BACKGROUND Microbial communities—microbiomes—are intricately linked to human
health and critical ecosystem services. New technologies allow the rapid characterization of …

The Actinomycetales order is one of great genetic and functional diversity, including diversity
in the production of secondary metabolites which have uses in medical, environmental …

Whether a small cell, a small genome or a minimal set of chemical reactions with self-
replicating properties, simplicity is beguiling. As Leonardo da Vinci reportedly said,'simplicity …

Background Microbes are main drivers of biogeochemical cycles in oceans and lakes.
Although the genome is a foundation for understanding the metabolism, ecology and …

The crossing of environmental barriers poses major adaptive challenges. Rareness of
freshwater-marine transitions separates the bacterial communities, but how these are …

Freshwater ecosystems are critical but fragile environments directly affecting society and its
welfare. However, our understanding of genuinely freshwater microbial communities …

Mountain catchments provide for the livelihood of more than half of humankind, and have
become a key destination for tourist and recreation activities globally. Mountain ecosystems …

Microorganisms inhabiting filtration media of a drinking water treatment plant can be
beneficial, because they metabolize biodegradable organic matter from source waters and …

Bacterial community composition and functional potential change subtly across gradients in
the surface ocean. In contrast, while there are significant phylogenetic divergences between …

Background Microbial adaptation to salinity has been a classic inquiry in the field of
microbiology. It has been demonstrated that microorganisms can endure salinity stress via …