background and objectives: anaerobic bacteria are recognized as important pathogens in surgical infections. however, they are the most overlooked microorganisms by the clinic and the laboratory because of the tedious culture techniques with longer turn-around times. the study was aimed to analyze the frequency of anaerobic bacterial surgical infections and their predisposing factors. materials ...

Volume 17, Number 2 308 Idaho forests. Organic, locally sourced food is becoming an important industry in the state, where morel mushrooms sell for up to $20 per pound (p. 44). Idaho consumers are increasingly demanding organic food that is locally sourced and supports area farmers, and these prized fungi are highly valued by restaurants and consumers. Idaho is known for its potatoes, but it tu...

Soils support an enormous microbial diversity, but the ecological drivers of this diversity are poorly understood. Interactions between the roots of individual grass species and the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and bacteria in their rhizoplane were studied in a grazed, unimproved upland pasture. Individual root fragments were isolated from soil cores, DNA extracted and used to identify pla...

A number of studies have shown that an association with mycorrhizal fungi can alter the outcome of interactions between plants and their enemies. While the directions of these effects vary, their strength suggests the need for greater attention to multispecies interactions among plant enemies, plants, and mycorrhizal fungi. We recognize that mycorrhizal fungi could effect plant enemies by impro...

While the effects of habitat size and isolation have been successfully studied for macro-organisms, there is currently debate about their relative importance in explaining patterns of microbial species richness. In this study, we examine the species richness of a dominant group of eukaryotic soil microbes, ectomycorrhizal fungi, on 'tree islands' of constant age and host composition that range ...