These microbes could help honey bees thrive
As we like to remind our readers a lot at The Optimist Daily, honeybees are essential for our planet's ecosystem. Humans rely on these little pollinators for food security as they basically pollinate everything! Not to mention the countless other species that rely on plants to feed and for Read More...
This company uses an ancient microbe to convert CO2 into food
Many plant-based meats and dairy substitutes use pea protein isolates as their primary protein source. This often involves a complex process of cleaning the protein to get rid of unwelcome flavors, as well as adding additional ingredients to cover up the taste. A Vienna-based company, called Arkeon Read More...
Gut bacteria have nutrient-sharing ‘sex’
Keeping with the theme of love and intimacy this Valentine’s Day, we’re delighted to share this recent sexy tidbit about something typically quite unsexy -- gut bacteria! Some bacteria reproduce asexually. Others do it the old-fashioned way with a partner, but apparently, reproduction Read More...
Microbe-based protein could make livestock feed much more sustainable
As an extremely resource-intensive process, producing livestock feed has a huge environmental impact — putting a strain on our water reserves, using a massive amount of land, and, of course, releasing pollutants into the environment. A new study, however, shows that farming protein from microbes Read More...
Bacteria in cow stomachs are one solution to plastic pollution
As our world’s plastic pollution crisis intensifies, researchers are increasingly searching for new and innovative ways to address the problem. Enzymes and circular design have shown real promise, and the latest plastic waste solution comes from an even more surprising source: cow Read More...
How scientists revived 100-million-year-old microbes
Deep within the cold abyss, beneath the primordial muck of the seafloor and the sediment of millions of years, ancient microbes sit between life and death…and have now been awakened! Scientists haven't quite unleashed Neptune's revenge, but they have revived ancient microbes — possibly over Read More...