Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial ...

A new study finds that bacteria can actively block the transfer of beneficial genes to neighboring cells, using specialized ...

Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial ...

Bacteria can exchange genetic material among themselves – even across species. Rather than being passed on from ancestor to offspring, genetic information is exchanged among organisms living at the ...

Scientists are finally tracing, step by step, how bacteria strip down and rebuild steroid molecules into compounds that look a lot like modern drugs. By mapping these microbial assembly lines in the ...

Microbes are engaged in a never-ending battle, and they have ways of attacking each other as well as defense mechanisms. Viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriophages, and it's generally ...

A research team is investigating how pathogens influence the immune response of their host with genetic variation. This enables Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance and ...

Life moves in mysterious ways—and perhaps especially so for organisms that undergo dramatic shifts in levels of ...

A new study finds that bacteria can actively block the transfer of beneficial genes to neighboring cells, using specialized proteins to specifically destroy shared DNA before it spreads. This ...