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.
Countless bacterial species share cramped environments where competition for space and resources is fierce. Some rely on a molecular speargun to outcompete their opponents. One of them is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is widespread ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 8, 2025
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An investigation into cellular components in bacteria has unexpectedly uncovered a feature with relevance across many life forms, paving the way for diverse research, biotechnical and medical applications.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 8, 2025
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Scientists from Turkey have designed a next-generation implantable biosensor using genetically engineered E. coli for molecular-level monitoring within the body that runs on its own, wirelessly, with no external batteries ...
Antibiotics are no longer able to treat infections as effectively as they once did because many pathogens have developed resistance to these drugs. This phenomenon, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), claims over a million ...
Cholera is a deadly bacterial disease that kills about 95,000 people every year. Vibrio cholerae bacteria infect cells in the small intestine, which the bacteria can do in part due to their flagella—powerful tail-like structures ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 4, 2025
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The toxic bug E. coli uses a secret weapon to survive in our gut even when it is being treated with antibiotics, scientists have revealed. The new research has unmasked a super-pump inside the bacteria, and its related Shigella ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 3, 2025
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New research conducted on a NASA-discovered bacterium shows the microbe is capable of entering an extreme dormant state, essentially "playing dead" to survive in some of the cleanest environments on Earth.
Space Exploration
Dec 3, 2025
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Purdue University researchers found that a subset of epidermal cells in plant leaves serves as early responders to chemical cues from bacterial pathogens and communicate this information to neighbors through a local traveling ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 2, 2025
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Scientists have long known that bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but understanding what those differences mean has remained a major challenge, especially for species that can't be grown in the lab.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 2, 2025
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"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative," wrote H. G. Wells. This principle—that survival requires change—was mastered billions of years ago by single-celled organisms living in extreme heat. Over ...
Evolution
Nov 29, 2025
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