TWiM #73: Eyeing Root Nodule Development
Vincent, Michael, and Michele discuss how soil-dwelling bacteria induce the formation of root nodules on legumes via a protein called CYCLOPS...
-
-
Cyanobacteria: Growing a Green Future Around the Clock
by Spencer Diamond and Britt Flaherty — With such famous bacteria as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis hogging the stage, it can be hard for bugs like cyanobacteria to enter the limelight. However, without E. coli and B. subtilis we would still be here today; without cyanobacteria (or something with similar capabilities) earth would be an anaerobic…
-
Leaf-Cutters Get Their Fix (nitrogen fix, that is)
by Elio — Ants span a great distance within the human psyche, from being insignificant little nuisances to occupying a prominent place in the biological scheme of things. They surely deserve the latter. Not only do they make up a large proportion of the animal biomass (up to 25% of the total in the tropics), but their social qualities...
-
Marine Archaea and the Nitrogen Cycle
by Douglas Bartlett — What is more stirring than to contemplate the cycles of matter in nature? We sense that we witness vital transactions of this planet's metabolism, a fulfilling thought. Such matters speak particularly loudly to us microbiologists: not only do global fluxes concern the elements of life but are to a great extent driven by...
