Plastic microfibers in the Mediterranean Sea are keeping bacteria afloat
A study concentrated on the northwestern Mediterranean Sea found harmful bacteria on plastic microfibers, a common ocean pollutant.
Tag: bacteria
There’s no proof picking your nose causes Alzheimer’s
A neurologist breaks down the trending study at the center of misleading headlines that linked nose-picking to Alzheimer’s disease.
Ever heard of giant bacteria? This new species is way bigger and weirder.
Think all bacteria are microscopic? Thing again. T. magnifica is the world’s biggest bacteria species, and can be seen with the naked eye.
The germiest places you might not be cleaning
Your typical cleaning routine works, but does it go deep enough? Forgotten spaces around your home might be hiding some unpleasant surprises.
Outdoor cats are deadly—and not just for birds and squirrels
From toxoplasmosis to rabies, outdoor cats can endanger your and other people’s health.
Space stations could wage war on hitchhiking bacteria with self-cleaning tech
The European Space Agency is developing self-cleaning surfaces that can help get rid of bacteria and tidy up the International Space Station.
Esther Lederberg changed our understanding of how bacteria breed
The annals of science journalism weren’t always as inclusive as they could have been. So PopSci is working to correct the record with In Hindsight, a series profiling some of the figures whose contributions we missed. Read their stories and explore the rest of our 150th anniversary coverage here. On December 10, 1958, microbiologist Esther Lederberg stood next to […]
Turns out kombucha SCOBYs could make good water filters
Researchers found membrane filters made from SCOBYs cleaned more microorganisms from water and clogged less than commercial filters.
These sophisticated bacteria communities assemble in tie-dye formation
Researchers found that bacteria in biofilms can create these “tree rings” using a process thought to only be used by plants and animals.
These bird species are most likely to contaminate our fruits and veggies
Food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria like E. coli and salmonella are sometimes spread by birds on produce farms. A new study looks at which species carry the highest risks.