bacteria, cell & molecular biology

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.

Bacteria in the gut influence the production of antibodies and themselves secrete metabolites. In a pregnant woman, these compounds may influence immune development of her fetus.

The protein, apolipoprotein L3, destroys invading microbes by acting as a detergent in the cytosol.

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?

The newly discovered microbe seems to be responsible for a mysterious neurological disease that has killed dozens of critically endangered Western chimpanzees.

The mysterious DNA sequences appear to help bacterial cells spot when they’ve been infected with viruses—and prompt those cells to self-destruct.

Far from being inert fat-storage depots within cells, these lipid-loaded organelles recruit immune proteins and block bacterial growth.

Normal hair growth can lead to infection during cancer treatment.

A small RNA in Pseudomonas triggers an avoidance response in C. elegans that can be passed on to the next generation, according to research presented at this week’s meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology.

Bacteria that take in inorganic carbon could have applications in sustainable biofuels.

The 12-year-long endeavor reveals Prometheoarchaeum as a tentacled cell, living in a symbiotic relationship with methane-producing microbes.

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.

Shapiro helped to found the field of systems biology.

The microbiologist was known for his work on bacterial antibiotic resistance and infectious disease.

The findings more than double the number of known defense mechanisms, piquing the interests of molecular biology tool developers.

Nonliving cells developed in the lab can communicate chemically with living bacteria, according to a study.