Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology (@mpimicrobiomarburg.bsky.social)

Microbes can reduce their need for nickel Methanogenic archaea have a significant impact on the global climate due to their role in producing almost all methane from natural sources. This well-known process relies on enzymes containing metals such as iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni). However, a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and Biophysics in Frankfurt am Main discovered that these microbes can alter the pathway they use in conditions of low nickel bioavailability (as found in many natural habitats). Their study, published in Nature, significantly advances our understanding of microbial ecology and its potential impact on climate change. https://s.gwdg.de/qAOd9C