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.
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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Viruses play a far more active role in Earth's carbon cycle than previously understood, according to new research that reveals how they infect and control microbes responsible for carbon production in some of the planet's ...
Earth Sciences
May 14, 2026
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Researchers at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures have conducted high-resolution investigations of the so-called cyanosphere, the "housing community" of cyanobacteria. The focus ...
Ecology
May 13, 2026
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Advances in DNA sequencing have expanded our view of the microbial world, but the inability to cultivate most microbes has been a major constraint. Now, a systematic, predictive framework that combines existing genomic and ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 11, 2026
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A University of Florida study has made a key discovery in understanding a disease that for over a century has plagued the white button mushroom—a nutrient-dense vegetable that is valued for its versatility and health benefits. ...
Ecology
May 10, 2026
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Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA—a system called CRISPR that's become indispensable to gene editing. But viruses can fight back with a molecular trick that stops the scissors ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 8, 2026
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So-called rock-eating microorganisms obtain their energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from inorganic sources and make up the vast majority of biomass producers. Using electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, a research ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 6, 2026
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10
La Trobe scientists have made a pivotal discovery in the fight against dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, as the University launches a major research initiative focused on new ways to target antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 6, 2026
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