https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology/ en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. Proteins are how cells get work done. They carry out nearly every important cellular task, from ferrying messages to controlling which genes are turned on or off. And in order for proteins to perform their various roles, the strings of amino acids that make them up need to be folded into the correct shape. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-uncover-rna-hidden-role.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:40:05 EDT news700234098 A team led by Raju Tomer, professor of biological sciences at Columbia University, has created a new design for microscopes and microscope lenses that could push 3D tissue imaging beyond state-of-the-art systems while drastically cutting costs and complexity. Details of the design were published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-3d-microscope-technology-captures-high.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:08 EDT news700151821 Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) have demonstrated that larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, are suitable as an alternative infection model for investigating the pathogenicity of bacteria on a larger scale. This could significantly reduce testing on mammals in the future. The results of the study were published in The Lancet Microbe. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-wax-moth-larvae-animal.html Plants & Animals Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:00:08 EDT news700144562 How do bacteria regulate the production of their proteins? Researchers at the University of Hamburg, in collaboration with international partners, have now demonstrated how small protein building blocks, known as peptides, specifically influence bacterial protein production. The findings have been published in two articles in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ribosome-tunnel-interactions-reveal-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:20:06 EDT news700143232 Scientists in Japan have developed a rat-mouse hybrid embryo from a single frozen rat chromosome transplanted into a mouse egg cell. The achievement is proof that genetic material can sometimes remain functional after cryopreservation and be expressed inside the cells of a completely different species. This is giving renewed hope to the idea that we may one day be able to partially resurrect extinct species and study lost traits. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-frozen-rat-chromosome-life-mouse.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:12:12 EDT news700143085 For plants, light is an important environmental factor not only as a source of energy for photosynthesis, but also as a signal for capturing environmental information. Light signals are sensed by photoreceptor proteins called phytochromes. The amino acids that make up proteins are transparent and cannot absorb visible light. Therefore, pigments are essential for photoreceptor proteins to sense light, and these are called chromophores. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cells-heme-hidden-reshapes-photosynthesis.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:03 EDT news700132647 Hiroshima University researchers say a newly proposed three-step "detour" pathway for making dolichol, a molecule cells need to properly process proteins, may be more universal than scientists realized. Experiments in yeast suggest eukaryotes may rely on overlapping biochemical pathways, including the evolutionarily conserved detour and evidence of a possible backup route, to produce a molecule essential to life. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-yeast-reveal-evolutionarily-backup-route.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:55:17 EDT news700138501 A study, published in the journal Development, is the first to precisely map endogenous UTY occupancy across the human genome and demonstrate that UTY remains functionally involved in transcriptional regulation during early human development. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chromosome-retain-uty.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:40:13 EDT news700132210 Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have shown that bacteria can learn from past experiences, store memories across generations and adapt their behavior to changing environments, all without a brain or nervous system. The research could shape how scientists think about bacterial infections and antibiotic treatment. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bacteria-memories-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:40:04 EDT news700129742 Antibiotics continue to drive resistance in bacteria, even after they are broken down in wastewater treatment plants and discharged into rivers and seas, new research published on World Oceans Day has shown for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antibiotics-resistance-waterways.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:00:02 EDT news699883739 Plenty of studies have linked exposure to nature to a wide variety of health benefits, from improved cognitive function to lower blood pressure to better mental health. Other research has found connections between the human microbiome and time spent outside. But an overlooked, understudied player in that connection is the assemblage of microbes found in the nose, or the nasal microbiome. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-green-space-exposure-mental-health.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 06 Jun 2026 10:00:02 EDT news699884942 IS110 transposons are a large, diverse family of bacterial insertion sequences (IS elements)—small, mobile DNA elements that can move from one genomic location to another. They have recently attracted broad interest due to the finding that some of these transposons use a bridge RNA (bRNA) to recognize both donor DNA and target DNA. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-rna-transposon-mechanics-figure-intermediate.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:40:08 EDT news699882121 A new study tracking thousands of B cells across more than 100 germinal centers in mice reveals how the system consistently produces highly effective antibodies. The findings overturn longstanding ideas about how germinal centers function, revealing that they are far more selective than once thought, and challenges the idea that antibody improvement is driven mainly by rare growth "bursts" among the most successful B cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-body-reliable-antibodies-biological-chaos.html Evolution Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:01 EDT news699781741 Researchers from Imperial College London have conducted the U.K.'s largest-ever longitudinal study of indoor fungal air pollution, revealing that homes are active fungal ecosystems rather than passive recipients of outdoor air. The West London Healthy Home and Environment Study (WellHome), led by researchers from Imperial's School of Public Health, analyzed the air in 118 households over a two-year period. The study focuses on children with asthma or allergies and families from ethnic minority groups and lower socio-economic backgrounds. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-indoor-air-greater-diversity-airborne.html Ecology Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:40:02 EDT news699869102 In each cell of your body, DNA is stored in structures called chromosomes. When cells divide, these chromosomes are copied, but over time, the copying process degrades. After many cycles of making copies, the ends of the chromosomes become shorter and can sometimes get damaged. Thankfully, we have telomeres, which are like protective caps on the ends of our chromosomes that help to decrease the damage when cells divide. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-qa-telomeres-shorten-cell-affect.