This is a bit of a dense writing flush with scientific names and terms, but its short. There’s growing evidence that a gut microbe has a causal role in major depressive disorder. ~ learn more
“When bacteria infect a host, they don’t attack right away. They use their communication and counting abilities and wait until they are abundant enough to launch an attack that’s likely to succeed.” They practice ‘quorum sensing’ and therefore it’s possible […]
“Lantern Bioworks says they have a cure for tooth decay. Their product is a genetically modified bacterium which infects your mouth, outcompetes all the tooth-decay-causing bacteria, and doesn’t cause tooth decay itself. If it works, it could make cavities a […]
Researchers grew five types of tomatoes in soil and hydroponics to see how much bacteria impacted flavor. A lot, it seems! | learn more
“The microscopic world of cells and bacteria is incredibly important to understand, but tricky to study in detail, especially without harming the subjects. Researchers at EPFL have now developed a new microscopy technique that combines two existing ones, allowing scientists […]
“The classic bitter taste of Brassica vegetables is commonly thought to be due to compounds called glucosinolates. When we chew a big mouthful of broccoli or cauliflower these molecules are converted into a chemical called isothiocyanate, which is responsible for […]
“Concrete may not seem like a particularly hospitable environment for life, but bacteria do actually live inside it. A new study led by the University of Delaware has examined this concrete microbiome to find out how they get there, how […]
Basically, for the last hundred million years these bacteria have been chilling at the bottom of a barren wasteland in the ocean. Scientists pulled them up, gave them a bit of food, and *boom* they started multiplying again. “The dinosaur people (and […]
Peptides! “Instead of trying to kill harmful bacteria, or transplant beneficial bacteria, this hypothesis imagines remodeling, or reconstructing, a dysfunctional microbiome into a healthy one by using highly targeted peptides that can affect a broad number of different bacteria in […]
“Swimming at the low Reynolds numbers experienced by bacteria would be like humans swimming through molasses. … But motile microbes are unhampered. The fastest bacterium … moves at … a showstopping sixty body lengths per second that puts Phelps to […]