Microbes are usually cast as villains, yet most of the microscopic life on and around us is quietly keeping us alive. From the bacteria lining your gut to the organisms drifting in city air, these ...

Coral reefs shape the daily rise and fall of nearby microbes, organizing them into rhythms that influence how reef ecosystems ...

Beneath our feet, beyond the reach of sunlight, and buried in the most unforgiving corners of the planet, an unseen world thrives. Though these environments may seem desolate, and devoid of warmth, ...

Scientists discover 26 new bacterial species in NASA cleanrooms, revealing surprisingly resilient microbes with potential ...

Establishing a precise time of death (the postmortem interval, or PMI) upon discovery of a corpse is notoriously challenging, however easy fictional medical examiners might make it seem. Some forensic ...

DNA analysis has revealed that 26 novel species of "extremophile" bacteria were lurking in a clean room that housed NASA's Phoenix lander before it was launched to Mars in 2007. The hardy microbes ...

Little is known about the fate of PFAS in our environment, but new research finds that bacteria in wastewater can degrade specific types of "forever chemicals." When you purchase through links on our ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. Today, Onyeaka is an industrial microbiologist and a deputy director of the ...

Like wine and cheese, chocolate has terroir, a sense of the place it was grown. Each bonbon or bar may carry unique flavors shaped by the soil, rainfall and temperature of the farm. But much of that ...

The unique flavor profiles of premium chocolate—which can include hints of citrus, wafts of wine and subtle notes of spice—have often been attributed to the cocoa bean’s origin. Farmers in tropical ...

Many everyday chemicals can damage beneficial gut bacteria and potentially fuel antibiotic resistance, prompting calls to ...