culture, microbiology

The first evidence of biologically produced elemental carbon inspires more questions than answers.  

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

As the world around us seems increasingly volatile, protecting and respecting the integrity of research and evidence becomes more important than ever.

In a year of racial tumult, Black scientists are uniting for visibility and action. 

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

The four factors that drive contagion

In Chapter 13, “Trusting Experts—and the Trump Administration,” Marc Zimmer laments the communication breakdown between modern US policy makers and scientists

A new book explores the ways that research findings are used and misused.

In Chapter 8, author Debora MacKenzie recounts an unfortunate history of baselessly blaming disease outbreaks on groups perceived as outsiders.

Our experience with COVID-19 has already shone a light on how (and how not) to address future outbreaks.

See this year’s winners of the American Society for Microbiology’s agar art competition.

After a scientist at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg had a mental breakdown that may have contributed to her death in 2016, employees raise red flags about an unhealthy work environment.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

The American Society for Microbiology held its 4th contest for images created from microorganisms feeding on agar. 

Phage therapy is but one example of using biological entities to reduce our reliance on antibiotics and other failing chemical solutions.

In Chapter 3, “The Enemy of Our Enemy Is Our Friend: Infecting the Infection,” author Emily Monosson makes the case for bacteriophage therapy in the treatment of infectious disease.

By ditching traditional agar-based media, two biochemists captured iconic images of Myxococcus in 1982.

The Scientist reviews Serendipity, Complexity, The Human Superorgasism, and Love and Ruin

Contrary to the popular thought that many species are “unculturable,” the majority of bacteria known to populate the human gut can be grown in the lab, scientists show.