In mice, a kind of immune memory appears to protect the cells against future harm, a finding that could provide insight into treatments for irritable bowel syndrome and other inflammatory digestive conditions.

A massive screen of bacterial and archaeal genomes revealed five previously unknown instances where an organism uses an alternate code to translate genetic blueprints into proteins.

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

Recent studies describe how resident microbiota appear to outcompete unwelcome visitors, either with superior weaponry or by guzzling up local resources.  

The endosymbiont Coxiella affects tick serotonin production and subsequent blood-feeding behavior, a study finds.

The health of the microbial community is associated with COVID-19 severity, but it’s not yet clear if the relationship is causal.

CDC investigators continue to search for the source of the bacteria that caused four infections—two of them lethal—in four different states. The Scientist spoke with melioidosis expert Bart Currie about the disease.

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.  

Work in rodents shows that the bacteria living in a mother’s gut can produce immunomodulatory metabolites and influence the production of maternal antibodies—both of which can affect her offspring’s development.

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 temporary loss of olfaction stops the flies from eating any more of whatever it is that made them sick.

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

Researchers are using experiments and observational studies to look for host genetic variation that could be partly determined by the gut microbiota.