https://phys.org/biology-news/microbiology/ en-us The latest science news on microbiology and cell biology. A protein that's essential to every cell's ability to turn off unnecessary genes is well known for its key function of compacting genes and its connection to cancer when it undergoes mutation. But until now, scientists weren't quite sure how the protein gets where it needs to go to keep genes bound up so they aren't activated. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-key-protein-cells-gene-chaperone.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 18:40:01 EDT news709993741 Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed an AI scientist capable of generating scientific hypotheses, designing experiments and interpreting results. Making new biological discoveries with minimal human intervention is an important advance in self-driving laboratories. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-scientist-autonomously-generates-validates.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:40:13 EDT news709991641 An experimental antifibrotic compound can dramatically alter how cells release the microscopic packages they use to communicate, according to new research from the University of Surrey. Researchers found that the compound, SD-208, which reduces scar tissue in organs, substantially reduced the release of extracellular vesicles, microscopic packages that cells use to carry proteins and other biological signals to neighboring and distant cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-anti-fibrotic-drug-repurposed-cell.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:20:13 EDT news709990141 Viruses come in two major flavors—not chocolate and vanilla, quips Harvard Medical School structural biologist Stephen Harrison, but those enveloped in membranes, such as herpesvirus, influenza virus, HIV and SARS-CoV-2, and those that are not, such as poliovirus, HPV, rotavirus and adenovirus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-molecular-movie-blanks-nonenveloped-viruses.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:50:01 EDT news710001001 If your car's engine develops a stutter, that's generally a sign that you should go to a mechanic before it stops running. We tend to think the same way about our bodies: When something's broken, something bad usually follows. There might, however, be at least one exception to this rule. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-longer-mitochondrial-defects-worms-calcium.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:30:01 EDT news709997401 The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Biologically, it is regarded as a highly specialized "nutrient thief": Because chlamydia have lost the ability to reproduce independently outside a host cell, they hijack human metabolic products—particularly sphingolipids—for their own development. Within the host cell, they create a sheltered environment known as an inclusion. These bacterial colonies often grow so large that they exceed the size of the human host cell's nucleus. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-chlamydia-dna-lipids-revealing-blocking.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:20:01 EDT news709984141 A silent, long-running competition has been taking place in Swiss alpine lakes for millions of years, killing trillions of organisms every day without anyone noticing. This competition between bacteria and viruses pushes both into a relentless evolutionary battle. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-alpine-bacteria-unexpected-ability-viruses.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:40:04 EDT news709978142 Engineers have developed a new approach for turning ordinary water into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a study published in the journal Chem Catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crystals-dna-molecules-potentially-curbing.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:50 EDT news709920721 Asgard archaea, our closest known microbial relatives, play a key role in current models of the origin of more complex organisms, known as eukaryotes (all animals, plants, protists and fungi). However, their biology has so far been poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-asgard-archaea-motility-older-previously.html Evolution Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:20 EDT news709920782 Mention cholesterol, and most people will think of clogged arteries or health warnings. But inside the microscopic universe of the human cell, cholesterol has a drastically different job description as an indispensable cellular lifesaver. A study led by the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), shows how cells rapidly dispatch cholesterol to reinforce their "recycling centers" called lysosomes, preventing them from bursting while breaking down worn-out cellular machinery. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cell-chain-cholesterol-cellular-recycling.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:17:03 EDT news709978511 Researchers have coated mitochondria with innovative materials without compromising their function, according to a study by IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta (FINCB) and Politecnico di Milano. The research was conducted as part of the BraiNs joint laboratory, inaugurated in 2023. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-coating-mitochondria-retain-ability-energy.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:40:07 EDT news709916702 Cell division is a complex process. At the heart of this complexity is a membraneless organelle called the centrosome, which is made up of more than 200 components. It is responsible for clustering mitotic spindles, threadlike structures needed to separate genetic material. It has long remained unclear which parts of the centrosome are necessary and sufficient for spindle assembly. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lisa-cell-division.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:12 EDT news709915201 The assembly pathway behind refractile-body proteins may have finally been resolved, researchers from Science Tokyo report. Using genetic engineering and several techniques for analyzing protein structure, they investigated how four proteins work together to produce the correct architecture of these complex, pH-responsive protein machines, from the nanoscale to the microscale. The findings could help establish new frameworks for engineering dynamic protein systems as biotechnological tools. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pathway-reveals-bacteria-protein-acid.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:40:01 EDT news709825610 One of biology's fundamental questions is how our genes shape who we are. Adrian Serohijos and Stephen Michnick, professors in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine, are studying the relationship between genotype and phenotype—that is, how DNA becomes RNA, then protein, and ultimately gives rise to observable characteristics in an individual or any other living organism. "We're trying to unravel the mechanisms of the genome, specifically how the information it encodes is processed inside the cell," Serohijos says. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-social-network-proteins-cell-genes.