Do gut microbes shape our evolution?

Scientists increasingly realize the importance of gut and other microbes to our health and well-being, but one UC Berkeley biologist is asking whether these microbes—our microbiota—might also have played a role in shaping ...

Is evolution predictable?

We are surrounded by microorganisms that adapt in their struggle to survive. In plants and animals, such adaptations can take thousands of years; in microorganisms, they sometimes occur within weeks. To understand such rapid ...

Boldly illuminating biology's 'dark matter'

Is space really the final frontier, or are the greatest mysteries closer to home? In cosmology, dark matter is said to account for the majority of mass in the universe, however its presence is inferred by indirect effects ...

Rethinking the wild world of species diversity in microbes

University of Maryland biologists developed the first mathematical simulations of bacterial communities that incorporate the complex interactions and rapid evolution among bacteria and reflect the tremendous species diversity ...

Genome organization of organism reflects its 'hot' lifestyle

(Phys.org) —Microbial genomes have incredible functional and regulatory complexity, making them of great interest for potential environmental, energy, health, and industrial applications. In a study published in PLoS Genetics, ...

Michigan scientists bring special expertise to new rover mission

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two University of Michigan planetary scientists are vital members of the science team of the Mars Science Laboratory, which will study whether the Red Planet was ever capable of harboring microbial life. ...

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