Ye olde pathogen: Learning about evolution from ancient DNA

As long as humans have been around, there have been pathogens to make us sick. Some have achieved infamy in human history—the bubonic plague, for example, or smallpox—and with modern technologies, scientists can time-travel ...

Subglacial microbial life on Earth and beyond

The search for life beyond Earth fascinates many and inspires big questions: Are we truly alone in the universe? Is our Earth unique? Is it possible that life beyond Earth may actually be far from little green aliens and ...

Microbiologists improve taste of beer

Belgian investigators have improved the flavor of contemporary beer by identifying and engineering a gene that is responsible for much of the flavor of beer and some other alcoholic drinks. The research appears in Applied ...

Phage spread antibiotic resistance

Investigators found that nearly half of the 50 chicken meat samples purchased from supermarkets, street markets, and butchers in Austria contained viruses that are capable of transferring antibiotic resistance genes from ...

Microbial changes regulate function of entire ecosystems

A major question in ecology has centered on the role of microbes in regulating ecosystem function. Now, in research published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Brajesh Singh of the University ...

Genomic hitchhikers in birds shed light on evolution of viruses

The genomes of birds are riddled with DNA sequences from viruses, according to a study to be published on October 16 in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Analysis of these viral ...

How microbes may help mitigate mercury absorption

New research by a team at Pennsylvania State University suggests that microbes in the human gut could be harnessed to help the body absorb useful nutritional metals—like iron, which is critical for red blood cells—and ...

Bacteria involved in sewer pipe corrosion identified

Microbes corrode sewer pipes from the inside, a process that can lead to spills, bad odors, disease outbreaks, and the need for costly repairs. In a first step towards reducing the corrosion, researchers have identified the ...

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