New to Science: July 2016

Posted on August 10, 2016   by Anand Jagatia

A few days later than planned – but here are the highlights from the July issue.

To start with this month, scientists from China have isolated a novel Actinobacterium from
the faeces of an Assamese macaque, which they name Corynebacterium faecale, while another team from China has found the bacterial species Kordia ulvae from the surface of green marine algae.

In Germany, scientists have isolated the bacterium Moheibacter stercoris from manure used as input for a biogas plant, and a team of Russian researchers have discovered a new thermophilic bacterium from a submarine hydrothermal vent. The species, Dissulfurirhabdus thermomarina, can gain its energy from inorganic sulphite ions in the water, making it a chemolithoaututroph.

Meanwhile, microbiologists from Austria have discovered a species of cold-adapted fungus growing in snow-covered soil. The species, which they name Myrmecridium hiemale, is the first eurypsychrophile of its genus, meaning it can grow at low temperatures (between 0–10ºC) but also tolerate higher ones (up to 25ºC).

Researchers from South Korea have isolated an extremely halophilic species of archaeon from a solar salt flat. Halostella salina is able to survive at salt concentrations that would kill other forms of life, which is reflected in its name. Elsewhere in the country, a team has discovered a new bacterial species from a wild strawberry plant growing on a mountain. They propose the name Flavobacterium tyrosinilyticum, as the bacterium is able to dissolve the chemical tyrosine.

Finally, a team of microbiologists from Slovakia have isolated a new species of parasitic yeast that infects plants in the rose family. The call the species Taphrina gei-montani, and demonstrate that two distinct species (the other being Taphrina tormentillae) parasitise the herbaceous Rosaceae, although on different plants.