All posts tagged: microbial

Innovative molecular tools for tracking microbial inoculants in soil

Innovative molecular tools for tracking microbial inoculants in soil

Published by skeptic

Researchers from CREA (Italy) have developed an aptamer-based technology to track the fate of microbial inoculants used in agriculture. Microbial-based products such as fertilisers (now named microbial biostimulants by EU legislation) and biopesticides may support plant nutrition and protection under abiotic and biotic stress conditions and are expected to play a key role in agricultural sustainability in the future. In the last decades, they have received considerable attention from researchers, manufacturers, and farmers, mainly because they might help to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture, and their application is steadily increasing. Currently, the world market of products containing micro-organisms stands at around $10bn and $3bn for biopesticides and biostimulants, respectively. However, the inoculation of the soil with such beneficial micro-organisms may affect its native microbial populations, with effects that depend on the soil’s chemical and physical characteristics and the environmental conditions (i.e., climate, agronomic practices, cropping systems, etc.). Furthermore, considering the pivotal role of soil microbial diversity for life-supporting functions, changes occurring to the soil microbial structure after applying microbial-based formulations may affect the …

Camembert and other French cheese on “verge of extinction” due to collapse in microbial diversity

Camembert and other French cheese on “verge of extinction” due to collapse in microbial diversity

Published by skeptic

Camembert, brie and various blue cheeses are on the “verge of extinction” due to a collapse in microbial diversity, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) said. Cheese itself contains its own ecosystem of fungi and bacteria which turn milk fats and proteins into different compounds. Recently, however, specific mold strains are waning in biodiversity, with one specific strain of fungi at risk of dying out completely. The particular strain in question is Penicillium camemberti, which is hailed as “the gold standard for brie and Camembert” because of its appetizing qualities, Vox explained. Unlike most molds, though, Penicillium camemberti can’t reproduce sexually with other fungi to create new genetic diversity. As a result, cheesemakers have to clone it — but that has become increasingly difficult because of mutations that interfere with the fungi’s ability to produce spores. “Camembert is not going to disappear tomorrow,” Jeanne Ropars, an evolutionary biologist who works at a lab affiliated with CNRS, told Vox. “But it’s going to be more and more difficult to produce.” At this time, it’s …