microbes Content

Nitrogen-eating Microbes Could Prevent Building Collapse in Earthquakes

Andy Fell — January 11, 2023 - 4:03pm

Naturally occurring microbes could help stabilize the ground under buildings during earthquakes due to the way they reduce the water content in soils, according to new research. This novel microbe-based technique costs half as much and results in far lower carbon emissions than existing soil stabilization methods, as researchers presented at AGU’s Fall Meeting 2022 in Chicago Dec. 14.

Should There Be More Microbes on Your Plate?

Amy M Quinton — May 18, 2022 - 9:19am

Friendly microbes from raw and fermented foods have not been measured as part of our diets - until now. �ٺ��Ƶ researchers find Americans are increasing their intake of friendly microbes, which are good for gut health and can promote a healthy immune system.

�ٺ��Ƶ Wants Samples of Your Fermented Foods for Science

Amy M Quinton — October 07, 2020 - 11:00am

It’s not always easy to find silver linings during the COVID-19 pandemic, but here’s one that food scientists at the University of California, Davis, have discovered: More people are exploring the ancient art of fermented foods.

“My mom made her first batch of sauerkraut this summer,” said Maria Marco, a microbiologist and food science professor with the �ٺ��Ƶ College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “With so many of us sheltering-in-place, fermented foods are more popular than ever.”

Compost Key to Sequestering Carbon in the Soil

Katherine E Kerlin — August 14, 2019 - 3:24pm

By moving beyond the surface level and literally digging deep, scientists at the University of California, Davis, found that compost is a key to storing carbon in semi-arid cropland soils, a strategy for offsetting CO2 emissions.

For their 19-year study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, scientists dug roughly 6 feet down to compare soil carbon changes in conventional, cover-cropped and compost-added plots of corn-tomato and wheat-fallow cropping systems. They found that:

Microbes Grow in Hummingbird Feeders But Do Not Likely Pose Health Hazard

Katherine E Kerlin — March 06, 2019 - 4:25pm

Many people set up hummingbird feeders in their yards to nurture and watch these high-energy pollinators. But could the sugar water they provide be impacting these tiny feathered friends?

A study led by the University of California, Davis, is one of the first to address the potential for sugar water from hummingbird feeders to act as a vector for avian — or even zoonotic — pathogens. It found that the majority of microbes growing in feeders do not likely pose a significant health hazard to birds or humans.

Milk Truck Microbial Study Aims to Improve Dairy Food Safety and Quality

Patricia Bailey — August 23, 2016 - 9:51am

Raw milk shipments delivered by tanker trucks to dairy processing facilities carry diverse populations of microbes that are important to the shelf life, sensory qualities and safety of dairy foods.

Local Microbes Can Predict Wine’s Chemical Profile, Study Finds

Patricia Bailey — June 14, 2016 - 3:44pm

Bacteria and fungi associated with local climate and environmental conditions may leave their "fingerprints" on a wine's chemical composition, according to a new �ٺ��Ƶ study conducted in collaboration with Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel wineries in the Napa Valley.

Gut Microbes and Milk Compounds Tackle Childhood Malnutrition

Patricia Bailey — February 18, 2016 - 8:51am

Two studies show that babies’ gut microbes can boost or impair the child’s growth and milk sugars feed those microbes.