Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Optimal Foraging

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.

Ecological Niches

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.

Introduction to Microbial Ecology

Introduction to Microbial Ecology

Microbial ecology examines the complex web of interactions and diversity among microorganisms within various ecosystems. This field seeks to understand how microbial populations adapt to and influence their environments and how these interactions shape broader ecological processes. Microbes are integral to ecosystem function, participating in nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the maintenance of environmental homeostasis.An ecosystem represents a dynamic interaction between living organisms...

Microenvironments

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...

Microbial Interactions: Competition

Microbial Interactions: Competition

Microbial competition is an ecological interaction in which microorganisms vie for limited resources within shared environments. These resources may include nutrients, space, or light, depending on the system. The intensity and outcome of competition are influenced by the environmental context, such as nutrient availability, spatial constraints, and the diversity of microbial species present. These competitive interactions significantly influence the structure, function, and resilience of...

Soil Microbial Ecology

Soil Microbial Ecology

Soil microbial ecology is defined by highly diverse, spatially structured communities that drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and overall ecosystem stability. Although a gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, the ecological processes they mediate are even more crucial for sustaining terrestrial life.Microhabitats and NichesSoil is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes inhabit distinct microhabitats formed by...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Modulation of the bone marrow microenvironment by acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia-derived large oncosomes.

Blood advances·2026

Same author

Single-Cell Translation and Apoptosis Profiling to Define Human CD34 <sup>+</sup> Cell Response to Specific Factors.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Intermittent parathyroid hormone employs autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms to drive osteogenesis from Ebf3-expressing skeletal progenitor cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Shifting IRES versus Cap-initiated translation during homeostatic stem cell differentiation and stress.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Discovery and Development of a Potent LIMK2 Isoform-Specific Degrader.

ACS chemical biology·2026

Same author

MyD88 in myeloid cells drives angiotensin II-induced vascular inflammation, is associated with prevalent heart failure, and predicts all-cause mortality in arterial hypertension.

European heart journal open·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Deconstructing the complexity of a microenvironmental niche.

Daniela S Krause¹, David T Scadden

¹Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

|April 3, 2012

Summary

Researchers refunctionalized a defective thymic epithelial niche. This study reveals how signaling molecules are hierarchically organized to guide cell differentiation outcomes in the microenvironment.

Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Cell biology
Immunology

Background:

Cell fate determination occurs within a complex in vivo microenvironment or niche.
This niche comprises diverse cellular components, signaling molecules, extracellular matrix, biophysical forces, and metabolic substrates.

Discussion:

Calderón and Boehm report the refunctionalization of a defective thymic epithelial niche.
This research provides insights into the hierarchical organization of signaling molecules.

Key Insights:

Signaling molecules are organized hierarchically to direct cell differentiation outcomes.
The study highlights the importance of the microenvironmental niche in cell fate acquisition.

Outlook:

More Related Videos

Compost Microcosms as Microbially Diverse, Natural-like Environments for Microbiome Research in Caenorhabditis elegans

Compost Microcosms as Microbially Diverse, Natural-like Environments for Microbiome Research in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: September 13, 2022

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Compost Microcosms as Microbially Diverse, Natural-like Environments for Microbiome Research in Caenorhabditis elegans

Compost Microcosms as Microbially Diverse, Natural-like Environments for Microbiome Research in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: September 13, 2022

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Microbiota of Attine Ants' Gardens: Visualizing a Microbial Landscape by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: October 4, 2024

Further investigation into the hierarchical organization of signaling molecules can inform therapeutic strategies.

Understanding niche refunctionalization may lead to novel approaches in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.