Researchers at the University of Delaware are looking at soil bacteria as a defense against arsenic build-up in rice, one of the leading food crops globally, says the New York Times. Long-term exposure to arsenic can be damaging to human health. One bacterium, Pantoa agglomerans, seems to reduce arsenic in the stems of rice plants to one-eighth of former levels, says scientist Harsh Bais in the Times article, which says it is the first microbe shown to reduce arsenic in rice. Research is now looking at whether the change affects rice quality.
In May, scientists said they identified a different bacterium that suppresses blast, a widespread fungus that causes devastating losses to rice crops. The Times said a team of scientists at UC-Davis was studying the rice microbiome and has already found a quarter-milion species of bacteria present.