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metallic-looking illustration of coronavirus structure
How the Omicron Subvariant BA.5 Became a Master of Disguise—and What It Means for the Current COVID-19 Surge
Suresh V. Kuchipudi, The Conversation | Jul 26, 2022 | 4 min read
Several mechanisms contribute to the increased transmissibility of this SARS-CoV-2 variant.
Black and white photo of excavation<br><br>
Black Death Likely Originated in Central Asia
Andy Carstens | Jun 15, 2022 | 5 min read
Genetic testing of people who died in Kyrgyzstan eight years before plague reached Europe reveals an ancient strain of the bacterium Yersinia pestis.
Metal shelves densely packed with preserved tissue specimens of various sizes, all suspended in glass containers.
Evolution of 1918 Flu Virus Traced from Century-Old Samples
Dan Robitzski | May 10, 2022 | 5 min read
The work reveals that the pandemic flu was likely the direct predecessor of the seasonal H1N1 flu that circulated for decades.
a research sailboat with white sails inscribed with "tara ocean" traverses a body of water with small, rocky islands in the background
Q&A: Thousands of RNA Viruses Newly Discovered in Ocean Water
Dan Robitzski | Apr 7, 2022 | 6 min read
The Scientist spoke with Ohio State University microbiologist Matthew Sullivan about a recent expedition that identified thousands of RNA viruses from water samples and cataloged them into novel phylogenic groups.
Slime mold colony with volcano-like fruiting bodies
Cancer-like Slime Mold Growth Hints at Multicellularity’s Origins
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 4, 2022 | 4 min read
The poorly understood Fonticula alba, a relative of fungi and animals, hunts bacteria with a mechanism that resembles cancer and fungal growth.
cartoon depiction of a pair of scissors about to cut a DNA double helix
Researchers Uncover New Families of Gene-Editing Enzymes
Annie Melchor | Sep 15, 2021 | 2 min read
The results reveal evolutionary relatives of the Cas9 enzyme now used extensively in biotechnology.
Watercolor coronaviruses in green, red, blue, and purple are layered above an abstract background of watercolor swashes
Plenty of Evidence for Recombination in SARS-CoV-2
Abby Olena, PhD | Sep 2, 2021 | 7 min read
Different variants of the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic are swapping chunks of genetic material, but it’s not yet clear what implications that may have for public health.
A purple bulge of microbes on the bottom of a lake
Longer Days Led to Oxygen Buildup on Early Earth: Study
Amanda Heidt | Aug 3, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers propose that some of the planet’s earliest photosynthesizers benefited from a slowing of the Earth’s rotation that allowed them to produce a surplus of oxygen and paved the way for more complex life.  
Microbial Fossils Found in 3.4-Billion-Year-Old Subseafloor Rock
Ruth Williams | Jul 14, 2021 | 3 min read
The material, now part of an African mountain range, bolsters the idea that hydrothermal veins supported early forms of life.
Illustration of humans and mice and their gut microbiota
Infographic: Microbiome-Driven Adaptations in Animals
Catherine Offord | Jul 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers are using experiments and observational studies to look for host genetic variation that could be partly determined by the gut microbiota.
An illustration of green bacteria floating above neutral-colored intestinal villi
The Inside Guide: The Gut Microbiome’s Role in Host Evolution
Catherine Offord | Jul 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Bacteria that live in the digestive tracts of animals may influence the adaptive trajectories of their hosts.
WITH VIDEO
A micrograph with a grey background shows both purple bacteria and green algae within a ciliated microorganism
A Protist Hosts Both Green Algae and Purple Bacteria Symbionts
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 11, 2021 | 3 min read
Having two different endosymbionts may allow the ciliate Pseudoblepharisma tenue to live in both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor zones of the muddy bogs of southern Germany.
Calcite crystals covered in small grains of pyrite, with pincers
Signs of Ancient Microbial Life Abundant in Earth’s Crust: Study
Catherine Offord | Jun 3, 2021 | 5 min read
Researchers report chemical and molecular signatures of microbial activity from millions of years ago in mineral samples from abandoned mines in Sweden and nearby countries.
lightning, life, Earth, meteorite, phosphorous, fulgurite, schreibersite, DNA, RNA, microbes, evolution
Lightning Might Have Sparked Early Life on Earth
Asher Jones | Mar 17, 2021 | 2 min read
Electrical storms, rather than meteorites as scientists had previously thought, could have unlocked phosphorus necessary for the development of ancient life, according to a new study.
Humans Domesticated Yeast Through Bread-Making: Study
Max Kozlov | Dec 11, 2020 | 4 min read
Over centuries of cultivating Saccharomyces cerevisiae to make dough, bakers have put selective pressure on the species, causing it to diverge into two distinct groups, according to the authors.
green algae, phytoplankton, giant virus, genetics & genomics, endogenization, evolution, diversity, eukaryote
Giant Viruses Can Integrate into the Genomes of Their Hosts
Amanda Heidt | Nov 19, 2020 | 4 min read
Rather than introducing small chunks of DNA as other viruses do, some giant viruses can contribute more than 1 million base pairs to a host’s genome, broadening the ways in which viruses may shape eukaryote evolution.
Contributors
The Scientist | Jun 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Meet some of the people featured in the June 2020 issue of The Scientist.
Single-Celled Organism Appears to Make Decisions
Ruth Williams | Dec 5, 2019 | 4 min read
The unicellular species Stentor roeseli performs a form of sequential decision-making to avoid irritating stimuli.
When Is an Endosymbiont an Organelle?
Ruth Williams | Oct 3, 2019 | 3 min read
The finding that a bacterium within a bacterium within an animal cell cooperates with the host on a biosynthetic pathway suggests the endosymbiont is, practically speaking, an organelle.
shinkai submersible
Elusive Asgard Archaea Finally Cultured in Lab
Nicoletta Lanese | Aug 12, 2019 | 3 min read
The 12-year-long endeavor reveals Prometheoarchaeum as a tentacled cell, living in a symbiotic relationship with methane-producing microbes.
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