Botulism is a serious food-borne illness caused by potent toxin of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum . This neurotoxin can lead to...

Lignans are compounds found mainly in whole grains, vegetables and seeds. Plants use them as defense weapons against threats like...

Listeria is a genus of bacteria with major effects on human health and the environment. Many Listeria bacteria are beneficial, but...

Phytic acid supports plant health and environmental sustainability. This multi-dimensional compound is vital to nature. Besides...

Lectins and phytates are compounds essential for plant health. In small amounts they benefit humans. Lectins protect plants, often with...

Noble rot has tremendous impact in winemaking, especially of dessert wines. This dowdy fungus, Botrytis cinerea , is a phenomenon in...

Flavonoids are natural compounds with color enhancement properties, a plant protection arsenal and health benefits to humans. A large...

Phenols have both harmful and beneficial effects on human health and the natural environment. In nature they have varied purposes, like...

Phenols are aromatic compounds important to ecosystems, human health and industry. Their functions go beyond fragrance. They're used in...

Mold is a fungus related to yeast and mildew. In fermentation mold has complex and cultivated functions. It's used in soy sauce, salami,...

Starch is an energy source for countless organisms. Among the microbes loving this complex sugar is a remarkable group of bacteria...

Pseudomonadota  is a phylum of bacteria associated with nutrient cycling, human and environmental health. Some like the E. coli,...

Pasteurization is a process of treatments designed to remove microbes from milk. Most microbes inhabiting raw milk are lactic acid...

Binary fission is the primary method of reproduction for bacteria and other single-celled microbes, commonly explained as a parent cell...

Bacteria and archaea are the oldest life forms on Earth. Both defined as prokaryotes , they are fundamentally different in several ways....

Vulcano is part of the Aeolian Island archipelago of Italy. Named for Vulcan, Roman god of fire and metalworking, Vulcano is a unique...

Acidophiles, neutrophiles, and alkaliphiles are microbes which prosper at certain pH levels and environmental conditions such as sulfur...

Bacteroides thetaiotomicron is found in the human gastrointestinal tract (GI) as part of the normal digestive system biota, along with...

Bdellovibrio predatory bacteria are gram-negative , obligate aerobic bacteria who hunt other gram-negative bacteria to feed on their...

Killer yeasts secrete toxic proteins. Known as killer toxins, the proteins can eliminate susceptible cells within their own species or...