Plants

Bacteria can be found anywhere, this includes in and on plants, in the soil around plant roots and on animals around plants. Some bacteria are attracted to plants and move towards them. Once a bacterium settles in or on a plant, it can help it grow and thrive or infect the plants to make them sick.

Creating the colours of the rainbow: Bacteria and the vibrant world of pigments

Our world as well as the bacterial world are full of vibrant colours. These colours exist thanks to biopigments; molecules able to capture light and reflect the corresponding colour. Many organisms, as well as bacteria, learned to use biopigments to harvest energy from sunlight, fight foes and adapt to new and challenging environments. Read on to learn what makes the bacterial world so colourful and why biopigments are the Earth’s life savers.

Learning with Agrobacterium tumefaciens: Understanding plants better

The bacterial world is teeming with superheroes that hold the key to unravelling nature’s mysteries. Some bacteria have build remarkable partnerships with plants which not only help us better understand plants but also revolutionize agriculture and biotechnology. Here, we delve into the fascinating relationship between the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and plants and see how it allowed us to uncover the green world of plants.

Bacterial killer weapons as biocontrol to protect plants

To feed the growing population on our planet, we need to improve our agriculture for plants to stay healthy and produce crops efficiently. One way to protect plants from diseases is to use biocontrol bacteria that actively kill intruding pathogens. Hence, by increasing our food supply, bacteria can help us save this planet.

Bacteria use antibiotics to kill their foes and protect others

We use antibiotics to kill bacteria and fungi. Yet, antibiotics are produced by these microbes to ensure their own survival in the environment. But not only microbes that produce antibiotics benefit from them, but often even other organisms. Read on to find out how antibiotics can help many players.

Microbes as biofertilizers

Microbes produce nutrients and help promote plant growth to produce more bountiful crops and sustainable agriculture.

You are what you eat: Gut bacteria share plant leftovers

When we eat plant products, we cannot always digest all their components. Instead, our gut bacteria love plant ploymers and start degrading and digesting them. And they share the leftover food with other bacteria, so that all of them together produce some very healthy molecules for us.

20 (giant) microbes everyone should have heard about

20 interesting microbes everyone should have heard about

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.

Springtail are attracted to the geosmin produced by Streptomyces bacteria. They eat the bacteria and transport them to new places.

Bacteria produce geosmin to trick bugs into hitchhiking

Bacteria produce many different molecules with unique tastes and smells. We and animals can react in specific ways to the bacterial molecules, however it is not always clear how these molecules actually help the bacteria. A new study focused on one such molecules and revealed that bacteria produce geosmin to attract small animals to use them to hitchhike.

Cocoa fermentation involves many different bacteria and fungi

Bacteria are responsible for the delicious chocolate taste

The bacteria and fungi living on cocoa beans degrade the sugars in the fruit. With this fermentation, the so-called cocobiota produces metabolites that give chocolate its delicious taste. Read about the microbes that are part of the cocobiota and why chocolate tastes the way it does.

Bacteria have many superpowers

The incredible superpowers of bacteria: unveiling nature’s tiny heroes

Microbes and bacteria touch every aspect of our lives. They have so many superpowers that impact the environment, food production, bioremediation and even the climate. Here, we will look at 20 of the most fascinating bacterial superpowers and tell you where you might encounter them throughout your day. But don’t forget, there are plenty more.