Microbiology

An international group of scientists has discovered a new class of molecular compounds capable of killing the influenza virus.  You learned this from your parents; too much even of a good thing…

Species facing widespread and rapid environmental changes can sometimes evolve quickly enough to dodge the extinction bullet. Studies have shown that the more gradual the change, the better the…

It's the weekend, which means it is time for scientists, science journalists, book authors and intellectually curious readers to think about microbiology.  And that means beer. Beer is actually…

It's winter in the northern hemisphere and that means flu season.  As influenza spreads through the northern hemisphere winter, researchers in the laboratory of Professor Jose Villadangos at the…

Cyanobacteria belong to the Earth's oldest organisms. They are still present today in oceans and waters and even in hot springs. By producing oxygen and evolving into multicellular forms, they played…

About 200 million people across 75 of the poorest countries in the world are now infected by the blood parasite Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium). The infection causes severe urogenital…

In biology, you learned that the penicillin-producing mold fungus Penicillium chrysogenum only reproduces asexually through spores - it has been taught that way for much of the last century. But a…

While many people may not be explicitly familiar with Koch's Postulates, they are generally viewed as a type of "common sense" when it comes to pathogens.  Briefly the postulates consist of four…

In many modern discussions about bacteria, or germs, we find that novel descriptions are used that are more self-involved than accurate regarding the role of bacteria and microbes.  Certainly…

The plague-causing bacteria Yersinia pestis evades detection and establishes a stronghold without setting off the body's early alarms but new discoveries reported this week help explain how the…