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genetics & genomics, microbiology

Why Bats Make Such Good Viral Hosts
Katarina Zimmer | Jun 1, 2018 | 4 min read
The bat version of the STING protein helps dampen the mammals' immune response to infection, researchers have found.
Origin of Frog-Killing Chytrid Fungus Found
Ruth Williams | May 10, 2018 | 4 min read
DNA evidence points to Asian amphibians as the source of a fatal disease that has been wiping out frogs across the globe.  
Stanley Falkow, Father of Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis, Dies
Catherine Offord | May 9, 2018 | 3 min read
The microbiologist was known for his work on bacterial antibiotic resistance and infectious disease.
Monitoring Mutations with Microfluidics
Ruth Williams | Mar 15, 2018 | 3 min read
A device dubbed the “mother machine” enables real-time observation of mutagenesis in single bacterial cells.  
A Bacteria-Laden Shirt That Ventilates in Response to Sweat
Jef Akst | Sep 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Exposure to the body’s humidity causes a film of the microbes to change shape, opening flaps in the garment to allow for increased airflow.
Final Nail Hammered into NgAgo Coffin
Kerry Grens | Aug 3, 2017 | 1 min read
The paper describing the gene-editing method is retracted.
Emily Balskus Pins Down the Chemistry and Metabolism of Human Microbiomes
Vijay Shankar Balakrishnan | Jul 16, 2017 | 2 min read
At Harvard University the chemical biologist looks for new metabolic pathways to investigate how gut bacteria interact with one another and their hosts.
Microbiota Manipulations
Ruth Williams | Jul 16, 2017 | 3 min read
Two research teams develop tools for tinkering with a bacterial genus prominent in human guts.
Messing with the Microbiome
Ruth Williams | Jul 16, 2017 | 1 min read
Two new techniques allow researchers to manipulate the activity of gut bacteria. 
Mini-Metagenomics Leads to Microbial Discovery
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 14, 2017 | 3 min read
Researchers develop a method that combines the strengths of shotgun metagenomics and single-cell genome sequencing in a microfluidics-based platform.
Anti-CRISPR Protein Reduces Off-Target Effects
Diana Kwon | Jul 12, 2017 | 3 min read
AcrIIA4, an inhibitor protein from the Listeria bacteriophage, can block DNA from binding to Cas9 during genome editing.
New Antibiotic Resistance Genes Found in Soil Microbes
Ashley Yeager | Jun 19, 2017 | 3 min read
The discovery of peptides, enzymes, and other gene products that confer antibiotic resistance could give clues to how it develops.
Discovering Novel Antibiotics
Sandeep Ravindran | Feb 1, 2017 | 7 min read
Three methods identify and activate silent bacterial gene clusters to uncover new drugs
More Anti-CRISPR Proteins to Block Cas9
Kerry Grens | Dec 29, 2016 | 2 min read
The latest CRISPR deactivators to be discovered turn off the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 widely used in genome editing.
Phages Carry Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Abby Olena, PhD | Dec 7, 2016 | 2 min read
Researchers find evidence of antibiotic resistance genes in the DNA of viruses that infect bacteria.
The Human Virome
Eric Delwart | Oct 31, 2016 | 1 min read
Diverse viruses can be found commingling with human and bacteria cells in and on people’s bodies. Scientists are just beginning to understand how these viruses help and when they can turn pathogenic.
Bacteria and Humans Have Been Swapping DNA for Millennia
Kelly Robinson and Julie Dunning Hotopp | Oct 1, 2016 | 8 min read
Bacteria inhabit most tissues in the human body, and genes from some of these microbes have made their way to the human genome. Could this genetic transfer contribute to diseases such as cancer?
Antibiotic Resistance Reaches Brazil
Kerry Grens | Aug 8, 2016 | 1 min read
Scientists detect a colistin-resistance gene in a clinical sample.
Wanted: Transcriptional Regulators
Ruth Williams | Aug 1, 2016 | 2 min read
Researchers have designed a screen to find unique molecules, called riboswitches, that determine whether transcription will proceed.
Clyde A. Hutchison III: Genome Sequencer and Synthetic Biologist
Anna Azvolinsky | Aug 1, 2016 | 8 min read
From sequencing bacteriophages to synthesizing bacterial genomes to defining a minimal genome
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