Protein structure offers clues to drug-resistance mechanism
A new study sheds light on how a protein pumps toxic molecules out of bacterial cells.
Exploring growth within a confined space
Embedding bacteria in soft material tests researchers’ theories.
Predator interactions chiefly determine where Prochlorococcus thrive
New findings may help researchers hone predictions for where phytoplankton will migrate with climate change.
Illuminating the history and global story of antibiotics
HASTS PhD student Rijul Kochhar tracks changing medical and microbial realities, and examines what they portend for society.
A step toward “living biotherapeutics”
Chemical engineers created a coating for microbes that could make it easier to deploy the organisms to treat gastrointestinal disease.
SMART researchers develop method for early detection of bacterial infection in crops
The Raman spectroscopy-based method enables early detection and quantification of pathogens in plants, to enhance plant disease management.
Zeroing in on the origins of Earth’s “single most important evolutionary innovation”
A new study shows oxygenic photosynthesis likely evolved between 3.4 and 2.9 billion years ago.
New method opens the door to efficient genome writing in bacteria
Technique for editing bacterial genomes can record interactions between cells, may offer a way to edit genes in the human microbiome.
Mapping the cellular circuits behind spitting
Roundworms change the flow of material in and out of their mouths in response to bright light, revealing a new way for neurons to control muscle cells.
Engineering seeds to resist drought
A new seed-coating process could facilitate agriculture on marginal arid lands by enabling the seeds to retain any available water.
Finding the love hormone in a stressed-out world
A new art/science collaboration uses molecular structures as its creative medium.
How metals work together to weaken hardy nitrogen-nitrogen bonds
Study yields clues into how nitrogenase, an enzyme critical for life, converts nitrogen into ammonia.
How industrialized life remodels the microbiome
International study reveals gut bacteria from people in industrialized societies swap genes at much higher rates.
MIT engineers make filters from tree branches to purify drinking water
Prototypes tested in India show promise as a low-cost, natural filtration option.
Eyeless roundworms sense color
C. elegans compares the ratio of wavelengths in its environment to avoid dangerous bacteria that secrete colorful toxins.