Stunning Time-Lapse Video Shows Surprising Beauty Found in Bacterial Cultures
E. coli and A. baylyi form intricate flower patterns under the microscope. Microbial communities inhabit every ecosystem on Earth, from soil to rivers to the…
Bacteria
Scientists Copy Nature’s Tricks to Sustainably Make Chemicals and Fuel
Researchers have copied the way organisms produce toxic chemicals without harming themselves, paving the way for greener chemical and fuel production. The new technique, pioneered…
Bacteria Can ‘Outsmart’ Programmed Cell Death Overriding an Immune System Defense Mechanism
Certain bacteria can override a defense mechanism of the immune system, so-called programmed cell death, through inhibition of death effector molecules by their outer membranes…
The World’s Smallest Universal Joints in Unprecedented Resolution
Researchers at Osaka University used electron cryomicroscopy to solve the structure of an essential component of the bacterial flagellum with unprecedented resolution, with important implications…
New Viral Strategy to Escape Detection Discovered by Researchers
University of Otago researchers have discovered how viruses that specifically kill bacteria can outwit bacteria by hiding from their defenses, findings which are important for…
Warning: Deadly Superbugs Lurking in More Than 90% of Make-Up Bags
Superbugs including E.coli and Staphylococci have been found in more than nine out of ten in-use beauty products Contaminated products used on the face and…
New Research Into Early Life on Earth Offers Explanation to Carl Sagan’s ‘Faint-Young-Sun’ Paradox
How ancient microbes created massive ore deposits, set the stage for early life on Earth. New research in Science Advances is uncovering the vital role…
Researchers Evolve Bacteria That Consume CO2 for Energy
Over the course of several months, researchers in Israel created Escherichia coli strains that consume CO2 for energy instead of organic compounds. This achievement in…
‘Poison Arrows’ Launched by Warring Bacteria Could Lead to New Antibiotics
A weapon bacteria use to vanquish their competitors could be copied to create new forms of antibiotics, according to Imperial College London research. Researchers have…
‘Butterfly Effect’ in a Protein Molecule – Changing Just 3 Atoms Causes Big Effect
“Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” — Edward Lorenz, at the 139th meeting of the American…
Copper Hospital Beds Are Real Killers, but That’s a Good Thing
Copper Hospital Beds Kill Bacteria, Save Lives A new study has found that copper hospital beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) harbored an average…
New Nanoparticle Weapon in Fight Against Lethal Fungi
Monash University researchers have gained insights into how nanoparticles could develop a biosensor to prevent deadly diseases contracted on medical equipment, such as catheters. Candida…
Shark Skin Microbiome Protects Wounds From Infection
No evidence of infection found in the bacterial community around shark wounds. A survey of the shark skin microbiome provides the first step toward understanding…
Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance Altered by Bacterial Lifestyle
How bacteria live — whether as independent cells or in a communal biofilm — determines how they evolve antibiotic resistance, which could lead to more…
Study Reveals How Mucus Tames Microbes – “Therapeutic Gold Mine”
Specialized sugar molecules called glycans can disarm opportunistic pathogens and prevent infection. More than 200 square meters of our bodies — including the digestive tract,…
Rapid Evolution of Deadly Pathogen: Cholera Bacterium Can Steal Up to 150 Genes in One Go
EPFL scientists have discovered that predatory bacteria like the cholera pathogen can steal up to 150 genes in one go from their neighbors. The study…
Darwin Contradicted: Survival of the Friendliest Bacteria
New microbial research at the University of Copenhagen suggests that ‘survival of the friendliest’ outweighs ‘survival of the fittest’ for groups of bacteria Bacteria make…
Oscillating Genetic Circuit: A Reliable Clock for Your Microbiome
Genetic oscillator records changes in microbiome growth patterns in vivo. For all the attention the human microbiome has been getting over the last few years,…