Microbial interaction is an integral component of microbial ecology studies, yet the role, extent, and relevance of microbial interaction in community functioning remains unclear, particularly in the context of global biogeochemical cycles. While many studies have shed light on the physico-chemical cues affecting specific processes, (micro)biotic controls and interactions potentially steering m...

The recent advances in sequencing technologies and computational approaches are propelling scientists ever closer towards complete understanding of human-microbial interactions. The powerful sequencing platforms are rapidly producing huge amounts of nucleotide sequence data which are compiled into huge databases. This sequence data can be retrieved, assembled, and analyzed for identification of...

In aquatic environment, microorganisms such as bacteria and microalgae usually secrete a matrix of mucilaginous extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to form a “microbial biofilm” when they are associated with solid surfaces (e.g., sediment particles, plant surfaces). Biofilms and the associated mucilaginous secretions form a cohesive matrix surrounding sediment particles, modifying the sedi...

A dialysis membrane technique was developed that enabled ultrastructural investigations of the interaction of nematode-trapping fungi and their nematode prey. It allowed the sectioning of individual traps that had been selected by light microscopy and was used in kinetic studies on trap formation, nematode capture, and subsequent nematode digestion. The method can also be used for enzyme cytoch...

Liver and intestine are tightly linked through the venous system of the portal circulation. Consequently, the liver is the primary recipient of gut-derived products, most prominently dietary nutrients and microbial components. It functions as a secondary "firewall" and protects the body from intestinal pathogens and other microbial products that have crossed the primary barrier of the intestina...

Mutualistic microbes present in plant-associate microbial communities provide a variety of benefits for their host, including reciprocal exchange of nutrients and/or protection from biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. Plant microbiomes have remarkably robust composition in comparison to the complex and dynamic microbial environments from which they form, suggesting finely tuned discrimin...

Microbial activities are most often shaped by interactions between co-existing microbes within mixed-species communities. Dissection of the molecular mechanisms of species interactions within communities is a central issue in microbial ecology, and our ability to engineer and control microbial communities depends, to a large extent, on our knowledge of these interactions. This review highlights...

■ Abstract Humans and other mammals are colonized by a vast, complex, and dynamic consortium of microorganisms. One evolutionary driving force for maintaining this metabolically active microbial society is to salvage energy from nutrients, particularly carbohydrates, that are otherwise nondigestible by the host. Much of our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which members of the intes...