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Microbiology
116 articles-
These “Living Rocks” Are Living It Up
Unassuming ancient microbe communities are surprisingly skilled at storing away lots of carbon -
The Dark Matter of Food
Exposing the chemicals that affect our health and behavior -
The Air In Hospitals and On Airplanes Is Cleaner Than You Think
These crowded spots may not be the airborne pathogen cesspools we fear -
Tiny Volcano-Dwelling Creature Breaks Heat Record
The fire amoeba challenges assumptions about what complex life needs to survive on Earth -
What Cheese Mold Can Teach Us About Evolution
Love and gene disruption in a Vermont aging cave -
How Moss Fights Crime
Even tiny bits of an unassuming carpet of plant matter can be enough to lead investigators to a suspect -
From Deep Blue Mud, Unexpected Life Emerges
Surprise biology in deep-sea mud volcanoes -
Witness the Rare Birth of a Water Bear
A vulnerable moment for one of Earth’s most resilient creatures -
What to Know About Mirror Life
Some scientists want to create a biological Bizarro World—is it safe? -
Sugar, the Secret Plant Thermostat
It could help plants grow at temperature extremes
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A Rogue New Life Form
A tiny microbe discovered by accident challenges the definition of cellular life
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These “Junk” Proteins May Fuel Adaptation
And they could help some creatures adjust to changing climates
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Viruses That Roam the Fungal Kingdom
Mushrooms and other fungi can harbor hidden companions—and some of these may fight pesky or dangerous molds
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The Ecosystem Dynamics That Can Make or Break an Invasion
By simulating ecological networks with microbes, researchers revealed properties that may make natural communities susceptible to invasion
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Hunting For the Grandma of All Eukaryotes
The origins of life may lie in a mysterious life form at the bottom of the sea -
Your Dishwasher Could Harbor the Next Chonkus
Scientists want your help identifying marvelous new extremophiles -
Why Germs Love Our Collective Amnesia
Author Thomas Levenson on writing his new book So Very Small about humanity’s struggle to accept germs’ threats -
The Animals That Exist Between Life and Death
At the dawn of microbiology, scientists glimpsed unseen worlds and stumbled into a philosophical purgatory -
The Unnatural History of Bird Flu
H5N1 is a human creation