Compost is the heart of sustainable gardening. Composting turns scraps into nutritious soil, with help from microbes and other organisms....

Kazachstania humilis ( Candida milleri , Candida humilis ), is familiar in sourdough and other fermentation. Favored by artisan...

Kahm yeast is familiar in fermentation. A collective of wild yeasts including Pichia, Kazachstania and Candida spp , it's the...

Vibrio cholerae is the bacterium responsible for cholera, one of history's most destructive diseases. Cholera is an infection of the...

Bacteria communicate using autoinducers, or signals. Autoinducers help bacteria coordinate their actions. In quorum sensing they inspire...

Quorum sensing enables microorganisms to communicate effectively. This coordinates behavior among bacterial communities. In quorum...

Apples ripen and fall to undergo earthly decomposition. Transformation from a crisp fruit to disappearance in the soil ecosystem is a...

Hormones, a term derived from the Greek word hormao meaning to excite or arouse, are signaling molecules sent by cells to influence...

Pheromones are communication tools. Chemical substances released by an organism into the environment trigger responses to relay...

Cellular communication is a complex signaling system of living organisms from single-celled fungi to massive bodies. Cells use signals to...

Apples turn brown when exposed to air. This phenomenon is enzymatic browning, a chemical reaction not limited to apples, but prevalent in...

Oxidation and fermentation both are used by organisms to extract energy from molecules. These operate in distinct ways and under...

Black tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis  plant. As it undergoes full oxidation, it takes on a dark hue and a strong...

Polyphenols in plants are protectors, beautifiers and communicators. With diverse structures and functions these phytochemical compounds...

Phytochemicals are chemical compounds created by plants. They can enhance a plant's color, flavor, and aroma and provide defense systems...

Wine making starts with selecting the ripest grapes and follows through various stages of fermentation, aging and bottling. Here's an...

Fructose is a simple sugar, a member of the carbohydrate family. It's found especially in fruits and honey. Fructose is known for...

The Crabtree effect causes yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce alcohol in an oxygenated habitat under osmotic pressures from...

Biofilms are prosperous microbial communities, complex networks of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and algae. Their secretions,...

Sucrose, commonly known as table sugar, is a disaccharide or double sugar of glucose and fructose. Most sucrose eaten by humans comes...