Tag:

Microbes

Earthquakes Trigger Microbial Changes in Yellowstone’s Underground Ecosystem

by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor November 27, 2025

written by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor

Here’s a 100% original⁣ paragraph summarizing the ⁢core findings of the provided article, aiming for conciseness and clarity:

Recent‌ research into the microbial life thriving deep ⁤beneath Yellowstone National Park reveals a surprising link between seismic activity and subterranean ecosystems. A study of water samples taken before and after a series of earthquakes in 2021 demonstrated a meaningful increase in ‍key ⁢energy sources – hydrogen, sulfide, ‌and dissolved organic carbon‍ – alongside a rise in microbial populations.This suggests that even minor earthquakes can fracture rock, altering fluid flow and releasing nutrients that fuel life in these dark, isolated environments. The findings not only challenge the assumption of stability in underground microbial communities but also offer potential insights into ⁣how life might persist in similar⁢ subsurface habitats on other planets,like Mars,where water and seismic activity may coexist.

November 27, 2025 0 comments

Technology

Clays on Mars as tantalizing oases for microbial life

by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor July 1, 2025

written by Rachel Kim – Technology Editor

Mars’ Clay Layers: Potential Havens for Ancient Life?

A new study suggests that Martian clay deposits, potentially brimming with minerals, might have once sheltered ancient microbial life. Researchers have uncovered how these thick clay layers, formed billions of years ago, could have provided stable environments conducive to life, raising intriguing questions about Mars’ past.

Clues in Martian Clay

Mars is home to extensive clay deposits, some hundreds of feet thick. Scientists have determined that these layers formed near standing bodies of water, like lakes. This discovery hints at conditions potentially suitable for the emergence of life, if it ever existed. The clay formations are abundant across the planet.

They Might Be ClaysThis observation targets a region of layered materials exposed along the northern edge of the Hellas Basin. These layers have a light tone, suggesting the presence of clays.uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_08…NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona#Mars #science #NASA

— HiRISE BeautifulMars (NASA) (@uahirise.bsky.social) 2025-03-02T18:00:18.394Z

“These areas have a lot of water but not a lot of topographic uplift, so they’re very stable. If you have stable terrain, you’re not messing up your potentially habitable environments. Favorable conditions might be able to be sustained for longer periods of time.”

—Rhianna Moore, University of Texas at Austin

According to the NASA Astrobiology Program, scientists are actively searching for evidence of past life on Mars, including examining clay minerals. As of 2024, over 100,000 rock samples have been collected on Mars, hinting at the intensive search for the planet’s past. (NASA Astrobiology Program).

Similarities and Differences: Mars vs. Earth

The research team, led by the University of Texas at Austin, published their findings in Nature Astronomy. They analyzed data from 150 Martian clay deposits. The Martian clays, similar to those on Earth, may preserve traces of ancient life. However, the formation processes differ due to the absence of plate tectonics on Mars.

This image shows a clay-rich mesa in Hellas basin on Mars. A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin shows that such clay deposits, widespread on Mars, formed alongside stable standing bodies of liquid water on ancient Mars. The clays on Mars could preserve traces of ancient microbial life, if it ever existed. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ UArizona/ University of Texas at Austin.

Mars’ lack of plate tectonics might explain why carbonates, common on Earth, are scarce on Mars. The ongoing clay formation might have also contributed to the lack of carbonates by sequestering them. The carbonates might have been prevented from leaching out into the wider environment, where they could react with the surrounding geology, according to the study.

Clays on Mars as tantalizing oases for microbial life — **Rhianna Moore** at the University of Texas at Austin is the lead author of the new study about clays on Mars. Image via Science and Technology Institute.

Even though carbonate rocks are rare, a team of researchers found rich carbonate deposits in Gale Crater, which may indicate that there may indeed be a lot of carbonates on Mars. This discovery adds another layer to the complexities of understanding Mars’ geological history.

