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.
For billions of years, bacteria have waged an ongoing arms race against viruses, evolving many defense mechanisms against the infectious invaders. Now, these evolutions may offer innovative ways for humans to fight viruses, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 27, 2025
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A collaborative team of physicists and microbiologists from UNIST and Stanford University has, for the first time, uncovered the fundamental laws governing the distribution of self-propelled particles, such as bacteria.
General Physics
Oct 24, 2025
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When 115,000 tons of food waste hit Surrey's processing facility each year, an invisible army goes to work—billions of microbes convert everything from banana peels to leftover pizza into renewable natural gas (RNG). Now, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 23, 2025
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A unique bacterium that thrives in highly acidic environments feeds on spent battery "waste," making it a promising new method for self-sufficient battery recycling, according to new research from Boston College chemists.
Biotechnology
Oct 22, 2025
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Using information on alpine plant species, researchers investigated how the chemistry of flowers' scent affects not only the diversity of insect pollinators but also the communities of bacteria living on the flowers.
Ecology
Oct 22, 2025
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A study led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Professor Alexandre Rosado has revealed an unusual microbial world in the Hatiba Mons hydrothermal vent fields of the central Red Sea, a site first ...
Ecology
Oct 20, 2025
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A new species of bacteria has been discovered off the coast of Oʻahu, shedding light on how unseen microbial life connects Hawaiʻi's land and sea ecosystems.
Ecology
Oct 16, 2025
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Since the 1940s, antibiotics have been our primary weapon against harmful bacterial infections. But some stubborn pathogens, like Staphylococcus aureus, can infect and hide within our own immune cells, making it incredibly ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 14, 2025
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Depending on the setting, the ability of a crucial bacterium in biotechnology—Agrobacterium tumefaciens—to transfer its DNA to a host plant can make it either a pathogen that damages crops or a powerful method for genetically ...
Biotechnology
Oct 14, 2025
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Even in an environment as seemingly simple as a drop of water, bacteria can organize themselves into complex patterns or arrangements. Through experiments, theory, and computational modeling, scientists from Caltech and Princeton ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 14, 2025
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