Bacteria are a major domain of prokaryotic microorganisms characterized by the absence of a membrane-bound nucleus, typically possessing a single circular chromosome, 70S ribosomes, and peptidoglycan-containing cell walls. They exhibit diverse morphologies (e.g., cocci, bacilli, spirilla) and metabolic strategies, including aerobic, anaerobic, phototrophic, chemolithotrophic, and heterotrophic lifestyles. Bacteria reproduce primarily by binary fission and undergo extensive horizontal gene transfer via transformation, transduction, and conjugation, driving rapid adaptation. They occupy virtually all ecological niches, form complex communities such as biofilms, and play central roles in biogeochemical cycles, host-associated microbiomes, biotechnology, and pathogenesis research.
Even though sugars are often framed as simple sources of energy, they also serve as structurally complex and functionally diverse molecules that mediate interactions between organisms. Among these, β-1,2-glucans, which are ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 31, 2026
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Researchers in Leiden have, for the first time, observed how a specialized enzyme helps bacteria stay alive when oxygen levels are low, and how that process can be blocked. The study, published in Science Advances, opens ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 28, 2026
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The presence of the marine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, which is potentially dangerous to humans, can now be predicted up to five weeks in advance in the Baltic Sea using artificial intelligence (AI). A research team led ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 28, 2026
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Most major crops, such as wheat and corn, require expensive nitrogen fertilizer to flourish. But what if bacteria could help those plants draw nitrogen from the atmosphere, as peas and beans do?
Biotechnology
May 28, 2026
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250
Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Long before refrigerators existed, people relied on microorganisms to keep food—including meat—safe to eat. Ph.D. research by VUB researcher Ana Sosa Fajardo (VUB ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 27, 2026
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Researchers have discovered how acids on the surface of bacteria give these microscopic organisms their characteristic "rod" shape—by keeping an enzyme at bay that would otherwise turn the cylindrical cells into shape-shifting ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 27, 2026
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Blessed are the tiny cheesemakers: scientists have mapped out the bacteria responsible for giving three British cheeses their distinct flavor, which may also be beneficial to human health. Scientists in the Food Microbial ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 21, 2026
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In a new study, researchers show how so‑called TriPcides can target the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including antibiotic‑resistant strains such as MRSA. The compounds disrupt the bacteria's ability to cause infection ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 19, 2026
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Scientists at VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps a widely used biological pesticide become more effective. The study, published in Nature Communications, reveals how ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 19, 2026
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The Na+-NQR enzyme is vital for energy production in pathogenic bacteria like the one that causes cholera, making it a highly promising target for new antibiotics. Researchers combined modified artificial intelligence techniques ...
Biotechnology
May 15, 2026
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