bacteria(Page 2)

Latest in bacteria

White cat on a red leash outdoors on a lawn full of pink lilac flowers

Outdoor cats are deadly—and not just for birds and squirrels

By Kristine Liao

Space stations could wage war on hitchhiking bacteria with self-cleaning tech

Space stations could wage war on hitchhiking bacteria with self-cleaning tech

By Tatyana Woodall

esther-lederberg

Esther Lederberg changed our understanding of how bacteria breed

By Lina Zeldovich

Brown kombucha SCOBYs sit on plate in front of jars full of fermented tea

Turns out kombucha SCOBYs could make good water filters

By Maggie Galloway

half of a circle with concentric rings of brown, gold, and amber radiating outwards

These sophisticated bacteria communities assemble in tie-dye formation

By Maggie Galloway

Female house sparrow and brown-headed cowbird, both potential vectors for bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses, feeding on birdseed on the ground

These bird species are most likely to contaminate our fruits and veggies

Antibiotic pills which are one of the causes of recurrent UTIs

Ask Us Anything

Why your UTI keeps coming back

By Cassidy Mayeda

balsamic vinegar being poured into a small vial

The secret to vinegar’s tangy flavor lies in bacteria

By Erin Fennessy

Researchers are using gassy, explosive bacteria to destroy cancer cells

Researchers are using gassy, explosive bacteria to destroy cancer cells

gloved hand holding petri dish

E. coli isn’t always bad—it’s actually an unlikely research hero

By Erin Fennessy

Grime-loving bacteria could save priceless art

By Erin Fennessy

person's hands holding tiny plant growing out of soil

You have no idea how much you need these bacteria

By Erin Fennessy

Oil-eating bacteria can survive in frigid Canadian waters

Oil-eating bacteria can survive in frigid Canadian waters

By Angely Mercado

tins of dog food

Raw dog food can harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria

By Philip Kiefer

You might be overusing hand sanitizer

Ask Us Anything

You might be overusing hand sanitizer

By Claire Maldarelli

‘Fugitive dust’ seems to have caused last summer’s salmonella outbreak from peaches

By Philip Kiefer

Cities have unique microbiomes which could be key to keeping us healthy

Cities have unique microbiomes which could be key to keeping us healthy

By Ellie Shechet

Bacteria wars are raging in soil, and it’s keeping ecosystems healthy

Bacteria wars are raging in soil, and it’s keeping ecosystems healthy

By Ellie Shechet

Shovel digging into soil.

Compost can help protect us from food poisoning

By Shaena Montanari

Person in an orange shift holding a white probiotic pull next to a brown vitamin bottle

The future of probiotics and gut microbiomes is bright

microbes being sent into Earth's atmosphere.

Some of Earth’s tiniest living things could survive on Mars

By Ellie Shechet

Mona Chalabi fermented food chart

See the wonderful world of fermented foods on one delicious chart

Tim Enthoven illustration

The world’s most diverse group of bacteria lives inside your mouth

By Claire Maldarelli

glaciers in alaska

Glacier-dwelling bacteria thrive on chemical energy derived from rocks and water

By Kate Baggaley

Everything you need to know about deadly listeria outbreaks

By Sara Chodosh

canned tomatoes in jars on a marble countertop near a plant

How to can your favorite foods without dying

By Rachel Feltman

The bacterial exposure experiment took place from 2015 to 2018 using the Exposed Facility located on the exterior of Kibo, the Japanese Experimental Module of the International Space Station.

