New evidence for the first life on land comes from an ancient microbial fingerprint

By comparing the chemical composition of modern microbial communities to their ancient counterparts, researchers can find better evidence of the earliest life on land. It's older than you think

Rebecca Dzombak, University of Michigan

September 15, 2020

Chemistry detectives figured out how to best preserve and display Edvard Munch's The Scream

Rosaria Cercola, University of York

September 10, 2020

A smart ‘second skin’ shape-shifts to block out chemical weapons

Max G. Levy, Science and Health Journalism

August 28, 2020

Scientists are searching space for extraterrestrial viruses

Jordan McKaig, Georgia Institute of Technology

August 24, 2020

Deborah Jin engineered new quantum states of matter — twice

Karmela Padavic-Callaghan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

August 7, 2020

Two mini microscopes watched a mouse’s brain move its body in real time

Sruthi Sanjeev Balakrishnan, National Centre for Biological Sciences

6 peer comments

July 19, 2020

The sugar in semen makes HIV drugs less effective

Marnie Willman, University of Manitoba Bannatyne

1 peer comment

July 9, 2020

Rapid DNA sequencing of unknown bacteria helps doctors choose which antibiotics to treat it with

Allison J Matthews, Tufts University

June 24, 2020

Extreme microbes survive the desert by dissolving rocks with acid

Max G. Levy, Science and Health Journalism

May 7, 2020

Scientists recreated a key step for the origin of life at hydrothermal vents

Simulating alkaline environments from 3 billion years ago showed formation of precursor cells is possible

Cassie Freund, Wake Forest University

1 peer comment

January 26, 2020

To stop pancreatic cancer from spreading, cut out the chatter

Max G. Levy, Science and Health Journalism

1 peer comment

December 22, 2019

Gamers are one-upping nature and computers by designing whole new proteins

Luyi Cheng, Northwestern University

3 peer comments

October 22, 2019

Pregnant women must get their flu shots to help avoid future influenza epidemics

Marnie Willman, University of Manitoba Bannatyne

2 peer comments

October 13, 2019

Swimmers, beware! A rare – but deadly – amoeba lurks at the bottom of the lake

Bill Sullivan, Indiana University

September 8, 2019

When your gut bacteria talk, your brain listens and replies

Yewande Pearse, LA Biomed

August 21, 2019

Wildfires in Canada are burning down forests of mushrooms

Olivia Box, University of Vermont

3 peer comments

August 18, 2019

It's time to highlight our fungus friends in our microbiomes

Adriana Romero-Olivares, University of New Hampshire

4 peer comments

July 24, 2019

Scientists have engineered a self-destruct button in bacteria

Molly Sargen, Harvard University

2 peer comments

June 24, 2019

This year the flu came in two waves – here’s why

Two different strains of flu tag-team our immune system

Patricia L. Foster, Indiana University

June 5, 2019

The secret code of sea shells

Harini Chakravarthy, Biochemistry

April 8, 2019

It looks like microbes can help clean up mining pollution

Rose Jones, Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Science

1 peer comment

August 23, 2018

The next therapeutic frontier may be in your gut

Kevin Pels, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

August 15, 2018

Refrigeration slows – but doesn't stop – food rot. Now scientists know why

Melanie Silvis, UC San Francisco

April 23, 2018

The secret to sounder sleep may be lurking in our guts

Hannah Thomasy, University of Washington

2 peer comments

April 17, 2018

Don't fear germs – at least not too much

Jennifer Tsang, Microbiology

3 peer comments

March 28, 2018

Scientists want to harness our microbiomes for cancer treatments

Melanie Silvis, UC San Francisco

February 12, 2018

Can corals be saved? The key may be in their microbes

Maite Ghazaleh Bucher, University of Georgia

3 peer comments

February 7, 2018

How paper towels could revolutionize DNA analysis

A new method using paper towels like you have in your kitchen could make diagnosing diseases more affordable

Jennifer Tsang, Microbiology

2 peer comments

January 24, 2018

How scientists are mapping the building blocks of life

Joshua Peters, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

January 17, 2018

How gut bacteria manipulates your immune system – by mimicking it

Melanie Silvis, UC San Francisco

1 peer comment

December 22, 2017

Genes are like the cosmos: the more we discover, the more we have to explore

Dan Samorodnitsky

November 29, 2017

Why teamwork is better than attempting lone heroism in science

Samantha McWhirter, University of Toronto

2 peer comments

November 20, 2017

Beetles exploit bacteria labor to grow their exoskeletons

Melanie Silvis, UC San Francisco

3 peer comments

November 9, 2017

Scientists found an entire herpes virus genome hiding out in fish DNA

Dan Samorodnitsky

2 peer comments

October 25, 2017

Storing video in DNA is cool, but recording a cell's lifecycle could change biology

Danny Jomaa, University of Ottawa

August 1, 2017

How do mosses reproduce? By spreading their seed on everything

Jerald Pinson, University of Florida

July 31, 2017

The soil microbiome could change agriculture—if we can understand it

Tinkering with the buzzing "social network" in the soil could be a new frontier for making crops grow faster and healthier.

Michael Graw, Oregon State University

July 7, 2017

This tiny fly is teaching the Air Force new aerial tactics

Louisa Cockbill, University of Bristol

June 9, 2017

These tiny methane-eating organisms have an outsize impact on our climate models

Michael Graw, Oregon State University

March 30, 2017