cell biology, microbiology

At about 2 centimeters in length, Thiomargarita magnifica tests scientists’ notions of how large microbes can grow.

The discovery that a group of cell-infecting bacteria lived roughly 2 billion years ago stirs a longstanding controversy around which came first: phagocytosis or mitochondria.

Forest floor-dwelling fungi can send one another electrical signals to form word-like clusters, according to a computer scientist, but whether that represents something akin to language isn’t clear.

The virus’s ability to slip directly from one cell to another may help it avoid some of the body’s immune responses.

Beyond The Scientist’s coverage of COVID-19’s molecular underpinnings were many other stories highlighting the advances made in scientists’ understanding of the biology of cells.

Liquid conglomerations of molecules that form in bacterial cells in response to stress promote the cells’ survival, a study finds.

Unlike other cellular appendages, bacterial nanotubes are made solely of lipids and can connect the cytoplasm of different microbial species.

Several labs have reported the formation of bacterial nanotubes under different, often contrasting conditions. What are these structures and why are they so hard to reproduce?

Differences in how researchers prepare and image samples can lead to discrepancies in their results.

After a handful of cases in Ireland, clinicians there are warning that the virus might infect the placenta in very rare instances and cause fetal distress, but a rise in stillbirths has not been seen in epidemiological studies.

Microbes, traditionally thought to lack organelles, get a metabolic boost from geometric compartments that act as cauldrons for chemical reactions. Bioengineers are eager to harness the compartments for their own purposes.

These icosahedral structures are composed of proteins with unique geometric properties, which enable bacteria to employ them in a variety of situations.

Scientists present evidence of bacteria-driven mating in flagellate eukaryotes at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting.

Leonard Hayflick has been unafraid to speak his mind, whether it is to upend a well-entrenched dogma or to challenge the federal government. At 86, he’s nowhere near retirement.

Research Associate, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Age: 27