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microbiology, cell & molecular biology

Cheese Preservative Slows Oral Cancer Spread in Mice: Study
Max Kozlov | Oct 1, 2020 | 4 min read
The results add to mounting evidence of microbes’ roles in tumor growth and point to the possibility of impeding malignancies by inhibiting bacteria.
lowland gorilla ace2 spike protein coronavirus sars-cov-2 binding covid-19 pandemic
Modeling Study Flags Species Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2
Anthony King | Aug 26, 2020 | 4 min read
Some critically endangered animals are on the list.
Patients Reinfected with Coronavirus in Hong Kong, Europe
Lisa Winter | Aug 25, 2020 | 2 min read
So far, there are three patients known to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 twice, and in at least one case the second time around was asymptomatic.
SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Shares Sequence with a Human Protein
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Eight amino acids are identical to part of the human epithelial sodium channel, leading researchers to suspect the virus might interfere with the channel’s function.
Gut Microbiome Composition Linked to Human Behavior
Amy Schleunes | Jun 1, 2020 | 2 min read
A study uncovers connections between the bacteria in our guts and our social lives.
Lipid Expert and Babraham Institute Director Michael Wakelam Dies
Amy Schleunes | Apr 7, 2020 | 2 min read
Wakelam, who died of a suspected COVID-19 infection, is remembered for his research on the physiological function of lipids.
Blood Pressure Meds Point the Way to Possible COVID-19 Treatment
Ashley Yeager | Apr 2, 2020 | 7 min read
There is little evidence that antihypertensive drugs worsen COVID-19, and scientists are instead exploring the idea that such medications—or their downstream effects—may actually alleviate symptoms.
Image of the Day: A Mouse Brain Slice Becomes Art
Amy Schleunes | Apr 1, 2020 | 1 min read
A fluorescent image of murine hippocampal cells is the winning microscopy image from more than 400 submissions from 65 countries for Olympus’s 2019 Image of the Year Award.
Zika as Cancer Buster?
Amy Schleunes | Apr 1, 2020 | 2 min read
By infecting glioblastoma cells but not healthy brain tissue, some form of the virus could serve a therapeutic purpose.
Researchers Discover the Largest Virus in the Oceans Yet
Kerry Grens | Mar 1, 2020 | 4 min read
The ChoanoVirus genome codes for rhodopsin, perhaps giving its choanoflagellate host extra energy-harvesting capabilities.
Engineered Microbe in Bees’ Guts Fends off Deadly Varroa Mite
Lisa Winter | Jan 31, 2020 | 2 min read
The genetically modified bacteria spark an RNAi response in the parasite that leads to self-destruction—and perhaps a path to combatting colony collapse disorder.
Immunologist Wendy Havran Dies
Lisa Winter | Jan 28, 2020 | 3 min read
Havran described gamma-delta T cells’ direct function in epithelial repair.
Lab-Evolved E. coli Consume Carbon Dioxide
Emily Makowski | Nov 27, 2019 | 3 min read
Bacteria that take in inorganic carbon could have applications in sustainable biofuels.
Exercise Changes Our Gut Microbes, But How Isn’t Yet Clear
Ashley Yeager | Aug 15, 2019 | 5 min read
Physical activity, independent of diet, shifts the composition of bacteria in the intestines, spurring researchers to search for species that might provide benefits akin to working out.
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.
Tardigrades May Have Made it to the Moon
Ashley Yeager | Aug 7, 2019 | 2 min read
An Israeli lunar lander carrying the tiny animals crashed into the moon in April, and now scientists are trying to determine if the creatures are still alive.
e coli tetracycline TetA antibiotic resistance efflux pump
How Bacteria Become Drug-Resistant While Exposed to Antibiotics
Katarina Zimmer | May 23, 2019 | 4 min read
A membrane pump found in most bacteria helps E. coli acquire drug resistance from neighboring cells even while they’re exposed to antibiotics, a new study shows.
amoeba Entamoeba histolytica trogocytosis human cell surface protein
Image of the Day: Amoeba Nibbles
Chia-Yi Hou | May 2, 2019 | 1 min read
A pathogenic amoeba species ingests parts of human cells and steals human cell membrane proteins to display on its own surface.
Bacteria Harbor Geometric “Organelles”
Amber Dance | Dec 1, 2018 | 10+ min read
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.
Infographic: Bacterial Microcompartments Basics
Amber Dance | Dec 1, 2018 | 1 min read
These icosahedral structures are composed of proteins with unique geometric properties, which enable bacteria to employ them in a variety of situations.
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