In a bid to overcome the limitations of what scientists found previously from culture-dependent studies, new research shows stable isotope probing, coupled with next-generation sequencing techniques, can be used to identify which organisms living in the complex microbial soil community are involved...
Entries by Bradley van Paridon
A detailed database of transcriptomic data from over 100,000 individual cells taken from the mouse model organism Mus musculus, titled Tabula Muris, is now available for use by biomedical researchers around the world. This work, completed by the The Tabula Muris Consortium, was a project funded by...
Steroids in the environment accumulate from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Cholesterol, for example, is an essential part of cellular membranes and a natural source of steroids in the environment. Anthropogenic sources include steroid hormones associated with birth control pills....
Harvesting trees from forests, even when replanting efforts are made, has a huge impact on the long-term functioning of the soil microbiome. The unique microbial community in the soil performs essential tasks like decomposing plant material, which recycles nutrients for new plants to use. Plus,...
Stunting, the impaired growth and development of children, affects an estimated 155 million children per year. This represents roughly 25% of the world’s children and there exists a substantial lack of knowledge regarding the underlying causes and potential treatments. Current thinking on stunting...
Among serious and chronic childhood diseases, asthma is the most prevalent. Currently there exists no cure for asthma—only treatments designed to help manage symptoms. Recently, a body of research attempting to unravel how this condition develops in young children has emerged, so that prevention...