Tag Archives: Bacteria

Bog bacteria contain thousands of unknown natural building blocks.

By | October 12th 2026
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The moor: a severely threatened habitat with many unsolved mysteries. Credits: Maksims Mordanov, pexels

Many of our most important medications, especially antibiotics, owe their existence to substances produced by bacteria in nature. They use these molecules as biochemical weapons against competitors or to bind nutrients from their environment. A new study reveals just how extensive this microbial toolbox is, even under challenging environmental conditions. A research team from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" at the University of Jena… Read more »

It is proven: Organisms can produce energy from air

By | July 29, 2025
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Credits: Darius Krause, pexels

Researchers at the University of Bern, in collaboration with scientists from Australia and New Zealand, have recreated a significant process in the laboratory that enables organisms to extract energy directly from the air. This confirms that certain organisms, such as bacteria, can indeed live on air alone, without relying on sunlight or other energy sources. The findings open up new possibilities… Read more »

Newly discovered bioactive natural substances reduce the viability of bacteria

By | June 20, 2025
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Pandoraea bacteria Credits: Elena Herzog, Leibniz-HKI

An interdisciplinary research team led by the Leibniz-HKI in Jena has discovered a new group of bioactive natural products in pathogenic bacteria of the genus Pandoraea: pandorabactins. These enable the bacteria to extract vital iron from other microorganisms and can thus influence the microbial balance in the human lungs. Bacteria of the genus Pandoraea have so far been little studied. Their… Read more »

Microbes on sand grains: Tiny helpers in the fight against nitrogen pollution

By | June 3, 2025
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Bremen, June 03, 2025 – Microorganisms on sand grains in oxygen-rich coastal waters play a surprising role in nitrogen reduction: Some microbes consume all the oxygen in their environment, creating tiny oxygen-free zones where their neighbors break down nitrate through denitrification. This is shown in a new study by the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, published in… Read more »

Slow-growing bacteria are more sensitive to their environment

By | May 9
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Credits: turek, pexels

Bacteria have a simple yet effective mechanism that controls how sensitive they are to environmental stimuli. A research team at the University of Basel has shown that the cells' responsiveness is directly related to their growth rate: the slower a cell grows, the more sensitive it is to its environment. This heightened sensitivity can give the cells a crucial survival advantage. The research group led by Prof. Dr.… Read more »

Bacteria control the reproduction of jellyfish

By | April 9, 2025
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Credits: Ryutaro Tsukata, pexels

Microbiologists at Kiel University have demonstrated that the asexual reproduction of the moon jellyfish is largely controlled by bacterial products. Beta-carotene, produced by microbes in the jellyfish's natural microbiome, plays a key role in this process. Without these microorganisms, the so-called strobilation process—the transformation of the polyp into young medusae—comes to a standstill. This results in developmental disorders… Read more »

Little unknowns: Endolithic microorganisms used rock as a basis for life

By | March 14, 2025
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Credits: Cees Passchier

In the desert regions of Namibia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, research has revealed unusual phenomena likely caused by an unknown microbiological life form: Unusually small holes – tiny tubes running parallel through the rock from top to bottom – have been discovered in the marble and limestone of these desert regions. “We were surprised because these tubes are apparently not… Read more »

New knowledge of gene activity challenges traditional ideas about mutagenesis

By | March 14, 2025
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Credits: Anna Shvets, pexels

A new study published in PLOS Genetics has identified an extreme mutation hotspot in the genome of Pseudomonas fluorescens, providing unprecedented insights into the relationship between gene regulation and mutation rates. The findings could have far-reaching implications for understanding bacterial evolution, adaptation, and antibiotic resistance. The research by Andrew D. Farr, Christina Vasileiou, Peter A. Lind, and Paul B. Rainey shows… Read more »

Sulphur bacteria work together to decompose organic substances in the seabed

By | March 10, 2025
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Credits: TEE, pexels

A modular metabolism could explain the success of certain sulfate-reducing bacteria. Researchers studied members of a bacterial family that are highly active in anaerobic sediments. All the species examined share the same core metabolic elements. Depending on the species, additional proteins are added to utilize specific organic substances. The findings could help to elucidate the role… Read more »

Microbiome at the root: Bacteria successfully suppress the plant's immune system

By | February 26, 2025
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Credits: Eva Bronzini, pexels

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne have shown that many bacteria living on healthy plant roots can suppress the plants' immune responses. This immunosuppression protects bacterial communities on roots, the so-called root microbiota, from the influence of the plant's immune system. The plant immune system is a highly specialized and sensitive defense system designed to ward off pathogenic microbes. Therefore… Read more »