microbes news stories on Newser

Beneath Pacific Lies Ancient, Barely Alive Bacteria

Rob Quinn — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:14:29 CDT

Some 100 feet below the most nutrient-starved part of the Pacific Ocean floor, incredibly old life exists. In the most detailed look yet at the lifestyles of "extremophile" bacteria, scientists have determined that the organisms have survived for what could be as long as millions of years solely on whatever...

Scientists Make Seaweed-Fuel Breakthrough

Matt Cantor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:23:05 CST

Algae-based fuel is a step closer to reality. Scientists in California have genetically modified a microbe so that it can convert seaweed into biofuel, the Guardian reports. "Natural seaweed species grow very fast—10 times faster than normal plants—and are full of sugars, but it has been very difficult...

Inside Your Belly Button: A Ton of Mysterious Bacteria

Evann Gastaldo — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 08:26:07 CDT

Breaking science news: Your belly button is kinda gross. A new study, the amusingly named Belly Button Biodiversity project, found more than 1,400 strains of bacteria in 95 navel swab samples, the Washington Post reports. Of those, 662 couldn't be classified to a family—suggesting those microbes are "new...

'Bio-Batteries:' Microbe Energy Comes Closer

Rob Quinn — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:06:46 CDT

Microbe-powered devices could be just a decade away thanks to new findings about how the tiny organisms release natural electric charges, researchers say. Scientists have discovered atom-size "wires" sticking through the cell walls of bacteria. The finding will allow researchers to design electrodes that can pick up electrical charges emitted...

You Could Soon Be Classified by Gut Bacteria

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:43:04 CDT

Humans can be identified by their blood type, but soon they may also be able to be classified by their "bug type," the New York Times reports. Scientists have discovered that, in the guts of people recently studied, there are three distinct types of microbe ecosystems. Since gut microbes help...

1,000 Species of Bacteria Crawling on Our Skin

John Johnson — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:08:16 CDT

We're not alone. A new study by the National Institutes of Health estimates that 1,000 different species of bacteria inhabit our skin, reports the Los Angeles Times . Some specialize in the terrain of the armpit or the belly button, while others prefer drier (and less populated) locales such as...

Under Antarctic Glacier, Life Exists Without Light, Oxygen

Harry Kimball — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:01 CDT

Scientists have discovered an Antarctic ecosystem of microorganisms cut off from light and oxygen for as many as 2 million years, the Guardian reports. The microbes, living under one-third of a mile of ice, in a 14-degree lake four times as salty as seawater, give researchers clues to how life...

Scientists Hatch Round-Trip Mission to Mars

Dustin Lushing — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:05:00 CDT

Before scientists can put a man on Mars, they first need to figure out how to get a mission back to Earth, reports the Guardian. An international team is doing just that—developing an $8 billion mission to travel to Mars and return with rock samples and possibly microscopic life....