Articles for category: Ecology, Microbiology, Plants

Why Mangroves Matter for Everyone

The Mangrove Microbiome: Tiny Creatures Keeping Singapore’s Coasts Resilient

Trizzy Orozco

Beneath Singapore’s towering skyline and gleaming waterfront, a hidden world thrives in the shadows of ancient mangrove roots. While tourists marvel at the city-state’s architectural wonders, microscopic warriors wage an invisible battle against rising seas and climate change. These tiny organisms, smaller than the period at the end of this sentence, are quietly orchestrating one ...

a close up of a plant with green leaves

Sunlight to Sugars to Everything Else: How Plants Kickstart the System

Maria Faith Saligumba

Step outside on a sunny morning and look around. That towering oak tree, the patch of grass beneath your feet, even the tiny moss clinging to rocks—they’re all performing one of nature’s most extraordinary feats. Without any fanfare or recognition, these green organisms are quietly transforming light into life itself, setting in motion a chain ...

The Role of Seed Banks and Botanic Gardens

The Secret Armor of Seeds: Why Some Plants Wait 100 Years to Sprout

Trizzy Orozco

Nature has been keeping one of its most remarkable secrets hidden in plain sight. While you might expect a seed to sprout within days or weeks after hitting the soil, some seeds have been patiently waiting underground for decades, even centuries, before deciding it’s finally time to emerge. This phenomenon, known as seed dormancy, represents ...

The Spark in Ancient Babylon

The 2,600-Year-Old Mystery of Babylon’s Hanging Gardens – Found in Nineveh?

Trizzy Orozco

Picture this: one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World might have been hiding in plain sight for over two millennia, but in completely the wrong city. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon have puzzled archaeologists, historians, and dreamers for generations, yet despite countless excavations in modern-day Iraq, not a single trace of these legendary ...

The Fight Against Single-Use Plastics: Grassroots Movements Leading the Charge

The Mushroom That Eats Plastic: How Fungi Could Solve Our Waste Crisis

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a world where plastic waste no longer pollutes our oceans, clogs our landfills, or litters our streets. A world where nature itself could combat one of humanity’s greatest environmental challenges. This isn’t the plot of a science fiction novel; it’s a burgeoning reality, thanks to the humble, yet extraordinary fungi. These remarkable organisms might ...

2. Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis: The Zombie-Ant Fungus

Zombie Ants and the Mind-Control Fungi That Manipulate Their Hosts

Trizzy Orozco

Deep within the lush, mysterious rainforests lies a phenomenon that seems ripped straight from the pages of a science fiction novel. This is a tale where ants become unwilling actors in a drama orchestrated by a cunning puppet master. These ants, often referred to as “zombie ants,” are manipulated by a parasitic fungus, leading them ...

Ant fungi

The Fungi That Act Like Shepherds, Controlling How Ants and Plants Interact

Annette Uy

In the intricate tapestry of nature, fungi often play a role that goes unnoticed, yet their influence can be profound. Among the myriad of interactions in the natural world, the relationship between ants, plants, and fungi is a fascinating example of the complexity of ecosystems. Imagine a shepherd guiding its flock; similarly, certain fungi act ...

Voices from the Field: Rangers, Scientists, and Locals

Breaking the Lab Ceiling: How Women of Color Are Transforming Science

Trizzy Orozco

In laboratories across the globe, a quiet revolution is reshaping the future of scientific discovery. While news headlines often focus on breakthrough technologies and Nobel Prize winners, a more profound transformation is happening beneath the surface. Women of color are breaking through centuries-old barriers, bringing fresh perspectives to research that’s solving humanity’s greatest challenges. From ...

a bunch of mushrooms that are on the ground

How Plants Talk Through Underground Fungal Highways

Maria Faith Saligumba

Picture this: beneath your feet, as you walk through a forest, millions of conversations are happening. Trees are sharing resources, warning each other about dangers, and coordinating their survival strategies through an intricate network that puts our internet to shame. Welcome to the wood wide web, where fungi act as nature’s fiber optic cables, connecting ...