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Sciworthy

Sciworthy

The Encyclopedia of Science's Frontier

Category: How can microbes clean up the environment?

How can microbes, archae, and fungi be used to clean up pollution? How do we treat water and soil using microbiology?
Elbrus glacier
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When glaciers retreat, microbes take over

Posted on June 15, 2026May 28, 2026 by Sciworthy

Researchers demonstrated that the first microbes to colonize recently deglaciated soil can extract nutrients from air and rock to survive…

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    Brown rot on apple
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    Using bacteria to fight fungal brown rot

    Posted on June 4, 2026May 11, 2026 by Madeline Taylor

    Scientists compared the effectiveness of traditional chemical fungicides and newer biological fungicides in killing the fungus responsible…

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      Melting ice in the Arctic Ocean
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      Does the Arctic Ocean regulate or amplify global warming?

      Posted on May 14, 2026May 14, 2026 by Sciworthy

      Researchers found that interactions between methane gas and seawater affected greenhouse gas emissions from the Arctic Ocean during a past…

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        A field of sunflowers
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        Biofertilizers change plants’ natural microbes

        Posted on April 22, 2026April 21, 2026 by Madeline Taylor

        Scientists tested how mixtures of plant-growth-promoting bacteria affect the microbial communities of different sunflower varieties for use…

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          Sunflowers
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          Scientists probe plant-based soil cleanup

          Posted on March 26, 2026March 24, 2026 by Madeline Taylor

          Researchers tested plant-based soil remediation methods and found that adding beneficial microbes to copper-contaminated soil improved…

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            Cave interior
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            Gases power diverse microbial life in caves

            Posted on January 26, 2026January 14, 2026 by Madeline Taylor

            Researchers found that cave-dwelling microbes use atmospheric trace gases like methane and carbon monoxide as sources of energy and carbon.

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              Top view of plastic bottles with flowers
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              Do microbes prefer biodegradable plastic?

              Posted on November 3, 2025October 31, 2025 by Madeline Taylor

              Researchers found that microbes living on biodegradable plastics have more genes for plastic degradation than those living on traditional…

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                Methane-munching microbes modify the seafloor

                Posted on June 16, 2025June 25, 2025 by Sciworthy

                Researchers showed that methane-eating bacteria acidify their surroundings and dissolve carbonate rocks on the seafloor.

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                  Thinking like a bacterium can improve water quality

                  Posted on January 23, 2023February 15, 2023 by Sciworthy

                  Researchers show mathematical models based on cell biology can help lake managers reduce toxic algal blooms and improve the quality of our…

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                    Can insects munch their way through our plastic problem?

                    Posted on November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 by Erica Curles

                    The invention of plastic improved human lives in many ways, but it has also created a lot of waste. Plastic waste can take centuries to…

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                      Sciworthy’s content is Creative Commons, No Derivatives, With Attribution. Read more about the license here.