Art+Science
Biology + Beyond
Cosmos
Culture
Currents
Earth
Life
Mind
Ocean
One Question
Quanta Abstractions
Rewilding
Science at the Ballot Box
Science Philanthropy Alliance
Spark of Science
The Animal Issue
The Climates Issue
The Kinship Issue
The Porthole
The Reality Issue
The Rebel Issue
Women in Science & Engineering
Microbiology
109 articles-
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 -
A Rogue New Life Form
A tiny microbe discovered by accident challenges the definition of cellular life -
These “Junk” Proteins May Fuel Adaptation
And they could help some creatures adjust to changing climates -
Viruses That Roam the Fungal Kingdom
Mushrooms and other fungi can harbor hidden companions—and some of these may fight pesky or dangerous molds -
Nice Microbes Finish First
Aggression doesn’t always pay in dynamic microcosms -
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 -
The Sublime Smarts of Slime Molds
These single-celled blobs show intelligent behavior -
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
-
Medicine Is Going Viral
Once lost in scientific obscurity, bacteriophage therapy is making a comeback.
-
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.