When we eventually mine asteroids, humans and robots will not leave unprotected microbes on the surface. Instead, machines ...

Microorganisms produce a wide variety of natural products that can be used as active ingredients to treat diseases such as infections or cancer. The blueprints for these molecules can be found in the ...

Earth's bacteria are evolving to survive in space. Several strains sourced from the International Space Station (ISS) differed from the same strains on Earth, having qualities specifically adapted to ...

It's an oft-cited strange-but-true fact: There are as many bacteria in your gut as there are other cells in your body. This community of microbes (not just bacteria, but viruses, fungi, archaea, and ...

Using microorganisms, researchers have successfully developed a new bio-based plastic to replace conventional plastic. Poly(ester amide) amide is a next-generation material that combines the ...

A novel bacterium recovered from 5,000-year-old ice exhibited resistance patterns to modern antibiotics, which may offer ...

In a cave in Romania, scientists found a bacterial strain entombed in ice that is resistant to 10 modern antibiotics. But it may also help fight superbugs.

Scientists have created genetically engineered human skin bacteria that are decidedly unappealing to the irritating and disease-spreading insects. Blood-feeding female mosquitos are drawn to humans – ...

Colibactin is a powerful toxin produced by Escherichia coli and other bacteria living in the human gut. This highly unstable bacterial product causes mutations in DNA that have been linked to ...

Whether it’s the ocean’s deepest hydrothermal vents or tall mountain peaks, bacteria is likely surviving and thriving. Ice caves can host a wide variety of microorganisms and offer biologists a bevy ...

Scientists may soon turn to bacteria originally found in feces to help cure chronic wounds more quickly. An open wound, for example, is a perfect little breeding pool for bacteria. But not all ...

Bacteria have been around for billions of years. Could they have come up with complex behaviors that we just don’t understand yet? Could they have their own language? Their own culture? Their own ...