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.
Research led by the University of Auckland has cast light on the evolutionary origins of one of nature's first motors, which developed 3.5 billion to 4 billion years ago to propel bacteria.
Evolution
Nov 11, 2025
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76
The discovery of a new mechanism of resistance to common antibiotics could pave the way for improved treatments for harmful bacterial infections, a study suggests. Targeting this defense mechanism could aid efforts to combat ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 11, 2025
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41
University of Liverpool and Newcastle researchers have uncovered how bacterial organelles assemble, opening new routes for bioengineering and climate innovation.
Bio & Medicine
Nov 10, 2025
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72
A team led by University of Pittsburgh's Graham Hatfull has developed a method to construct bacteriophages with entirely synthetic genetic material, allowing researchers to add and subtract genes at will. The findings open ...
Biotechnology
Nov 10, 2025
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121
Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, are found almost everywhere in the world—from hot springs to arctic ice to antioxidant smoothies. Part of their extreme adaptability lies within a unique light-harvesting ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 10, 2025
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65
Children and bacteria—normally they're a parental nightmare, a cocktail of late-night pediatrician calls and ruined weekends.
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 8, 2025
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58
New studies from Arizona State University reveal surprising ways bacteria can move without their flagella—the slender, whip-like propellers that usually drive them forward.
Molecular & Computational biology
Nov 8, 2025
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398
The bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a haunting presence in many hospitals in the United States, where more than one in 100 patients are treated for A. baumannii infections. This species of bacteria is known ...
Evolution
Nov 6, 2025
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67
A research team led by Professor Wang Peng from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with international researchers, has successfully engineered liquid-liquid phase separation ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 5, 2025
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23
Plant a seed and, if the conditions are right, the seed grows. The process seems simple enough at first glance and is something many of us may feel like we learned in elementary school.
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 3, 2025
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