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The Mutant Genes Behind the Black Death
Only a few genetic changes were enough to change an ordinary stomach bug into the bacteria responsible for the plague.
At Tiny Scales, a Giant Burst on Tree of Life
A new technique for finding and characterizing microbes has boosted the number of known bacteria by almost 50 percent, revealing a hidden world all around us.
Biologists Invoke the Past in Modern Bacteria
By swapping ancient genes into modern E. coli, scientists hope to tease out the rules of evolution.
Below Our Feet, a World of Hidden Life
The soil teems with billions of hidden microbes. Researchers have begun to catalog how these organisms are changing the world.
Breakthrough DNA Editor Born of Bacteria
Interest in a powerful DNA editing tool called CRISPR has revealed that bacteria are far more sophisticated than anyone imagined.
Where Animals Come From
Bacteria may have helped single-celled organisms make the leap to multicellular animals.
Inside the Din, Cells Fight Noise With Noise
Is the random noise inside a cell a nuisance, or have cells evolved ways to put it to work?
Under Pressure, Does Evolution Evolve?
Some organisms respond to stress by driving up their mutation rate. Are they evolving specific mechanisms to enhance evolution in times of crisis?
In Pursuit of Quantum Biology With Birgitta Whaley
An interview with the Berkeley chemist K. Birgitta Whaley on the promise and challenge of translating quantum biology into practical quantum devices.