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:20:08 EDT news699801721 Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that little-studied DNA structures play a central role in organizing the human genome and controlling gene activity, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study revealed that G-quadruplexes (G4s)—four-stranded DNA structures—directly interact with a key genome-organizing protein called CTCF, helping shape how DNA folds inside the cell and how genes are turned on or off. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-overlooked-dna-genome.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:00:04 EDT news699795302 DNA is the blueprint of the human body. However, tens of thousands of DNA lesions occur in our bodies every day. In particular, if "apurinic/apyrimidinic sites" (AP sites, damaged sites where one letter of DNA information has been erased) are not properly repaired, they can lead to cancer and aging. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dna-enzyme-dimensional-key-sites.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:40:05 EDT news699789361 A new technology allows scientists to map, in single cells, the DNA binding sites of transcription factors and other regulatory proteins that control gene activity, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center. With key advantages over methods currently in use, the technology is expected to be a powerful addition to biologists' toolkit for studying cells in health and disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dd-seq-dna-protein-interactions.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:00:01 EDT news699716101 Scientists commonly use bacteria as tiny factories that can produce molecules for uses ranging from drug development to pollution remediation. Recently, NC State biologist Carlos Goller and former undergraduate students Pushkar Sai and Andrew Hoyek did a deeper dive into Delftia, a bacterial strain that is found everywhere from soil to the kitchen sink, to determine its usefulness in applications such as malarial suppression and gold detoxification. The team's paper is published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-qa-scientists-microbe.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 19:20:03 EDT news699723242 UCF College of Medicine Assistant Professor Renee Fleeman continues to refine a powerful therapy for drug-resistant bacteria that pierces the gooey coating that anchors and protects such germs from the drugs we take to kill them. Her research has found that an antimicrobial peptide naturally found in cows weakens the biofilm defenses of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria and destroys it. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antimicrobial-peptide-naturally-cows-klebsiella.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:20:01 EDT news699721861 A new study published in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal suggests that spider webs—particularly those incorporating environmental debris—can serve as natural, non-destructive collectors of fungal material in agricultural ecosystems. The findings show that viable fungi can be recovered from these structures, including lineages that may represent previously undocumented diversity. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-spider-webs-capture-hidden-fungal.html Ecology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:40:06 EDT news699703562 When cells experience sudden physical stress, like stretching or pressure, they can activate a fast, protective mechanism that shields their nuclei from destruction, according to a new study published in the Biophysical Journal. This mechanism could help scientists develop therapies to prevent DNA damage, a major driver of aging and cell death. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cells-built-seatbelt-sudden-stress.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:16 EDT news699635762 Living in the Dead Sea would be a very unpleasant experience for most creatures. With salt concentration above 30% and temperatures ranging from 10–50°C, it takes unique environmental adaptations to survive in such harsh conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dead-sea-archaea-sport-tail.html Evolution Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:40:01 EDT news699696781 By studying life deep inside a former gold mine, a Northwestern University-led team of scientists has uncovered evidence that Earth's hidden biosphere operates less like a random collection of microbes and more like an organized workforce. In one of the most comprehensive long-term studies of deep underground microbial life to date, the researchers tracked how microbial communities shifted across six sites over four years. From site to site, the ecosystems were incredibly different from one another but largely stable through time. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-microbial-guilds-earth-underground-biosphere.html Ecology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:00:03 EDT news699613577 Researchers at Eurac Research have obtained a detailed picture of the microbial community associated with Ötzi, Europe's oldest known natural human mummy. The study provides insights into a complex microbiome, ranging from the gut flora of a Copper Age human to cold-adapted yeasts. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tzi-iceman-microbiome-year-relationship.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:00:02 EDT news699547952 Embryonic development is one of the most dynamic biological processes in nature. Cells and tissues organize and reorganize themselves following incredibly precise patterns, while remaining flexible and robust. Scientists are increasingly probing the role the physical properties of embryonic tissues—such as rigidity or stiffness—play in this process. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-embryonic-tissues-fluids-solids-reshape.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:40:02 EDT news699622081 Researchers have captured the first atomic structures of human SMUG1, an enzyme that helps cells repair damaged DNA. The findings provide new insight into how cells recognize and remove harmful DNA bases, and may support future efforts to develop drugs that target this DNA repair pathway. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-human-smug1-atomic-snapshots-reveal.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:20:01 EDT news699620641 Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have discovered a microscopic organism that can transform into a cannibalistic "supergiant" that drastically changes size, shape, and behavior, and abandons filter-feeding to hunt and consume their genetically identical relatives. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cell-cannibalistic-supergiant-swallowing-clones.html Ecology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:30:02 EDT news699630541 Canadian scientists have made a significant advance in understanding the mechanisms that enable embryos to properly form their limbs, thanks to new research led by Université de Montréal medical professor Marie Kmita at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). In findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Kmita and her team highlight the crucial role of certain molecular systems that act as true "genetic brakes," ensuring that development proceeds correctly. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-genetic-reveal-embryos-limbs.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:10:01 EDT news699630121 Industrial oxidation chemistry is a cornerstone of modern manufacturing, accounting for nearly one-third of all chemical industrial processes. While essential for making pharmaceuticals, dyes, and many specialty chemicals, industrial oxidation typically relies on high-temperature, high-pressure processes involving toxic oxidizing agents. This has motivated scientists to look into cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) as a compelling alternative. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-redesigning-elusive-bacterial-enzyme-efficient.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:40:06 EDT news699620082