Understanding lipid composition of ant fungal gardens provides new knowledge on interkingdom communications band and also advances toward the development of microbial systems that can produce valuable compounds from plant biomass.
Microbiome and soil chemistry characterization at long-term bioenergy research sites challenges idea that switchgrass increases carbon accrual in surface soils of marginal lands.
The map fills in a portion of the study site missing from sampling studies and enables a better understanding of hydrological dynamics in a complex river corridor.
Soil microbial communities produced more water retaining molecules when enriched with insoluble organic carbon, chitin, compared to a soluble carbon source, N-acetylglucosamine.
To study the impact of accelerated dryland expansion and degradation on global dryland gross primary production (GPP,) PNNL and Washington State University researchers assessed GPP data from 2000-2014 and the CMIP5 aridity index (AI).
Researchers performed controlled laboratory experiments using river sediment to test organic matter thermodynamics as a mechanism of metabolic control in areas where groundwater and surface water mix.
Researchers performed a combined analysis of metabolic and gene co-expression networks to explore how the soil microbiome responds to changes in moisture and nutrient conditions.
By studying discrete functional components of the soil microbiome at high resolution, researchers obtained a more complete picture of soil diversity compared to analysis of the entire soil community.
DOE researchers have developed an infrared nano-imager that may be used to visualize and fingerprint biological molecules in their native liquid environments.