Clostridium is not a single bacterium. It is a broad family with many different members, and their stories can be very different.
Some Clostridium and related bacteria live in the gut, where they break down compounds from food through fermentation. Some members of this family can also produce short-chain fatty acids, which support gut barrier function, metabolism and host health.
Other Clostridium species are known for a different survival skill: sporulation. Many can form spores, which allow them to survive difficult conditions. Instead of continuing normal growth when life becomes too harsh, they can enter a protected dormant state and wait.
And then there is the pathogenic side. Some Clostridium species are pathogens, while others are discussed as targets of antimicrobial peptides produced by other gut microbes.
This is why Clostridium is a useful reminder that bacteria are rarely simply “good” or “bad”. A bacterial family can include many species with different lifestyles, habitats and survival strategies. Context matters.
Like all organisms, plants need nitrogen to grow and produce crops. But since they cannot directly use nitrogen from the atmosphere, they rely on bacteria to fix the nitrogen for them. In exchange, plants provide them with sugars, energy and protection from their surroundings. Read on to learn more about the nitrogen-fixing superpower of bacteria and why it is crucial for our global food production.
Bacteria in your gut microbiome help you digest your food, strengthen your immune system and keep you healthy. For this, your gut bacteria keep you free from gut pathogenic bacteria by fighting them with different weapons. Here, we explore some ways gut bacteria defend pathogens and how you can help them protect you.
Scientists have found bacteria in our guts that degrade cholesterol. These bacteria can reduce our overall cholesterol levels and might have health benefits for us.
The microbial world is super colorful and diverse.
Even though, we sometimes hear too many negative news articles about certain players of the microbial world, we should not forget about all the other interesting and helpful microbes.
To remind you that the microbial world consists of so many more players, we assembled this list of common and interesting microbes.