Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy01:20

Applications of Molecular Taxonomy

Molecular taxonomy has revolutionized the understanding and classification of bacteria, providing precise insights into their diversity, evolutionary relationships, and ecological roles. By utilizing molecular techniques such as DNA sequencing and fingerprinting, researchers have made significant strides in various fields related to bacterial studies.Resolving Taxonomic AmbiguitiesMolecular taxonomy has been instrumental in distinguishing closely related bacterial species initially thought to...
Evolutionary Processes in Microbes01:26

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms

Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms

Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
Microenvironments01:22

Microenvironments

Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Deconfounded, quantitative microbiome profiling identifies robust multiple sclerosis markers and clinical covariate associations.

Gut microbes·2026
Same author

Large-scale analysis of temporal gene expression variation in peripheral blood.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Exposure to currently used pesticides in Belgian children: Urinary biomonitoring and risk assessment of frequently detected chlorpyrifos and pyrethroid metabolites.

Environmental research·2026
Same author

Kidney Function Modulates Gut Microbial Metabolism.

Toxins·2026
Same author

Toward ethical human microbiome research: improving health through radical interdisciplinary and intercultural co-laboration.

Microbiome·2026
Same author

An exploratory multi-biomarker panel including fecal calprotectin, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Fibroblast-Growth Factor-21 and irisin shows poor diagnostic accuracy for detecting probable sarcopenia in community-dwelling older persons.

Aging clinical and experimental research·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Investigation of Microbial Cooperation via Imaging Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Bacterial Colonies Grown on Agar and in Tissue During Infection
09:49

Investigation of Microbial Cooperation via Imaging Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Bacterial Colonies Grown on Agar and in Tissue During Infection

Published on: November 18, 2022

A molecular study of microbe transfer between distant environments.

Sean D Hooper1, Jeroen Raes, Konrad U Foerstner

  • 1Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, United States of America.

Plos One
|July 10, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Microbial DNA is transferred between diverse environments, even over vast distances. This study provides molecular evidence supporting the widespread distribution of microbes and their genetic material across ecosystems.

More Related Videos

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations
07:40

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Investigation of Microbial Cooperation via Imaging Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Bacterial Colonies Grown on Agar and in Tissue During Infection
09:49

Investigation of Microbial Cooperation via Imaging Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Bacterial Colonies Grown on Agar and in Tissue During Infection

Published on: November 18, 2022

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations
07:40

Monitoring Spatial Segregation in Surface Colonizing Microbial Populations

Published on: October 29, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Microbial Ecology
  • Environmental Genomics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Environments are dynamic, with constant exchange and interaction.
  • Microbes can be transferred between disparate environments via physical or biological processes.
  • Deposited microbial DNA persists even if the organism does not survive in the new habitat.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To find molecular evidence of microbial transfer over vast geographical distances.
  • To compare microbial communities in terrestrial and aquatic environments.
  • To investigate the movement of microbes between ecosystems.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of synonymous nucleotide composition and oligomer frequency in metagenomics data.
  • Orthology analysis of predicted genes between terrestrial and aquatic environments.
  • Correlation with phylogenetic mappings to identify microbial origins.

Main Results:

  • Both terrestrial and aquatic environments contain trace amounts of microbes from distant habitats.
  • Evidence suggests a directional bias of microbial transfer from soil to sea.
  • Metagenomic data reveals molecular signatures of long-distance microbial dispersal.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the Baas-Becking hypothesis on microbial ubiquity.
  • Microbial dispersion and population dynamics facilitate presence in disparate environments.
  • Genetic material from distant environments may be a source for novel gene functions via lateral gene transfer.