Map of gray terrain with small colored diamond shapes, dots and white outlines. Latitude and longitude numbers are along the top and right outside edges of the map. — Map of clay deposits on Mars. The white outlines mark basin boundaries. Image via Moore et al./ Nature Astronomy/ EurekAlert!.

The Martian clays offer a fascinating glimpse into the planet’s ancient past, potentially revealing insights into the conditions that may have once fostered life. Continued exploration and analysis of these clay deposits could unlock further secrets regarding Mars’ potential for habitability.

July 1, 2025 0 comments

Health

5 deadly bacteria that scare scientists, this is how deadly the effect is

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 11, 2024

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Jakarta –

The emergence of antibiotics has had a huge impact on the world of health. Diseases that were previously considered deadly and dangerous can now be easily treated.

However, bacteria also reproduce quickly and create new gene sequences that are resistant to drugs, especially when antibiotics are used continuously or excessively.

Quoted from Livescience, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to antimicrobials have claimed about 1.27 million people worldwide in 2019. These bacteria cause many diseases, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

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The following are the most feared super bacterial diseases in the world.

1. Enterobacteriales

Enterobacteriales are an order of bacteria commonly found in the gut. One of the most famous is Escherichia coli (E. coli). There are also several other bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacteria that causes pneumonia that is often found in hospitals.

There are two types of Enterobacteriales on the WHO emergency list, namely bacteria resistant to cephalosporins and bacteria resistant to carbapenems.

The most worrisome types are Enterobacteriales that are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, which are antimicrobials that were previously the best choice for treating bacteria with enhanced resistance. The inability of third-generation cephalosporins to treat Enterobacteriales infections also eliminates the tool for treating brain infections caused by these bacteria, as antibiotics can cross the blood-blood barrier. brain

2. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Active TB can be cured with six months of treatment using four antimicrobial drugs.

However, some types of tuberculosis resist this treatment. In particular, TB that is resistant to rifampicin. Treatment for rifampicin-resistant TB tends to be more complicated and take longer than for non-drug-resistant TB.

Due to the high burden of TB infections that are resistant to rifampicin, WHO considers this microbe to be an urgent problem, calling for new antibiotics to fight it.

3. Salmonella Enterica Typhi

Salmonella enterica Typhi is the bacteria that causes typhoid fever, a severe intestinal infection that causes diarrhea, stomach ache, fever and headache. This disease is a major concern in several regions of Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and parts of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific where sanitation and access to medical care are poor.

Typhoid fever is easily treated using the antibiotics chloramphenicol, ampicillin and co-trimoxazole. However, in the 1970s, strains appeared that were resistant to different drugs. In response, doctors turned to fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

Unfortunately, in recent decades cases of typhoid fever that are resistant to Fluoroquinolone have appeared. In some areas, typhus can only be treated with the oral antibiotic azithromycin. However, there are concerns that bacteria may develop resistance to the drug.

4. Non-typhoidal Salmonella

Not all types of Salmonella cause typhus. Some strains of Salmonella cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea. This is a type of Salmonella that is sometimes obtained from undercooked or contaminated food.

Usually, the infection caused by Salmonella infection will heal on its own. But recently, doctors discovered bacteria that were resistant to fluoroquinolones, the first-line antimicrobials used to treat these infections.

Instead, doctors turned to using the antibiotic ceftriaxone. Although resistance to ceftriaxone is rare, the CDC reports that it is growing in some regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa.

5. Staphylococcus Aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that can live on human skin. Generally, these bacteria are not harmful. But if this bacteria gets out of control, the infection can cause pus-filled wounds, and even trigger life-threatening sepsis.

Staphylococcus aureus is usually treated with the antibiotic methicillin. However, there are strains that are resistant to this drug. Variants of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to methicillin are called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

In 2019, MRSA became the world’s deadliest single immune pathogen. In that year alone, MRSA caused more than 100,000 deaths.

