When the Shewanella oneidensis bacterium “breathes” in certain metal and sulfur compounds anaerobically, the way an aerobic organism would process oxygen, it produces materials that could be used to enhance […]
extremeophile
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Bacteria That Eat Metal Discovered In Dirty Glassware
Caltech microbiologists have discovered bacteria that feed on manganese and use the metal as their source of calories. Such microbes were predicted to exist over a century ago, but none […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Study Shows How Microorganisms Survive In Harsh Environments
In northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, microorganisms are able to eke out an existence by extracting water from the rocks they colonize. An Army-funded […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Unique Non-oxygen Breathing Animal Discovered
Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have discovered a non-oxygen breathing animal. The unexpected finding changes one of science’s assumptions about the animal world. A study on the finding was […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Acid-loving Microbe Can Improve Our Understanding Of Past Climate
Food and energy availability cause physical changes in acid-loving microorganisms that are used to study Earth’s climate history, according to research from Dartmouth College. The finding that factors other than […]
Posted inPress Release, Radiation
Tungsten As Interstellar Microbial Radiation Shielding?
A boiling point of 5900 degrees Celsius and diamond-like hardness in combination with carbon: tungsten is the heaviest metal, yet has biological functions – especially in heat-loving microorganisms. A team […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Experiments With Salt-tolerant Bacteria in Brine Have Implications For Life On Mars
Salt-tolerant bacteria grown in brine were able to revive after the brine was put through a cycle of drying and rewetting. The research has implications for the possibility of life […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Microbes That Grow On Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide is a fascinating and versatile molecule, important for all living things as well as our environment: It is highly reactive and toxic, it is used as a signaling […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Capturing Bacteria That Eat And Breathe Electricity
Last August, Abdelrhman Mohamed found himself hiking deep into the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. Unlike thousands of tourists who trek to admire the park’s iconic geysers and hot springs […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release
Slow Living Microbes That Eat Organic Carbon
Far below the ocean floor, sediments are teeming with bizarre zombie-like microbes. Although they’re technically alive, they grow in slow motion, and can take decades for a single cell to […]