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

The Soil Ecosystem

The Soil Ecosystem

Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:

What is an Ecosystem?

What is an Ecosystem?

Functional Groups

Functional Groups

Functional groups are a group of atoms with characteristic properties, which when linked to the carbon skeleton of a molecule, alter the properties of that molecule. For example, the presence of certain functional groups on a molecule will make them hydrophilic, whereas others will make them hydrophobic. These functional groups are an indispensable part of organic chemistry and important components of biological molecules, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Each...

Functional Groups

Functional Groups

Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions

Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...

Structural Protein Function

Structural Protein Function

Structural proteins are a category of proteins responsible for functions ranging from cell shape and movement to providing support to major structures such as bones, cartilage, hair, and muscles. This group includes proteins such as collagen, actin, myosin, and keratin.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals, is found throughout the body. In connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments, and tendons, it provides tensile strength and elasticity. In bones and teeth, it mineralizes to...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Decade-long warming accelerates antibiotic resistance in grassland soils.

Nature·2026

Same author

The WalRK two-component system in <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> ensures robustness of secondary wall polymer attachment.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Patterns and drivers of macro- and micro-diversity of mudflat intertidal archaeomes along the Chinese coasts.

mSystems·2026

Same author

Unveiling the biodiversity of large DNA viruses in intertidal mudflats via metagenomics.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Bioenergy Cropping Reduces the Spatiotemporal Scaling of Soil Bacterial Biodiversity.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

Origin of replication discovery for environmentally isolated <i>Pantoea</i> strain enables expression of heterologous proteins, pathways and products.

iScience·2026

Same journal

Bridging two hosts: how intracellular environments shape flaviviral infection.

mBio·2026

Same journal

Post-translational negative feedback loops are sufficient to coordinate synthesis of the gram-negative envelope during steady-state growth.

mBio·2026

Same journal

mGem: A tale as old as blood-do tick-borne pathogens exploit arthropod antioxidant defenses?

mBio·2026

Same journal

mGem: Subcellular compartments in bacterial pathogens and their role during infection.

mBio·2026

Same journal

mGem: A perfect storm in the era of global warming-the convergence between thermotolerant fungi and altered immunity.

mBio·2026

Same journal

Global genomic surveillance of <i>Salmonella</i> in the environment: assessing virulence and antimicrobial resistance at scale.

mBio·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Characterization and Functional Prediction of Bacteria in Ovarian Tissues

Characterization and Functional Prediction of Bacteria in Ovarian Tissues

Published on: October 23, 2021

Microbial Functional Gene Diversity Predicts Groundwater Contamination and Ecosystem Functioning.

Zhili He^1,2,3,4, Ping Zhang^3,4, Linwei Wu^3,4,5,6

¹Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China hezhili@mail.sysu.edu.cn jzhou@ou.edu.

|February 22, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Groundwater contamination impacts microbial diversity. Specific microbial genes can predict contaminant levels and ecosystem health, offering insights into environmental contamination. This research highlights the potential of microbial functional genes as biomarkers.

Keywords:

ecosystem functioning environmental contamination groundwater microbiome metagenomics microbial functional gene random forest

More Related Videos

A Protocol for Computer-Based Protein Structure and Function Prediction

A Protocol for Computer-Based Protein Structure and Function Prediction

Published on: November 3, 2011

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Characterization and Functional Prediction of Bacteria in Ovarian Tissues

Characterization and Functional Prediction of Bacteria in Ovarian Tissues

Published on: October 23, 2021

A Protocol for Computer-Based Protein Structure and Function Prediction

A Protocol for Computer-Based Protein Structure and Function Prediction

Published on: November 3, 2011

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Area of Science:

Environmental Microbiology
Ecology
Biogeochemistry

Background:

Anthropogenic activities contaminate ecosystems, impacting biodiversity.
Limited understanding of how groundwater contamination affects microbial communities and ecosystem functions.
Need for reliable biomarkers to predict environmental contamination and ecosystem functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of environmental contamination (uranium, nitrate) and pH on groundwater microbial functional diversity.
To identify specific microbial functional genes and populations that can serve as biomarkers for contamination.
To assess the potential of these biomarkers for predicting groundwater contamination and ecosystem functioning.

Main Methods:

Analysis of groundwater microbiomes from 69 wells using a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 5).
Assessment of environmental parameters including pH, uranium, and nitrate concentrations.
Statistical analysis to correlate microbial functional gene abundance with environmental variables.

Main Results:

Groundwater microbial functional richness and diversity decreased with increasing uranium concentrations.
Specific microbial functional genes and populations (5.9%) significantly increased with uranium or nitrate contamination.
Changes in these key microbial genes successfully predicted uranium and nitrate contamination levels and ecosystem functioning.

Conclusions:

Microbial functional genes can serve as effective biomarkers for predicting environmental contamination.
Specific microbial guilds respond to contaminants, offering insights into ecosystem health.
This study advances predictive microbial ecology by linking functional genes to contaminant distribution and ecosystem functioning.