microbiome

New techniques have shown that people reached the New World far earlier than the long-standing estimate of 13,000 years ago, but scientists still debate exactly when humans arrived on the continent—and how.

Diverse lines of evidence point to humans’ presence in the New World long before the dawn of Clovis culture. But rewriting this chapter of human history raises many questions about how these early people came to inhabit these continents.

Researchers are revealing the complexity of the microbial community living on the body—and paving the way for new bacteria-targeting treatments for acne and other dermatological conditions.

Microbes living inside cancer cells may help them spread to distant sites by enhancing the cells’ resistance to mechanical stress, a study shows.

Making specific alterations to the bacterial population in a rat’s lungs either better protects the animals against multiple sclerosis–like symptoms or makes them more vulnerable, a study finds—the first demonstration of a lung-brain axis.

Reviving the Cancer Moonshot, disentangling the microbiome's effect in cancer, the observer effect, and more

A growing appreciation of the bacterial assemblages that live within tumors has researchers striving to understand and capitalize on their role.

From diagnosis to tracking treatment responses, bacteria and other microbes in the blood, gut, and tumors of cancer patients may provide helpful hints for improving their care.

A study shows that a molecule produced by intestinal microbes can enter the brain and that its presence is also associated with altered brain connectivity.

Researchers discover that bacteria break down medicinal compounds for their nitrogen, solving a mystery that has vexed aquatic veterinarians for years.

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

Intestinal bacteria contribute to the effect of stimulating environments on the brain’s ability to adapt, a study concludes.

Lab studies link the oral bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum to cancers from the gut to the head and neck. Could targeting the microbe tackle tumors?