Bacteria

Researchers have discovered how some viruses can alter the smell of their host in order to attract mosquitoes. A study found dengue and Zika viruses can alter a host’s skin microbiome to enhance the volume of odor molecules that draw in mosquitoes.

As effective as fossil fuels may be, their impact on the planet cannot be overstated. Now researchers at Berkeley Lab have coaxed bacteria into directly producing a new biofuel with an energy density significantly higher than jet fuel.

Electricity-producing bacteria could be an intriguing renewable energy source. Engineers have now developed a biobattery that contains three layers of different bacteria species, which together take in sunlight and produce electricity.

Scientists at Brown University have developed a new material that can release drugs only when pathogenic bacteria are around. When used as a bandage, the hydrogel could deliver medication on-demand when infection begins to take hold.

Bacteria are great at resisting antibiotics, but they can’t fight tiny drills ripping them open. Researchers have now demonstrated next-generation molecular drills that are activated by blue light and could revolutionize the fight against superbugs.

Algorithms have helped uncover a new antibiotic that shows promise against some nasty bacteria, using a novel mode of attack that should be hard for them to develop resistance to. Most importantly it could unlock a whole new arsenal of antibiotics.

Scientists have created new artificial microbes by combining two very different organisms into one functioning entity. The hybrid of a yeast and a bacterium adds evidence to a long-standing hypothesis on how advanced life may have evolved.

A landmark study has identified five types of bacteria associated with aggressive prostate cancer. It's unclear whether the bacteria is causing prostate cancer but it may be possible to develop tests to detect the most aggressive forms of the disease.

New research has found genetically engineered bacteria may be an effective Parkinson’s disease treatment. Scientists engineered a bacteria to synthesize a consistent source of medicine inside a patient’s gut, and animal tests have shown it is effective.

Scientists exploring a novel but highly promising avenue of cancer treatment have developed a type of "invisibility cloak" that helps engineered bacteria sneak through the body's immune defenses, with potent anti-tumor effects.

Scientists have long studied the abilities of photosynthetic bacteria that turn sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into energy, and by giving these communities a home likened to a high-rise apartment block, a team has broken new ground in this space.

Biologists have discovered the largest bacterium ever found, with a single cell measuring a mammoth 2 cm long. Visible to the naked eye, this new species has bizarre characteristics that make it like a missing link in the evolution of complex cells.