bacteria

As if the pandemic weren't enough, people are wondering whether climate change will cause pathogens buried in frozen ground to come back to life as the Arctic warms. How worried should we be?

Scientists are trying to flip the script on control of mosquitoes in an effort to combat dengue fever. Instead of trying to wipe them out, they're infecting them with bacteria.

A new study in Brazil finds that urban apartments have more diverse fungi — some healthy, some potentially not — than villages in the Amazon rainforest.

Entrepreneurs are eager to find substitutes for plastic that naturally degrade. One option is a "natural" plastic made by microbes and then eaten by them. But the process is still in the early days.

Researchers think genetically engineered versions of microbes that can live in humans could help treat some rare genetic disorders and perhaps help with Type 1 diabetes, cirrhosis and cancer.

With the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are exploring nature to find new disease-fighting compounds. They're finding them in surprising new places: the microbiomes of insects.

A researcher had an idea about viruses that was wild. And it turned out to be true.

Tighter regulations on oyster harvesting have helped reduce the number of people affected by the deadly bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, but warming waters have allowed the bacteria to expand and thrive.

Infections with Clostridium difficile can be difficult to treat and life-threatening. Once a problem seen mainly in health care facilities, the infections are now occurring often in the community.

In Robert Dunn's new book, Never Home Alone, he explores our symbiotic relationship with food: Not only do we impact the bacteria in our food, but the microbes in our food imprint our bodies.

All kinds of bacteria live with us indoors, and some can make us sick. A new study shows that rooms exposed to light had about half the live bacteria found in rooms that were kept in darkness.

It'd be like the Global Seed Vault on the frigid island of Spitsbergen, Norway — only it would contain helpful human bacteria.