Microbiology
93 articles-
Your Cells Are Dying. All The Time.
Some go gently into the night. Others die in freak accidents or deadly invasions, or after a showy display. -
The Bacteria That Revolutionized the World
How cyanobacteria killed one climate and created our habitable Earth. -
The Speediest Creatures on Earth
How tiny one-celled protists pull off their strange and marvelous feats. -
How Did Life Begin?
By imitating early conditions of Earth in the lab, scientists gain new insight into the origin of life. -
Cells Across the Body Talk to Each Other About Aging
When mitochondria stop communicating, the biological clock starts winding down. -
The Superbug That Devours Ocean Plastic
How genetically engineered bacteria could shrink the growing garbage patches in our oceans. -
Mirror-Image Life
This biochemist is determined to create a new life form by reversing the shape of molecules. -
A New Way to Make Cells from Scratch
How scientists are engineering synthetic cells to be more life-like. -
Can We Stop Time in the Body?
Inside the “out there” quest for a drug that would help doctors save lives before it’s too late. -
Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop or Else!
Science is coming after people who don’t give a @#$% about sidewalks.
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Underground Cells Make “Dark Oxygen” Without Light
In some deep aquifers, cells have a chemical trick that could sustain whole underground ecosystems.
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The Biologist Blowing Our Minds
Michael Levin is uncovering the incredible, latent abilities of living things.
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Through the Microscope, Bacterial Colonies Look Like Bustling Cities
They come and go from diverse neighborhoods, build towers, and cooperate.
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The World Is Full of Sleeping Beauties
Success in nature and culture depends just as much on timing as it does on brilliance.
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The Secret Life of the North Pole
A universe of microbes is melting with Arctic ice—with consequences for us all. -
The Body Electric
We are formed by more than DNA. Meet the bioelectric code. -
Will CRISPR Cure Cancer?
One question for Brad Ringeisen, a chemist and executive director of the Innovative Genomics Institute. -
The Universal Clock of Aging
Father Time is ticking away in our DNA. -
Mobile Genes From the Mother Shape the Baby’s Microbiome
Tiny genetic sequences in a mother’s bacteria seem to hop into the infant’s bacteria, perhaps ensuring a healthy microbiome later in life.