Bacteriophage b/w Bacteriophage

Bacteriophage

The T4 bacteriophage is a virus that attaches to the surface of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Once attached, the bacteriophage injects its DNA into the bacterium. The DNA instructs the bacterium to produce masses of new viruses. So many are produced, that the E. coli bursts releasing the viral particles.

Microbes and climate change

Microbes are involved in many processes, such as the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and are responsible for both the production and consumption of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Microbes could have various positive and negative feedback responses to temperature, but the extent of these is not completely understood. The reason is that microbes live in very diverse communities that interact with other organisms and the environment in complex ways, which makes it difficult to make predictions about the effects of microbes on climate change, but scientists are trying to include microbial activity in climate change models. What is certain is that human activities have helped to increase the production of greenhouse gases by microbes.

Microalgae biofuel research

Microbes and biofuels

Can scientists use microbes to make alternative biofuels?

Mosquito feeding on human blood

Climate change and health

Will climate change have an impact on health and affect the spread of diseases such as malaria?

Carbon cycle

Where has that carbon atom been? The carbon cycle is a complex cyclical process through which all of the carbon atoms in existence rotate.

Nitrogen cycle

Similar to the carbon cycle the nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen in all its forms, cycles through the environment.