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Microorganism

Magnified red microbes float among a yellow background

A micro safari through household germs reveals that cleanliness isn’t always a good thing

Medicine

Take a look around — you might not be able to see them, but they are everywhere. We are surrounded by forests of bacteria and microbes. And it turns out, that might not be such a bad thing. But our obsession with cleanliness could be.

Thin filaments of fungi form a dense network between the roots of most of the world's food crops. Some researchers believe that working with such microbes rather than against them, as has often been the case in conventional agriculture, will help the worl

The future of agriculture may be too small to see. Think microbes

Environment

Microbes below Earth’s surface could be potential link to Mars rover discovery

Environment

Scientist turns to music to help people understand complex data

Environment

Microbes and Evolution

The World

The Vital Role of Bacteria

Without the bacteria in our own bodies, or deep in the soil and the oceans, we could not flourish and grow, and nor could any of the plants we depend on.

Breakthrough Antarctic Finding: Life in Subglacial Lake

Environment

In the culmination of a years-long effort, American scientists say they’ve found signs of life in isolated lakes deep beneath Antarctica.

The World

Microbes Transform Wastewater to Energy

Researchers at Penn State University are developing microbial fuel cells to turn wastewater into electricity.

The World

The Thirst for Safe Water Series: Part One – Microbes in our Drinking Water

The United States has one of the best water supplies in the world, and some of the worst waterborne diseases are just about unknown here. But, research now shows that new risks to drinking water can resist even chemical treatment. Daniel Grossman reports from Philadelphia where the water meets all federal clean water standards, but […]

The World

Microbes in Drinking Water (The Thirst for Safe Water Series, Part 1)

The United States has one of the best water supplies in the world, and some of the worst waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera are just about unknown here. But, research now shows that new risks to drinking water can resist even chemical treatment, slip through most filters and make people sick. This week we […]