Microbes
-
MicrobesProtecting the planet
Catharine “Cassie” Conley has the coolest job title at NASA: She’s the agency’s planetary protection officer. (The best title used to be “director of the universe,” but a reconfiguration a few years back eliminated that job description, she says.)
-
-
-
MicrobesKilling with the flip of a switch
A single genetic transformation turns mild-mannered bacteria into assassins.
-
-
-
-
MicrobesGulf floor fouled by bacterial oil feast
Observations may explain the widespread mortality of sediment-dwelling animals.
By Janet Raloff -
ChemistryEarth’s ‘boring billion’ years blamed on sulfur-loving microbes
A new study suggests these organisms could have kept oxygen levels low and waters toxic, stalling the evolution of complex life.
-
MicrobesTeam spirit
Working together, bacteria and other microbes can accomplish much more than they can alone. Now scientists hope to harness that ability by engineering their own microbial consortia.
By Susan Gaidos