Scientists have determined the structure of the protein complex that gives cyanobacteria their unique ability…
Browsing: Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are a group of photosynthetic bacteria that inhabit a wide range of environments, including freshwater, marine ecosystems, and terrestrial habitats. These organisms are among the oldest life forms on Earth, with fossil records dating back over 2.5 billion years, playing a crucial role in the development of the planet’s atmosphere and the evolution of other life forms due to their ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria are unique in their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, converting it into a form usable by plants, which is essential for nutrient cycling in many ecosystems. They exhibit a diverse range of shapes and sizes, and some species can form blooms that may produce toxins affecting wildlife and human health. Beyond their ecological importance, cyanobacteria are also explored for their potential applications in biotechnology, including biofuel production and bioremediation of pollutants.
Researchers have copied the way organisms produce toxic chemicals without harming themselves, paving the way…
New Technique Could Speed Search for Life in Outer Space Scientists have developed a new…
Millions of tons of plastic trash are fouling the world’s oceans, most of them tiny…
University of Oklahoma geoscientists document the role of atmospheric dust on marine ecosystems 300 million…
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the green algae blooms swirling around the Baltic…
Breathing? Thank Volcanoes, Tectonics and Bacteria Earth’s breathable atmosphere is key for life, and a…
Researchers find familiar species pave the way for coral regrowth. In contrast to most other…
You’ve probably seen a lichen, even if you didn’t realize it. If you’ve ever meandered…
The ability to transform sunlight into energy is one of nature’s more remarkable feats. Scientists…
Any permanent human space settlement will require beneficial microbes. With the recent celebration of the…
Like our oceans, today’s continents are brimming with life. Yet billions of years ago, before…
The discovery changes our understanding of the basic mechanism of photosynthesis and should rewrite the…
So much for survival of the fittest – diversity is the key: a team of…
A new experiment by Elizabeth Swanner evaluating the reduction of iron in prehistoric oceans may…
Ancient microbes may have been producing oxygen through photosynthesis a billion years earlier than we…
Take a good look at these photos: They show you 1.6 billion years old fossilized…
Researchers at Yale and the University of California-Riverside recently identified a key similarity in the…