5,519 results
- Genetics
Swapping analogous genes no problem among species
Many genes are interchangeable between yeast, bacteria, plants and humans.
- Life
Having worms can be good for the gut
Parasitic worms shift gut microbes and protect against bowel disease.
- Health & Medicine
Bacterial weaponry that causes stillbirth revealed
Vaginal bacteria may cause stillbirth by deploying tiny weapons
- Health & Medicine
Staph infections still a concern
Scientists have been searching for a vaccine against a deadly microbe for 50 years.
- Life
Obesity’s weight gain message starts in gut
Acetate made by gut microbes stimulates weight gain, research in rodents suggests.
- Paleontology
Oldest microfossils suggest life thrived on Earth about 4 billion years ago
A new claim for the oldest microfossils on Earth suggests that life may have originated in hydrothermal vents, but some scientists have doubts.
- Tech
Cells snack on nanowires
Human cells eat silicon nanowires in a process called phagocytosis. Nanowire-infused cells could be a step towards biological electronic devices.
- Plants
Meat-eating pitcher plants raise deathtraps to an art
The carnivorous California pitcher plant ensnares its dinner using a medley of techniques.
- Life
Some Crohn’s genes make cells deaf to messages from good gut bacteria
Genes linked to Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, might make people’s immune cells miss out on helpful messages sent by friendly gut bacteria.
- Life
Studying cheese reveals how microbes interact
Microbiologist Rachel Dutton uses cheese rinds to study how microbes form communities.
- Animals
Gut bacteria compounds bring cockroaches together
Gut bacteria in young German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) produce fragrant compounds that, when excreted, attract other roaches.
- Climate
There’s something cool about Arctic bird poop
Ammonia from seabird poop helps brighten clouds in the Arctic, slightly cooling the region’s climate.
