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Gut Microbes Help Ground Squirrels Endure Hibernation
By breaking down urea, the animals’ gut bacteria recycle nitrogen, which can be then used to build new molecules during prolonged fasting.
Gut Microbes Help Ground Squirrels Endure Hibernation
Gut Microbes Help Ground Squirrels Endure Hibernation

By breaking down urea, the animals’ gut bacteria recycle nitrogen, which can be then used to build new molecules during prolonged fasting.

By breaking down urea, the animals’ gut bacteria recycle nitrogen, which can be then used to build new molecules during prolonged fasting.

microbes, microbiology

microscope image of methaotrophs with black specks
Deep Sea Microbes Produce Graphite-like Carbon
Chloe Tenn | Nov 11, 2021 | 2 min read
The first evidence of biologically produced elemental carbon inspires more questions than answers.  
illustration of colorful microbes inside a person's stomach and intestines
How Commensal Gut Bacteria Keep Pathogens in Check
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Oct 14, 2021 | 7 min read
Recent studies describe how resident microbiota appear to outcompete unwelcome visitors, either with superior weaponry or by guzzling up local resources.  
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.
An illustration of several DNA helices on a light red water color background
Human Blood Harbors Cell-Free Microbial DNA
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 9, 2021 | 3 min read
After controlling for high levels of bacterial contamination in their lab and reagents, researchers detect microbial genetic material in plasma samples from healthy people and cancer patients.
A scanning electron micrograph of a fetal gut, pseudocolored in yellow and blue
Microbes in Human Fetuses Spur Immune Development
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 3, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers identify live bacteria in fetal guts, skin, lungs, and placentas that activate memory T cells, indicating that early exposure to microbes could help educate the developing immune system.
A black line drawing of a mother putting a face mask on a child with a white background
SARS-CoV-2 Antigens Leaking from Gut to Blood Might Trigger MIS-C
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jun 3, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers find traces of SARS-CoV-2 in the stool and blood of kids with the post–COVID-19 inflammatory disorder, and signs of increased intestinal permeability.
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.
A boat, the Tara, sailing past an island in Patagonia, Chile
Sailing the Seas in Search of Microbes
Shawna Williams | Jun 1, 2021 | 5 min read
Projects aimed at collecting big data about the ocean’s tiniest life forms continue to expand our view of the seas.
A person wearing a purple glove holds out a blue pill
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Is Poised for a Makeover
Shawna Williams | Jun 1, 2021 | 9 min read
With multiple microbiota therapeutics in the pipeline for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, clinicians foresee a shift in treatment options for the condition.
Blurred out people standing near train at station.
Cities Have Distinct Microbial Signatures: Study
Lisa Winter | May 27, 2021 | 2 min read
The researchers found thousands of species not previously documented.
Many Deep-Sea Microbes Invisible to Mammalian Immune System
Abby Olena, PhD | Mar 12, 2021 | 3 min read
In a new study, human and mouse cells recognized only one in five bacterial species collected from more than a mile below the Pacific Ocean’s surface.
Researchers Propose Automating the Naming of Novel Microbes
Jef Akst | Mar 1, 2021 | 5 min read
With modern technologies unearthing novel bacterial and archaeal species by the dozens, hundreds, or even thousands, manually naming them all is no longer practical, scientists say.
Retrons Help Bacteria Defend Themselves from Phages: Study
Catherine Offord | Feb 1, 2021 | 2 min read
The mysterious DNA sequences appear to help bacterial cells spot when they’ve been infected with viruses—and prompt those cells to self-destruct.
Microbes Find Their Niche in Underwater Shipwrecks
Jef Akst | Nov 1, 2020 | 5 min read
Early investigations of the microbial communities in and around sunken boats reveal that there are patterns to where bacteria settle.
bacteria, microbe, deep sea, South Pacific Gyre, JOIDES Resolution, field research, sediment, geomicrobiology
Scientists Awaken Deep Sea Bacteria After 100 Million Years
Amanda Heidt | Jul 29, 2020 | 3 min read
The microbes had survived on trace amounts of oxygen and were able to feed and multiply once revived in the lab.
A Citizen Scientist Makes Her Mark in Microbiome Research
Amy Schleunes | Jun 1, 2020 | 5 min read
The BioCollective, a company that transforms whole stool samples into microbial metadata, is developing the US’s first national microbiome reference material.
Scientists Clone SARS-CoV-2 Genome with Quick Yeast-Based Method
Ruth Williams | May 6, 2020 | 4 min read
The use of yeast artificial chromosomes has enabled the rapid genetic reconstruction of the novel coronavirus.
Ants Produce Antibiotics that May Protect Plants
Emily Makowski | Mar 1, 2020 | 2 min read
The antimicrobial compounds ants excrete to defend themselves from pathogens may protect plants as well.
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