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:40:02 EDT news709824842 A spore is a bacterium's survival capsule: dried almost solid and wrapped in protein armor, with its chemical processes shut down. Bacteria enter this state of hibernation when environmental conditions are unfavorable. What's left is close to indestructible: It can survive boiling, desiccation, radiation and the vacuum of space. NASA once bolted Bacillus spores to the outside of a satellite and left them in orbit for nearly six years; the ones shielded from sunlight were able to come back to life upon returning to Earth. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hibernating-bacteria-invade-hospitals-survive.html Evolution Mon, 28 Sep 2026 17:10:01 EDT news709832761 Viruses such as influenza A and dengue can hijack a cellular system that helps manage protein aggregates. Previous work by FMI emeritus group leader Patrick Matthias and his team showed that a small protein called ubiquitin plays an important role in this process. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tool-tracks-hidden-protein-involved.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:40:06 EDT news709824061 Microbial cell factories that produce pharmaceutical ingredients and other useful compounds include both the bacterium Escherichia coli and yeast, the organism used to leaven bread and ferment alcohol. The two organisms turn genes on by different rules, so a production design built for one has been hard to transfer to the other. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dna-genes-bacteria-yeast.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:00:10 EDT news709821914 Light is fundamental to human life—without it, we'd be hungry, cold and blind. But what if the same light that sustains us could also be used to control and observe parts of cells within our bodies? https://phys.org/news/2026-09-blue-tools-track-redirect-sever.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:00:01 EDT news709820873 For decades, scientists believed most animals relied on a steady supply of glucose, the body's primary fuel source, to power their brains. When glucose runs out, neural activity begins to fail, potentially leading to lasting brain damage. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bullfrog-brains-backup-fuel.html Plants & Animals Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:00:44 EDT news709810083 The development of treatment resistance is one of the key challenges in modern cancer and antibiotic therapy. New therapeutic approaches aim to curb the spread of resistance through the targeted timing of treatment cycles. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-treatment-resistant-cells-yeast.html Evolution Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:40:05 EDT news709809902 Every cell in an organism contains the same DNA, which carries all the instructions needed for it to function. Yet cells do not all use the same genes: A nerve cell, for example, does not activate the same genes as a muscle cell. Epigenetics refers to the mechanisms that allow gene activity to be modulated without changing the DNA sequence. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-worm-reveal-epigenetic-effects-persist.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:20:18 EDT news709806181 A polyphenol-rich extract from Cistus salviifolius, a Mediterranean rockrose species traditionally used to treat skin conditions, has shown fungicidal activity against several dermatophytes, the fungi responsible for superficial infections of the skin, hair and nails. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mediterranean-rockrose-fungicidal-common-skin.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:00:01 EDT news708852782 Chemosynthetic bacteria have been documented in various marine environments and in association with invertebrate hosts such as annelid worms and mollusks, but their presence in fish appears to be a new discovery. The findings show that fish gills host a complex and specialized microbiome that is not yet well understood but could play an important role in fish metabolism, immunity and health. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dna-reveals-chemosynthesis-genes-bacteria.html Ecology Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:00:05 EDT news709473358 A new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) has identified a molecular switch that controls whether stressed human cells activate a survival mechanism or trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis). The findings, published in Redox Biology, provide insights that could help overcome chemotherapy resistance in aggressive tumors. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-molecular-destruct-stressed-cells-survival.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 26 Sep 2026 08:00:07 EDT news709472577 Before the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can invade a cell, it has to know it has reached the right place. New research from the Whitehead Institute reveals that the parasite doesn't simply recognize a ready-made doorway into the cell. Instead, it helps create the conditions for its own entry. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-parasites-host-cells-invasion.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news709560661 Researchers have figured out a missing piece of the puzzle of how human cells detect invading viruses and mount an immune response within an hour. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-cells-rapidly-viruses-fuse-membranes.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:20:13 EDT news709560601 Removing a single amino acid can determine whether new proteins assemble into stable complexes within mitochondria. An enzyme carries out this precise trimming at the start of mitochondrial proteins. Without it, numerous protein complexes lose their stability, according to a study led by Dr. Nora Vögtle of Heidelberg University and Dr. Pitter Huesgen of the University of Freiburg. In their work published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the scientists identified a previously unknown mechanism by which human cells maintain the balance of proteins in their mitochondria. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mitochondrial-protein-complexes-amino-acid.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:00:01 EDT news709555321 After taking a pill, the drugs it contains are distributed throughout the body, reaching the tissues and cells affected by disease and performing their intended function. However, they also enter healthy cells, where they often cause more harm than good. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-natural-proteins-ingredients-diseased-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 16:20:05 EDT news709554721 Modern technologies have made it possible to uncover a growing "hidden proteome"—proteins encoded by parts of the genome that researchers previously overlooked. Advances in sequencing and protein analysis are making it possible to find more of these potential proteins and investigate what they do. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one such protein. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-previously-overlooked-protein-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:20:05 EDT news709551241 Scientists have often thought of cells as small, bustling cities with parts that resemble factories, power grids and shipping systems. While past research has illuminated the individual components of these cell cities, scientists haven't had the tools to probe more deeply into how those elements interact. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-3d-images-reveal-bacterial-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:00:01 EDT news709546572