wildlife-microbiome
Wildlife-microbiome research examines the microbial communities associated with animals and how these interact with the surrounding environment, including plants. For plant science, this field is significant because animal-associated microbes can influence pollination, seed dispersal, herbivory, and disease transmission, shaping plant health and ecosystem dynamics. Understanding these interactions helps reveal how plants, animals, and microbes co-evolve within shared habitats.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-06-25
Researchers collected bacteria from the skin and fur of 314 bats across Arizona and New Mexico, identifying 61 strains that can fight the fungus destroying bat populations across North America. Bat species and local habitat type were the strongest predictors of which bats carried these protective microbes.
2,936 bacteria were isolated from 314 bats across 12 species at 6 sites; 88.4% belonged to the Actinomycetota group, which is known for producing natural antifungals.
61 out of 1,089 tested bacterial isolates showed activity against Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus causing white-nose syndrome.
Ecoregion and bat species were the two statistically significant variables predicting whether a bat carried bacteria capable of inhibiting the disease-causing fungus.