Certain tree species learned to foster microbe colonies, which produce compounds that the trees can use to grow. In this particular case, the microbes turn inorganic matter into organic matter, which trees can then convert further. “In acidic forest soils, availability of inorganic nutrients is a tree-growth-limiting factor. A hypothesis to explain sustainable forest development proposes that tree roots select soil microbes involved in central biogeochemical processes, such as mineral weathering, that may contribute to nutrient mobilization and tree nutrition,” explains Stephane Uroz.

“Our results suggest that certain tree species have developed indirect strategies for mineral weathering in nutrient-poor soils, which lie in the selection of bacterial communities with efficient mineral weathering potentials,” the expert adds. The investigator focused on tree species including beech, oak and Norway spruce trees, samples of which were collected and then carefully analyzed in the lab. When grown in bacteria-rich environments, oak and beech trees proved capable of drawing benefits from their neighbors, whereas Norway spruce trees did not.

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Scientists say spices could hold the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

New research has found that coriander and turmeric, spices traditionally used to flavour Indian curries, could reduce the amount of methane produced by bacteria in a sheep’s stomach by up to 40%.

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The results of the international, regional and local Hygiene Home Truths Study 2010, were revealed today during the fifth annual Hygiene Council meeting held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study, supported and organized by Dettol, showed that bathroom seals, the insides of fridges, general purpose kitchen towels and kettle handles are some of the most highly contaminated hygiene hotspots in homes worldwide and especially in Saudi Arabia – and are caused by ineffective cleaning.

According to the study, bathroom seals are the dirtiest site in homes worldwide, with over two thirds (70%) failing bacterial tests, and over half (56%) failing mould tests, despite more than a third (37%) appearing clean. This is a concern, as evidence from existing studies shows a relationship between the presence of household mould or damp and an increase in the incidence of health problems such as fungal infections, respiratory illness, asthma and allergies.[i], [ii], [iii], [iv]

The inside of fridges came a close second to bathroom seals in the contaminated hygiene hotspots stakes, with nearly half (46%) of households worldwide failing bacterial contamination tests and more than two fifths (44%) of households showing mould build up. Fridge temperatures were found to be unsatisfactory in many instances, allowing bacteria to grow to high numbers. Fridges were also found to be one of the least regularly items in the home, especially in terms of using disinfectant products such as Dettol.

In Saudi Arabian homes, the dirtiest items were bathroom seals and fridge interiors with nine out of ten (90%) of both areas found to be unsatisfactory or heavily contaminated – well above the global average. This finding was particularly surprising given the fact that the same number of people – nine out of ten householders (90%) – said that they cleaned their fridge at least once a week, with eight out of ten (80%) claiming to clean their bath or shower daily.

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Consumption of turmeric should be avoided during the outbreak of food-borne diseases, according to a new study by scientists of the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Experiments conducted at IISc pointed out that Salmonella bacteria that causes typhoid and other food-borne diseases, grew three times faster when exposed to ‘curcumin’, the main molecular component of turmeric.

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Mobile phones can harbour 18 times more living bacteria than a flush handle on a men’s toilet, according to research for consumer group Which?

A hygiene expert who swabbed and analysed 30 handsets for the study found seven had warning or high levels of environmental bacteria.

One harboured levels of bacteria, including faecal coliforms, high enough to give its user a serious stomach upset.

Which? said the findings suggest millions of UK mobiles would exceed the recommended acceptable levels of bacteria.

While not immediately harmful, elevated levels indicate poor hygiene and can act as a breeding ground for more serious bacteria.

Bob Hancock, director of the UBC Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, says swimming carries lesser risks compared to other summer hazards, like improperly grilling a burger. However, he cautioned that although the danger of infections isn’t that high, it always pays to be careful.

For example, Hancock said that swimming with too many people in the shallow waters of a beach boosts the chance of getting ill from E. coli. These bacteria are found in the digestive tracts of warm-blooded animals.

The UBC professor also said disease-causing bacteria like Shigella and Salmonella are likewise found near beaches. These come from the feces of animals and can cause stomach problems in humans.

People who want to cool off by dipping into small ponds of inland fresh water or rivers should be aware of two types of microscopic parasites: Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

Hancock explained that these come from either dead animals or fecal matter. Giardia and Cryptosporidium are known to cause gastrointestinal disorders. He added that these parasites are not common in big bodies of water like lakes.

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Cases of H1N1 in cats and ferrets appear to have been transmitted from symptomatic human household members, according to a new analysis from the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Emilio E. DeBess, DVM, from the Oregon Department of Human Services, in Portland, presented the findings here at a poster session at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases 2010.

“We are reporting the first cluster of laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 in the US,” the authors note, “in 4 ferrets and 2 cats.”

According to Dr. DeBess, the cases represent the first description of the pathology and viral antigen distribution of lethal respiratory disease in domestic cats after natural pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus infection, which was probably transmitted from humans.

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Two tips for preventing Johne’s disease on dairy farms: Use stainless steel water troughs and add chlorine to the water. That’s according to Kim Cook, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist at the agency’s Animal Waste Management Research Unit in Bowling Green, Ky. Cook did the research with Carl Bolster, a hydrologist at Bowling Green, and other colleagues.

Stainless steel troughs are expensive, but not as expensive as Johne’s disease. Caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, this disease can cause losses of as much as $200,000 per year in a herd of 1,000 dairy cows. The losses are mostly from a drop in milk production and the need to cull infected animals. A continued increase in the number of cases of Johne’s disease among dairy cattle suggests that there may be unknown sources of contamination on farms.
Cook thought that water troughs would provide a perfect home for bacteria, so she counted the Mycobacteria in the slimy layers in water on the sides of the most commonly used troughs: concrete, plastic, stainless steel, and galvanized steel. She wanted to see if there were differences in the ability of the bacteria to adhere to and survive on the surfaces of the different materials.

Cook found high concentrations of the bacteria on all troughs within three days of inoculating the water with the bacteria, and they survived for more than 149 days. But the bacterial survival rate was lowest on the stainless steel.

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National and global conferences on health, new age, new thought, green, meditation, and spiritual themes should be aware that when they run familiar and relaxing drumming circles at various convention hotels, the hides of the drums might contain animal hides that could conceivably spread anthrax microbes.

Does your drum contain anthrax? The anthrax spore form lives for years in the soil. When the spores surface, they revert to the vegetative form to cause further disease when eaten by animals.

Carcasses of animal dying with anthrax should not be opened as the vegetative form turns to spores when exposed to air.

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Researchers have published an analysis of 178 genomes from microbes that live in or on the human body. The accomplishment sets the stage to better understand how these diverse organisms affect human health and disease.

The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) was launched to catalog and explore the diverse microbial species—or microbiome—that inhabit the human body. The microorganisms living in and on the human body outnumber the body’s cells by 10 to 1. Some of these bacteria, fungi and viruses cause illnesses, but many are necessary for good health. Currently, researchers can grow only some in the laboratory. But using new genomic techniques, scientists can identify minute amounts of microbial DNA and compare sequences in databases.

Part of the first phase includes sequencing hundreds of microbial reference genomes. The effort is funded through the NIH Common Fund and involves several NIH components. Sequencing work for the project is done by HMP-funded large-scale sequencing centers around the country. Samples for the first phase are being collected from 5 body areas: the digestive tract, mouth, skin, nose and vagina.

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