MIT scientists discover new antiviral defense system in bacteria
Prokaryotes can detect hallmark viral proteins and trigger cell death through a process seen across all domains of life.
Scientists identify a plant molecule that sops up iron-rich heme
The peptide is used by legumes to control nitrogen-fixing bacteria; it may also offer leads for treating patients with too much heme in their blood.
Better living through multicellular life cycles
Researchers reveal how an algae-eating bacterium solves an environmental engineering challenge.
Researchers pioneer a new way to detect microbial contamination in cell cultures
An anomaly-detection model developed by SMART utilizes machine learning to quickly detect microbial contamination.
Could used beer yeast be the solution to heavy metal contamination in water?
A study shows that yeast, an abundant waste product from breweries, can filter out even trace amounts of lead.
Molecules found in mucus can thwart fungal infection
Harnessing the strength of these specialized sugar molecules could help researchers develop new antifungal drugs.
Engineered bacteria could help protect “good” gut microbes from antibiotics
Microbes that safely break down antibiotics could prevent opportunistic infections and reduce antibiotic resistance.
Microbes and minerals may have set off Earth’s oxygenation
Scientists propose a new mechanism by which oxygen may have first built up in the atmosphere
Study sheds light on antibiotics-associated diarrhea
SMART researchers find explanation for why some patients might experience diarrhea after taking amoxicillin-clavulanate.
Predator interactions chiefly determine where Prochlorococcus thrive
New findings may help researchers hone predictions for where phytoplankton will migrate with climate change.
A step toward “living biotherapeutics”
Chemical engineers created a coating for microbes that could make it easier to deploy the organisms to treat gastrointestinal disease.
Research finds potential mechanism linking autism, intestinal inflammation
Infection during pregnancy with elevated levels of the cytokine IL-17a may yield microbiome alterations that prime offspring for aberrant immune responses, mouse study suggests.
Zeroing in on the origins of Earth’s “single most important evolutionary innovation”
A new study shows oxygenic photosynthesis likely evolved between 3.4 and 2.9 billion years ago.
New method opens the door to efficient genome writing in bacteria
Technique for editing bacterial genomes can record interactions between cells, may offer a way to edit genes in the human microbiome.
Mapping the cellular circuits behind spitting
Roundworms change the flow of material in and out of their mouths in response to bright light, revealing a new way for neurons to control muscle cells.