Using recent gene flow to define microbe populations
New method identifies ecologically and medically relevant bacteria groups.
A new way to block unwanted genetic transfer
Researchers identify a strategy to prevent mobile genetic elements from breaching the bacterial cell wall.
Featured video: Saving iguanas with science and engineering
Professor Otto Cordero and colleagues ask: Can microbiome engineering make the Galapagos marine iguana more resilient to climate change?
How a declining environment affects populations
Study finds that competition between bacterial species can be upended when conditions deteriorate.
Painting a fuller picture of how antibiotics act
Machine learning reveals metabolic pathways disrupted by the drugs, offering new targets to combat resistance.
Designing ocean ecological systems in the lab
Associate Professor Otto Cordero and colleagues discover simple assembly rules for marine microbiomes.
The complex world of carbohydrate chemistry
Drawn to MIT by its “amazing women who were doing science,” Professor Laura Kiessling explores sugar-protein interactions that influence cell behavior.
New technique pinpoints milestones in the evolution of bacteria
Results show bacterial genomes provide “shadow history” of animal evolution.
Study: Much of the surface ocean will shift in color by end of 21st century
Climate-driven changes in phytoplankton communities will intensify the blue and green regions of the world’s oceans.
Sallie “Penny” Chisholm awarded the 2019 Crafoord Prize
Institute Professor honored for discovering Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthesizing organism on Earth.
Technique identifies electricity-producing bacteria
Microbes screened with a new microfluidic process might be used in power generation or environmental cleanup.
Engineering "capture compounds" to probe cell growth
Researchers develop a method to investigate how bacteria respond to starvation and to identify which proteins bind to the “magic spot” — ppGpp.
Surviving one of Earth’s most extreme environments
New research finds a unique component of cell membranes in an archaea species conveys protection against acidic surroundings.
Tracking the footprints of protein synthesis
Researchers refine a method to quantify protein production, show that the precision with which bacteria and eukaryotes tune their gene expression is remarkably similar.
3Q: Eric Alm on the mysteries of the microbiome
“A diet or treatment of the microbiome may lead to increased diversity, but that does not mean it's better or healthier for you,” says the engineering professor.