Clumps of bacteria could spread life between planets

By Paola Rosa-Aquino

intestines microflora

Gut bacteria might flip the effects of a common cancer-causing mutation in an unexpected way

pappy lane shipwreck

This WWII shipwreck hosts an underwater kingdom of bacteria

By Kate Baggaley

bacteria that causes Lyme disease

COVID-19 testing problems are all too familiar to Lyme disease patients

By Carrie Arnold

A bowl of saag or spinach paneer

Eight international cheeses you need to try once

By Candice Wang

E. coli under a microscope

Yeast and E. coli can grow in conditions that might exist on alien planets

By Kate Baggaley

alaska permafrost lab

Inside a frozen tunnel hiding the galaxy’s biggest secrets

By Madeline Ostrander/Undark

a biofilm growing in a lab

Teams of bacteria have working memories remarkably like ours

bacteria on our tongues

This photo confirms that your tongue is basically a microbe party

By Claire Maldarelli

We finally know which bacteria give kimchi its power

a woman wearing a face mask, goggles, and gloves while cleaning a window with a sponge

Fight viruses in your home without making bacteria stronger

By Katherine J. Wu

a man using his phone on the New York City subway, while other passengers also use their phones

Your smartphone is gross. Learn how to clean it properly.

Flower arrangement

The tricks to keeping flower arrangements gorgeous for as long as possible

By Christin Geall

Person lathering hands under a running faucet

Hand washing trumps sanitizer when it comes to beating viruses

By Sara Kiley Watson

a graphic illustration of green wires

This new device seems to pull electricity out of thin air

a doctor uses a tongue depressor to look down a child's throat

Strep throat is figuring out how to beat our go-to antibiotics

How to stay healthy on your next germ-filled flight

How to stay healthy on your next germ-filled flight

By Whitson Gordon

cleaning a home

Your home’s microbiome, revealed

Antibiotic over-prescription is worst for kids in low-income countries

By Sara Kiley Watson

Stentor roeselii cells

These single-cell organisms don’t need brains to make up their minds

By Sara Kiley Watson

a turkey dinner on a plate

How to cook and eat a turkey without dying

By Rachel Feltman

Beach pollution. Plastic bottles and other trash on sea beach

The sun can help break down ocean plastic, but there’s a catch

By Sara Kiley Watson

Gram stain showing gonorrhea-causing bacteria

The CDC has some surprisingly good news about antibiotic resistance

By Sara Chodosh

Bacteria can change inside of us to beat antibiotics

Bacteria can change inside of us to beat antibiotics

By Katarzyna Mickiewicz/The Conversation

Humans will definitely bring microbes to Mars—so we might as well bring our favorites

Humans will definitely bring microbes to Mars—so we might as well bring our favorites

By Charlie Wood

clothes coming out of the washer

Washing machines can spread dangerous bacteria from one load to the next

Scientists are investigating the secrets of smelly cat butts

Scientists are investigating the secrets of smelly cat butts

By Sara Chodosh

Legionnaires’ disease is totally preventable, but surprisingly deadly

Legionnaires’ disease is totally preventable, but surprisingly deadly

By Brian Labus/The Conversation

A new species of superbug is emerging—and it loves when you eat sugar

Tricks to avoid eating leftovers that will make you sick

Tricks to avoid eating leftovers that will make you sick

melted plasticware

Scientists are making progress with better plastic-eating bacteria

By Sarah Scoles

Two kids in a swimming pool full of bacteria

Swimming pools are full of poop, but they probably won’t make you sick

By Sara Chodosh

These flesh-eating bacteria are finding new beaches to call home

These flesh-eating bacteria are finding new beaches to call home

By Sara Chodosh

What to know about fecal transplants in the wake of the first death

What to know about fecal transplants in the wake of the first death

By Sara Chodosh

The FDA knows expiration dates are confusing, so they’re changing them

The FDA knows expiration dates are confusing, so they’re changing them

By Sara Chodosh

Plastic chemicals could harm the ocean bacteria that produce 10 percent of our oxygen

Plastic chemicals could harm the ocean bacteria that produce 10 percent of our oxygen

San Francisco sourdough

The secret to San Francisco’s famous sourdough: bug poop

By Charlotte Druckman

acne pimple zit human skin

These mice got acne so future teens might not have to

By Sara Chodosh