Posts Tagged ‘microbes’

‘Blue holes’ may hint at life’s origins

TEXAS A&M (US) — Researchers say underwater caves may provide clues about how ocean life formed on Earth—and perhaps suggest marine life on other planets. Continue…

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 12:07 - 0 Comments

False alarm can spark autoimmune disease

CORNELL (US) — An unchecked signaling mechanism could be the reason the immune system sometimes goes off track to attack the body’s own cells. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 8, 2011 10:01 - 2 Comments

‘Wired’ bacteria clean up nuclear waste

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Researchers have unraveled the mystery of how microbes generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste, a finding that could prove beneficial at contaminated sites. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jul 6, 2011 17:39 - 0 Comments

Geothermal enzyme likes it hot, hot, hot

UC BERKELEY (US) — A hot spring microbe that happily chomps on plant material with temperatures near the boiling point contains an enzyme that could be used in the production of biofuels. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jun 17, 2011 13:00 - 0 Comments

Plants know how to fight common cold

TEXAS A&M (US) — Plants could teach humans a thing or two about warding off illness. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 27, 2011 11:51 - 0 Comments

Bacteria police keep cheaters in line

INDIANA U. (US) — In at least one bacterium, cooperative organisms are able to evolve to suppress overly competitive ones, arresting attempts at domination. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 13, 2011 10:57 - 0 Comments

Tiny microbe hints at cell interaction

RUTGERS (US) — A bucket of seawater and a single-celled marine animal are offering clues to what makes a cell healthy or unhealthy. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 28, 2011 11:26 - 2 Comments

Early Earth rich in carbon monoxide

U. CHICAGO (US) — A volcanic crater is offering clues to the composition of Earth’s early atmosphere, when carbon monoxide levels may have been tens of thousands of times higher than current concentrations. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 3, 2011 17:19 - 0 Comments

Salmonella’s lethal sorting machine

YALE (US) — The potentially deadly bacterium Salmonella possesses a molecular machine that marshals the proteins it needs to hijack cellular mechanisms and infect millions worldwide. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 31, 2011 14:21 - 0 Comments

Should we let sleeping microbes lie?

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Microbes have three options: They can live, they can die, or they can be dormant. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jan 17, 2011 13:32 - 1 Comment

How microbes colonize the preemie gut

UC BERKELEY (US) — By sequencing the genomes of gut microbes from preemies, researchers hope to learn more about what causes sometimes fatal intestinal problems. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 17, 2010 8:49 - 0 Comments

Cow’s stomach answers myriad questions

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Using a cow rumen bacterium as a model, researchers have discovered how microbes break down hemicellulose plant matter into simple sugars. (more…)

Science & Technology - Aug 23, 2010 15:38 - 2 Comments

More efficient biofuels from better yeast

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Engineers believe a new strain of yeast with increased alcohol tolerance is the first step toward more efficient and economical production of biofuels. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jul 29, 2010 16:43 - 5 Comments

Swimming pool or toxic brew?

U. ILLINOIS (US)—Splashing around in a swimming pool on a hot summer day may not be as safe as you think. A recent study links the application of disinfectants in recreational pools to health problems such as asthma and bladder cancer. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jun 8, 2010 14:50 - 2 Comments

Will oil spill expand Gulf’s dead zone?

MICHIGAN STATE (US)—The worst oil spill in U.S. history could worsen and expand the oxygen-starved “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, known for its inhospitability to marine life, suggests Michigan State University professor Nathaniel Ostrom. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jun 7, 2010 14:56 - 0 Comments

Extreme spring points to life on Mars

McGILL (CAN)—Methane-eating bacteria are able to survive in a highly unique spring located on Axel Heiberg Island in the Nunavut Territory in Canada’s extreme North. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Apr 28, 2010 22:13 - 2 Comments

Belly bacteria are talking. Your body listening?

CALTECH (US)—We are not alone—even in our own bodies. The human gut is home to 100 trillion bacteria, which, for millions of years, have co-evolved along with our digestive and immune systems. Some can be harmful, some beneficial, and—according to new research—other microbes may be perched somewhere in between. (more…)

Science & Technology - Mar 30, 2010 12:47 - 0 Comments

How do you turn protein into glass?

DUKE (US)—Researchers have devised a method to dry and preserve proteins in a glassified form that seems to retain the molecules’ properties as workhorses of biology. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Mar 19, 2010 10:01 - 2 Comments

Fungus in golf-course grass wreaks havoc

RICE U. / INDIANA U. (US)—A fungus living inside a popular turf grass called tall fescue, used widely for golf courses and home lawns, is having far-reaching effects on plant, animal, and insect communities. (more…)

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