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microbial communities
Trends
- 1Enceladus findings boost hopes of life on Saturn's moon●Promising discoveries about the potential for life on one of Saturn’s icy moons
Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin, working with Cassini mission data, report new findings on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus that strengthen the case for potentially habitable conditions beneath its frozen surface. The results, published in a science journal, point to chemistry in the moon's subsurface ocean that could support microbial life. The work is drawing broad attention in the science community.
- 2Bacteria on coral reef fish gills carry chemosynthesis genes●DNA reveals chemosynthesis genes in bacteria living on coral reef fish gills
Researchers have found that bacteria living on the gills of coral reef fish carry genes for chemosynthesis, meaning they may be able to produce energy from chemicals rather than light. The discovery, reported by Phys.org, suggests fish gills could host microbial communities with an unusual metabolism, expanding what scientists know about where chemosynthetic microbes live.