1,000 Microbe Species Have Been Discovered in Tibetan Glaciers

In 'extreme environmental conditions' scientists have discovered 968 species featuring a hugely diverse range of microbes. Excitingly, 82 % of the genomes were novel species.

New class of antibiotics discovered

International scientists have discovered a new class of compounds that uniquely combine direct antibiotic killing of pan drug-resistant bacterial pathogens with a simultaneous rapid immune response.

Climate Change Could Reawaken Microbes Of The Ancient Past

Trillions upon trillions of microbes have remained locked away in the Arctic’s permafrost in a “deep sleep” for thousands of years. But the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world in the wake of climate change. 

Researchers engineer photosynthetic bacteria to produce hydrogen

Engineering a version of photosynthesis that might be useful for fuel production is challenging. Now, german researchers have rearranged some photosynthetic proteins to make bacteria emit hydrogen when exposed to light.

Bacteria with bizarre metabolism has been found

Acetobacterium woodii is a new bacteria that is able to live in both hydrogen rich and hydrogen absent environments. This allow it to live in a variety of extreme environments, like the ocean floor or maybe another planet.

Comets and viruses

Idea of microbes originating from space. Microbes can survive frozen, deep within the permafrost for millions and even billions of years. They might be perfectly adapted for a life on some frozen object, traveling through space.

AI discovers antibiotic that kills even highly resistant bacteria

MIT scientists have revealed that their AI discovered an antibiotic compound, halicin, that can not only kill many forms of resistant bacteria but do so in a novel way. 

New bacteria will help to fight climate change

US researchers have found a new species of soil bacteria that is particularly adept at breaking down organic matter, including cancer-causing chemicals that are released when coal, gas, oil and refuse are burnt.

Scientists create living concrete from bacteria and sand

Cement  production is one of the world’s leading contributors of CO2 emissions. Now, US researchers have combined sand, a hydrogel, and bacteria into a living material that has similar strength to cement-based mortar.

An Organism That Thrives on Eating Meteorites

The discovery of Metallosphaera sedula - the bacteria that eats meteorites not only invites speculation on how terrestrial life could survive off world, it offers insight into how early biology could have received key nutrients through space rocks.

Bacteriophages may help to fight antibiotic resistance

Latest studies showed that bacteria-infecting viruses called bacteriophages, or simply phages, could kill different strains of the bacterium E. coli by making mutations in a viral protein that bound to host cells. 

Lifestyle is a threat to gut bacteria

The evolution of dietary and hygienic habits in Western countries is associated with a decrease in the bacteria that help in digestion. These very bacteria were also found in the Iceman, who lived 5300 years ago, and are still present in non-Westernized populations in various parts of the world. 

Antimicrobial resistance is drastically rising

Researchers have shown that antimicrobial-resistant infections are rapidly increasing in animals in low and middle income countries. They produced the first global of resistance rates, and identified regions where interventions are urgently needed.

Scientists bioengineer a cellular speedometer

An all-Princeton research team has identified bacteria that can detect the speed of flowing fluids.

Evidence of Arsenic-Breathing Microbial Life Found in Pacific Ocean

Researchers working off the coast of Mexico have discovered evidence of arsenic-breathing life in oxygen-starved waters. These resilient microbes could also be a sign of things to come under the influence of climate change.