https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology/ en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. 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 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 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 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 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 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 How did life make the leap from single cells to coordinated, multicellular organisms? And how do genetically identical cells still perform a version of that feat every time an embryo begins to take shape? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-story-multicellular-life-physics-genes.html Evolution Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:20:10 EDT news699616835 Stanford scientists have discovered a new type of immune cell that kills surrounding cells via explosion—a cellular detonation so fast and complete that the cell vanishes within minutes, leaving no trace behind. This discovery comes from an unlikely source: planarian flatworms. These aquatic, slithering pancake versions of worms are famous for their ability to survive dismemberment and grow whole new organisms from the sliced-up segments of their formerly unified body. Understanding how these flatworms' immune systems have managed to endure for hundreds of millions of years could hold important insights for modern medicine. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-flatworms-reveal-immune-cells-tissue.html Evolution Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:00:07 EDT news699543121 Water deficit resistance in plants has long been a topic of interest for cultivating reliable crops. Some plants can alter their above-ground structure to lock in moisture, while others develop deep, industrious roots that find hard-to-reach water sources. While such responses are obvious to the naked eye, we know little about how responses to environmental stress occur at the microscopic, cellular level. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tiny-membrane-tethers-revealed-key.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:00:02 EDT news699608101 The ocean is full of invisible workers. Trillions of microbes quietly break down carbon-containing organic matter, which helps to regulate Earth's climate. But scientists have long struggled to understand how different microbes contribute to the process. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-metabolic-niches-reveal-ocean-microbes.html Ecology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:05 EDT news699545282 Cells are typically studied outside the body under controlled laboratory conditions. However, conventional flat cell culture methods do not fully reproduce the complex three-dimensional environments that cells experience in living tissues. Tiny hydrogel capsules offer one way to culture cells in a confined three-dimensional space, allowing researchers to study how cells grow, organize and interact under more tissue-like conditions. Current methods to do this come with a high cost and a set of requirements that put such research out of reach to many. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-workflow-uniform-cell-capsules-standard.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:20:07 EDT news699544861 What if a process we associate with aging actually helps the body heal? A study led by Mikolaj Ogrodnik, LBI Trauma, published in Nature Cell Biology, shows that cells enter a state of senescence within minutes to hours after an injury—and that this rapid response not only plays a key role in wound healing, but also changes the paradigm of how slowly senescence was expected to arise. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-wounds-trigger-aged-cells-hours.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:00:07 EDT news699537783 Decades of reliance on the antibiotic rifampicin have fueled the rise of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). But as the bacterium mutates to protect itself from the drug, it also creates new weak points that other therapies could exploit. Now, a new study published in Nature Microbiology shows that the most common rifampicin-resistance mutation slows bacterial RNA polymerase, creating vulnerabilities that future combination therapies may be able to target. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-germ-drug-resistance-achilles-heel.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:49:44 EDT news699540338 Within the past decade, biologists have discovered that one strategy cells use to keep their contents organized is a phenomenon known as phase separation. Similar to the way oil forms droplets that float in a vinegar solution, proteins inside cells can phase separate to form highly concentrated droplets that keep them organized within the cell. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-enzymes-droplets-cellular-reactions-biologists.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:08:21 EDT news699530797 A team of researchers led by Luigi Naldini at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) has developed a new strategy to significantly improve the precision and safety of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in human blood stem cells, potentially overcoming one of the major barriers limiting broader clinical application of genome editing therapies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-smart-platform-gene-hematopoietic-stem.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:07:13 EDT news699530761 Even though sugars are often framed as simple sources of energy, they also serve as structurally complex and functionally diverse molecules that mediate interactions between organisms. Among these, β-1,2-glucans, which are a class of glucose-based polymers, stand out for their varied and sometimes subtle roles. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-bacteria-uncover-distinct-strategy-import.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 31 May 2026 16:00:03 EDT news699270324 Scientists have uncovered how the interplay between cell shape and mechanical stress influences the orientation of stomata (microscopic pores on the leaf surface) during early plant development. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-leaf-stomata-young-reveal.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 31 May 2026 15:00:02 EDT news699190902 New research reveals a potential link between the gut microbes of a fish and global ocean processes, offering new insight into how marine ecosystems help regulate ocean chemistry and the marine carbon cycle. The study, titled "Symbiotic bacteria may support calcium carbonate precipitation in the Gulf toadfish," is published in the journal PLOS Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-fish-microbe-partnership-ocean-health.html Ecology Fri, 29 May 2026 15:40:01 EDT news699281453