic matter, especially petroleum. Earlier studies had shown bacteria could prod......eposited along with the subsurface of rocks. Those environments are not likely to represent conditions on Mars because, on Mars, such organic matter would not be available. At the Idaho site we saw something completely different, Lovley continued. Over 90 percent of the microorganisms were Archaea, which are mic...In harshest environments, some proteins protected by 'alternate' folding mode
... suspect this design strategy is mimicked in other environments extremely vulnerable to protease destruction, including lysosomes in human cells, where proteins are broken down for recycling. The UCSF research is published in the January 17 issue of the journal Nature. Most proteins -- made of linear c......mation. This and other new findings about how NICU environments impact the neurosensory development of premature infants will be presented at a University of South Florida College of Medicine conference Sunday, Jan. 13, to Wednesday, Jan. 16. The conference, titled "Evidence-Based Science for Establishing an App...UNC botanist spearheads ongoing effort to curtail movement of pest plant species
...rowd out native species, radically alter their new environments and eventually damage agriculture and other economic and aesthetic interests. No matter where you are in the world -- Japan, Australia, South America, North America, Hawaii -- pest plant invaders are coming from other places to compete with and some...Geophysicist studies life in the early solar system
...s alive. (The current record-holder can survive in environments above 115 C [239 F], says Sleep.) ``The roots of these two branches of the tree are clearly thermophile, which is exactly what`s going to survive in a large impact,`` says Sleep. Where Eukarya - the branch that includes yeast, worms, corn and humans...Investigating a 'protective gene' against alcoholism
... risk genes, and all individuals live in different environments that affect risk." It is this interaction between a genetic predisposition for alcoholism and environmental variables that continues to intrigue researchers. Most believe that it is a 50/50 interaction. "The variables that we believe are most impor...Scientists awarded patent for coal-purifying bacteria
...eveloped strains of bacteria able to live in harsh environments while chowing down on carbon-rich materials such as coal. The bacteria's digestive action removes potentially harmful pollutants, and could be used to yield more-efficient, cleaner-burning coal. "These bacteria can convert ordinary coal to an environ...New view of bacteria-mineral interface to advance bioremediation
...ead researcher for the project. Understanding what environments subsurface bacterial populations prefer is a defining piece of the puzzle for researchers developing environmental remediation techniques. If microbes are getting enough energy from specific minerals on the basalt, they may be less available to res...Bacteria's natural foe fights drug-resistant infections
...r latest phage enzyme against S. pneumoniae. These environments tend to foster infections, and because large amounts of antibiotics are used, the number of people infected with resistant strains of S. pneumoniae continues to rise. A pneumococcal vaccine is available for children and adults, but this technique is ...New bacteria target cancers in mice
...o exploit a special germs taste for oxygen-starved environments and direct them to target pockets of dead and dying cells within large tumors. These advanced tumors generally have areas of poor blood circulation and thus little oxygen. The lack of oxygen renders them relatively resistant to conventional chemoth...Nanoparticles in air bad news for people
...ave gone through and the atmospheric processes and environments they encountered en route before they were captured," Cheng said. The fine particles consist of tiny solid or liquid droplets or both suspended in the air. Air polluting particulate matter ranges in size from a few nanometers to several hundred mic...Early critters in microbial mats: Evolution or just a strange environment?
...ually non-existent) microbial-mat-covered seafloor environments that were typical for the Cambrian. So, rather tha...being particularly unusual, we are saying that the environments were!" explained Bottjer. "And, being evolutionarily well-adapted to an unusual environment gives an......complex microbial ecosystems found in hydrothermal environments can exist entirely on chemical energy. One intrigu...d in hydrothermal environments. Could hydrothermal environments have been cradles for life on other planets? Discoveries of new forms of life on Earth that thrive i...