Archived articles

Microbiology

Cell biology

Researchers discover yeast self-destruct pathway

Published April 14, 2022

Finding adds to evidence that unicellular organisms have "regulated cell-death" processes like those found in animals; discovery could one day lead to new antifungal drugs

Seasonal flu

Fast-spreading mutation helps common flu subtype escape human immune response

Published July 15, 2020

Unlike the novel coronavirus, which has been shown to mutate slowly, strains of influenza virus have acquired a mutation that blocks antibodies from binding to a key viral protein, making vaccine development more complex

Planetary science

Life on the rocks

Published May 5, 2020

By studying how tiny organisms in the Atacama Desert extract water from rocks, Johns Hopkins researchers have revealed how, against all odds, life can exist in extreme environments

Two researchers hold dark-pigmented material

Microbiology

Mission will put melanin's superpower to the test

Published Nov 1, 2019

Melanin samples are headed to the International Space Station, where their ability to protect against harmful radiation will be explored

Health

Baby's first bacteria

Published Aug 19, 2019

Microbes passed down from mothers during birth may be a signifier of future health, researchers find

Cellular biology

ALS-linked genetic mutation causes dysfunction in lipid metabolism

Published Nov 1, 2018

Study raises possibility that problems in cellular metabolism could contribute to illnesses such as ALS, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer's disease

Microbiology

Microbes go dark to stay warm in cooler climates

Published Aug 2, 2018

Microbes and fungi that darken when in colder climates have better survival and may be an important variable in modeling climate change, researchers find