(note)

2024-08-11 22:04:38
#deadly #bacteria #scare #scientists #deadly #effect

August 11, 2024 0 comments

Technology

Scientific tools for Mars exploration lack the necessary ability to detect microbes

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 24, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Written by Amira Shehata

Friday, February 24, 2023 05:00 AM

A study finds that the tools scientists use to find signs life on Mars They may not actually be sensitive enough to detect microbes, so no organisms have been detected on the Red Planet yet. Researchers from the Autonomous University of Chile tested the sophisticated instruments used by NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance spacecraft in the Atacama Desert.

And according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, while the laboratory’s equipment identified biosignatures, molecules that indicate the presence of life, in the past or present in the samples, it was found that identifying them using the technology of the rovers was hardly possible.

Scientists from around the world have been scouring the surface of Mars for signs of life since the 1970s, and this began with the Viking Lander missions, which involved sampling Martian soil to look for “organic” carbon-containing molecules.

Carbon is an essential component of all known forms of life on Earth, so the molecules it contains act as potential biosignals.

Other missions over the years to Mars include the Pathfinder mission, which carried the first rover to the planet, and Spirit and Opportunity, which searched for water.

Today, the Perseverance rover is wandering around the Martian delta collecting important samples it hopes to send back to Earth. However, none of these missions have yet provided any indisputable evidence of the existence of aliens, and they wrote: “We assume that the limitations of current tools and the nature of organic materials in Mars rocks may also impede our ability to find evidence of life on the Red Planet.”

February 24, 2023 0 comments

World

Scientists have told how long it takes for the human body to fully decompose

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com January 4, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

As soon as a person dies, their body usually begins to decompose immediately, although good embalming can delay this process.

Immediately after death, the human body begins to decompose, as cells die and bacteria multiply in the body. But how long does it take for the human body to decompose completely? This question was answered by the publication Live science scientists.

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According to scientists, the process of decomposition of the body begins a few minutes after the death of a person. Oxygenated blood stops flowing and this leads to the gradual death of body cells.

At the same time, a rapid multiplication of bacteria begins in the abdominal cavity of the deceased, as a result of which gases are released, the abdominal cavity swells and an unpleasant odor appears. If the body is in a very hot room, the decomposition process is accelerated, so the corpses are placed in special refrigerators in the morgue. They are kept there until the funeral.

Although the decomposition process begins within minutes of death, both the ambient temperature and the soil in which the body is buried, as well as the material of the coffin, affect the decomposition process and its duration.

According to Daniel Westcott of the University of Texas, USA, if the body was buried in an ordinary coffin, the transformation of the corpse into a skeleton begins within a year after burial. For the body to completely decompose, that is, all soft tissues disappear, about 10 years must pass.

Photo: Daily Mail

On the other hand, if the body was not buried properly, the decomposition process is greatly accelerated by microbes, as well as insects, which eat all the soft tissue. And within a few days all organs and tissues will no longer have their original appearance. In the future, in just a few years, such a body can turn into a skeleton. But it all depends on the environmental conditions. According to Nicholas Passalaqua of Western Carolina University, it can take up to 5 years for such a body to fully decompose.

According to Westcott, the decomposition process can slow down embalming when special fluids are injected into the body instead of blood. These chemicals act as preservatives and prevent bacterial activity from destroying the body.

As for the usual burial of the body, according to scientists, the acidity of the soil in which the coffin is placed can also affect the rate of decomposition. If the soil has high acidity, the coffin will collapse faster, which means microbes and insects will speed up the decomposition process.

It turns out that the rate of decomposition, which can slow down, is affected by the chemotherapy and antibiotics the deceased person took before their death.

According to Westcott, the coffin’s lining also affects how quickly the body decomposes. Some materials absorb fluid from the body, which can cause it to dry out and even mummify faster. If the material retains moisture, the body can be impregnated with its own fluids and decompose faster.

As already written Focus90 years old the last astronaut of the lunar mission “Apollo 7” died.. Walter Cunningham was an astronaut in NASA’s first successful manned lunar space program.

January 4, 2023 0 comments