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Small, Small World

Microbes don’t just inhabit the air—they created it, or at least the part we most depend upon. When life began on Earth, the atmosphere had no significant oxygen. Oxygen is a waste product of photosynthesis, and we owe the invention of that process, about two and a half billion years ago, to cyanobacteria. These bacteria are directly responsible for as much as half of the oxygen made on Earth each year and indirectly for most of the rest. Hundreds of millions of years ago ancient forms of cyanobacteria made their way into cells that would evolve to become plants. Once embedded in those ancestor plants, they evolved into chloroplasts, the photosynthetic, oxygen-producing engines of plant cells.…

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 Microbes can colonize space, produce drugs and create energy − researchers are simulating their inner workings to harness how

After so many years learning how microbes work, researchers are now digitally recreating their inner workings to tackle challenges ranging from climate change to space colonization.

 Misunderstood Microbes

Recent scientific studies have revealed the importance of microbes. Despite common misconceptions, most microbes are more helpful than harmful to humans and the planet.

 The hunt for a microbial marvel that can help with the planet's biggest issues

What if the solutions to some of Earth's biggest problems could be found in some of its smallest creatures? That bet has led a team of researchers to places both remote and — lately — rather familiar.

Articles of Interest

Exploring The Invisible Universe That Lives On Us — And In Us

The next time you look in a mirror, think about this: In many ways you're more microbe than human. There are 10 times more cells from microorganisms like bacteria and fungi in and on our bodies than there are human cells. Scientists increasingly think that these microorganisms have a huge influence on our health. Without them, our bodies don't seem to do as well. We don't seem to be as healthy and might actually get sick more often.

Microbes: The Trillions of Creatures Governing Your Health


Scientists are just now beginning to recognize the importance of the vast community of microbes that dwells inside us


Bacteria wars are raging in soil, and it’s keeping ecosystems healthy

Bacteria that feed on other bacteria are surprisingly common in soil ecosystems.

Here’s How Many Microbes You Eat in a Single Day

Bad news, hypochondriacs: Your food is teeming with life. That’s right, not only does your McDonald’s Big Mac, large fries and coke contain 1,174 calories, the meal harbors over 230,000 living, breathing bacteria, as well as a couple thousand mold and yeast. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you eat a USDA-recommended diet, you’re ingesting upwards of a billion hapless microbes every single day.

How microbes could help solve the world’s plastic pollution crisis

With conventional waste management systems falling short, many scientists are turning to nature for innovative solutions to the issue of plastic waste. One promising avenue is microbial degradation: harnessing the natural abilities of certain bacteria and fungi to break down plastics in ways that current technologies cannot. These microbes produce specialised enzymes (proteins that carry out chemical reactions) capable of breaking the long, carbon-rich chains of molecules that form the backbones of many plastic polymers. They effectively use plastic as a food source.

How trillions of microbes affect every stage of our life—from birth to old age

As the impact of these microorganisms on our well-being becomes clearer, scientists say new remedies for disease are likely to emerge.

Human Health Is in the Hands of Bacteria

In the beginning, there were single-cell bacteria. They were the only life on earth for billions of years, then larger cells evolved, then multicellular organisms, and then plants and animals. But the bacteria never went away, and all organisms, including us humans, have had to learn to live with them. Today, the lessons they are teaching us could change the trajectory of human health for generations.

Microbes Aren't the Enemy, They're a Big Part of Who We Are

Because we have evolved with microorganisms inside us, we now have specialised communities in our guts, on our skin, and in our mouths. Our microbes are understood to be so critical to our existence, many scientists consider us to be symbiotic organisms, made up of the host, the microbiome and the environment. This holy trinity is what they call the “holobiont”.

Pathogenic microbes blown vast distances by winds, scientists discover

This article is more than 11 months old Pathogenic microbes blown vast distances by winds, scientists discover This article is more than 11 months old Living microbes that cause disease in humans and host antibiotic-resistance genes carried 1,200 miles Damian Carrington Environment editor Mon 9 Sep 2024 15.00 EDT Share Microbes that cause disease in humans can travel thousands of miles on high-level winds, scientists have revealed for the first time. The winds studied carried a surprising diversity of bacteria and fungi, including known pathogens and, some with genes for resistance to multiple antibiotics. Some of the microbes were shown to be alive – in other words, they had survived the long journey and were able to replicate.

Scientists Discover Microbes That Could Revolutionize Plastic Recycling

These bacteria and fungi can break down certain plastics at cool temperatures, saving money and energy compared to some current methods

Scientists Discovered Microbes Feasting on Plastic in the Arctic. It Could Help Fight Pollution

Scientists have discovered microbes eating plastic in cold environments, like Arctic soil and alpine slopes, a breakthrough that could help to address the pervasive problem of plastic pollution around the world, reports a new study.

The Mysterious, Deep-Dwelling Microbes That Sculpt Our Planet

Earth’s crust teems with subterranean life that we are only now beginning to understand.

The world’s most diverse group of bacteria lives inside your mouth

Mapping the planet’s microbiomes starts on your tongue.

‘Air-Borne’ Review: The Microbes in the Mist

We now know that pathogens can circulate via droplets in the air. For years, public-health authorities dismissed the risk.