bacteria

A block of Tomme de Savoie cheese ages with a sweater of Mucor lanceolatus fungal mold. Mucor itself doesn't have a strong taste, but more flavorful bacteria can travel far and wide along its hyphae â the microscopic, branched tendrils that fungi use

Science

The Cheese Does Not Stand Alone: How Fungi And Bacteria Team Up For A Tastier Rind

11:32am January 29, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

Cheese rinds may seem simple, even discardable, but the microbial world they contain is complex. Among their inhabitants: bacterial swimmers that hop on highways of fungal tendrils to get around.

Are There Zombie Viruses In The Thawing Permafrost?

12:57pm January 25, 2018

by Michaeleen Doucleff

There's a new fear from climate change: bacteria and viruses buried in frozen ground coming back to life as the Arctic warms up. We went digging in permafrost to find out how worried we should be.

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Michele Comisky of Vienna, Va., enrolled her 8-year-old son, Jackson, in a study to test the value of probiotics in preventing the gut distress often experienced when taking antibiotics.

Could Probiotics Protect Kids From A Downside Of Antibiotics?

7:26pm December 11, 2017

by Rob Stein

Many marketing claims about the potential benefits of probiotics have raced ahead of the science, say researchers who are now trying to catch up. One NIH study is investigating kids' gut microbes.

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Study: Reducing Antibiotic Use Not Enough To Reverse Resistance

5:00am November 22, 2017

by Bethany Chafin

A new Duke University study shows that curbing antibiotic resistance might be more complicated than we thought.

Sour beer has allowed microbiologists an opportunity to find new microbes with applications that could extend beyond simply beer.

The Taming Of The Brew: How Sour Beer Is Driving A Microbial Gold Rush

10:03am October 02, 2017

by Ian Graber-Stiehl

As the popularity of sour beers burgeons in America, scientists are going back to the drawing board in a quest to discover the perfect mix of new brewing microbes.

In July 2016, Rubins (left) and Jeff Williams (right), inside the International Space Station, maneuvered a supply spacecraft for docking.

A Microbe Hunter Plies Her Trade In Space

8:42am March 14, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Meet Kate Rubins, a virus-hunter turned astronaut. When she sequenced DNA in space for the first time, she opened the door to a new era in space biology.

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When a single raindrop hits the ground, it causes tiny water droplets to shoot into the air, some containing bacteria.

WATCH: Raindrops Catapult Bacteria Into The Air, And It's Beautiful

1:58pm March 07, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

They don't have wings, but bacteria sure can fly. Researchers at MIT say that tiny bubbles trapped by raindrops play a part in launching bacteria on long-distance flights.

WHO's First-Ever List Of The Dirty Dozen Superbugs

11:59am February 28, 2017

by Jason Beaubien

For the first time, the World Health Organization has released a list of 12 bacteria that "pose the greatest threat to human health" because of their antibiotic resistance.

Germ History: From Measles To Syphilis, How We Created The Golden Age Of Germs

10:07am February 09, 2017

Ten thousand years ago, many of our deadly human diseases didn't exist. What happened?

The bacteria were discovered in New Mexico's Lechuguilla Cave — a part of Carlsbad Caverns and the deepest cave in the continental U.S.

Health & Safety

Million-Year-Old 'Hero Bug' Emerges From Cave

7:11pm December 10, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Scientists were shocked to see what happened when this ancient bacterium encountered modern antibiotics.