Microbes in danger: study reveals explosive relationships in the laboratory!

Microbes in danger: study reveals explosive relationships in the laboratory!

A new study by Tom Clegg and Thilo Gross examined how a network mutual dependencies shapes the microbial diversity. According to a report by the University of Oldenburg, it is particularly challenging to reproduce microbiological ecosystems in the laboratory, as many microorganisms die during the cultivation process. Microbial communities consist of many different types that are in complex interactions. The smallest disorders can lead to a breakdown of these networks and thus have a significant impact on the entire microbial diversity.

The study, carried out at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, shows that the survival of the microbes depends on a complex relationship between relationships. These dependencies can be endangered by small structural changes, which can lead to an abrupt decline in diversity. CLEGG and large describe this collapse as a tilting point, similar to a blackout in a power grid or the collapse of supply chains. The results were published in the journal PNAS and offer new insights into the structure of the interactions within microbial communities.

challenges of laboratory cultivation

The voting of microbial communities in the laboratory represents a significant disorder. Not all members of the communities can be recorded, which means that important metabolic products are missing. The study illustrates that even in resource -rich laboratory cultures, collapses of the communities can occur if the complex relationships are disturbed. This suggests that such systems may not recover, even if all the necessary resources are available.

In addition to these findings, research by the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena show that environmental changes influence microbial diversity. The researchers analyzed DNA sequences of over 1,500 microbial communities from waters, floors and hosts to examine the robustness and sensitivity of the microbes compared to changes in their environment.

robustness of the microbial communities

The investigation showed that bacterial types that occur in many different habitats tend to have larger genomes. These larger amounts of generation could explain the survival of these bacteria in different environments and point out a higher adaptability. The study found that generalists who can adapt to different habitats dominate their communities, while more specialized species occur less often.

An interdisciplinary research team set itself the goal of first examining bacterial and fungal types globally in order to understand their adaptability. These findings are particularly important because the identification of generalists and specialists who are in a variety of interactions is crucial for understanding the microbial ecosystems and their reaction to environmental changes.

The results of these studies underline the importance of microbial communities for the health of people and the environment and the challenges that exist in the preservation of their diversity both in the laboratory and in the natural environment. The observations show that the disorders from modern agricultural practices and changed eating habits can endanger the balance of microbial ecosystems.

summarized the preservation of microbial diversity is a complex challenge that requires a deep understanding of the interactions and the mutual dependencies of the microbes. The interaction of these factors has far -reaching implications for future research approaches in microbiology.

For a detailed examination of the challenges of the laboratory cultivation of microbes, a look at the article by University of Oldenburg . The results of the studies from Jena are also in the reports of Uni Jena and MDR knowledge.