Microbiome

Seabirds catch fish swimming near the ocean's surface, but in the process, they also ingest microplastics.

Microplastics Linked to Changes in Seabirds’ Guts

Birds that ingested more microplastics had more microbes linked to diseases and antibiotic resistance in a new study

Technician Yesmarie De La Flor prepares cultures of probiotics in the Smithsonian Marine Station’s microbiology laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida. These probiotics were used for testing on diseased corals.

Probiotics May Help Corals Fight a Dangerous Disease Off Florida’s Coast

The new treatment shows promise in lab experiments

Gut bacteria, more than genetics, impact mice's motivation to exercise, a recent study suggests.

Could Gut Bacteria Impact Your Motivation to Exercise?

In a study of mice, researchers show their microbiomes play a role in how much they run and how quickly they grow fatigued

A group of zebrafish

Gut Bacteria Might Shape Social Behavior

A study of zebrafish reveals the mix of microbes in the intestinal tract could influence brain development

Four pairs of "human doubles" included in the study

Art Meets Science

Doppelgängers Don't Just Look Alike—They Also Share DNA

New research finds genetic and lifestyle similarities between unrelated pairs of "virtual twins"

Contrary to researchers' expectations, cats with higher levels of the hormone oxytocin displayed fewer bonding behaviors than those with lower levels. 

New Study Links Cat Hormones and Gut Microbiomes to Their Social Behavior

Felines with lower cortisol, oxytocin and testosterone levels are more tolerant of other cats

To make true Roquefort cheese, the law requires that it must be produced from local ingredients and ripen for months in a cave in southern France. 

How Much Longer Will Roquefort Reign as the King of Cheese?

In France, makers of the odorous food are singing the blues

To get the award-winning shot, Fabian J. Weston, used a microscope from the 1970s and went as far as creating a saline solution that would keep the micro-fauna alive while imaged.

The Secret World of a Termite's Gut Revealed in Award-Winning Video

The footage shows the symbiotic relationship between a termite and the protists that help digest their food

Researchers extracting an ice core from the Guliya Ice Cap in the Tibetan Plateau in 2015.

New Research

Scientists Extract 15,000-Year-Old Viruses From Tibetan Glacier

Researchers say the ancient pathogens are unlikely to cause humans any harm, but 28 out of the 33 viruses found are new to science

Passengers ride the New York City subway on May 24, 2021.

New Research

Thousands of Unknown Microbes Found in Subways Around the World

A team of more than 900 scientists and volunteers swabbed the surfaces of 60 public transit systems

Researchers analyze the microbiome of Leonardo's Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk (circa 1490). Housed at the Royal Library of Turin, the detailed sketch is considered by some scholars to be a self-portrait.

Art Meets Science

Hidden Microbes and Fungi Found on the Surface of Leonardo da Vinci Drawings

Researchers used new DNA sequencing technology to examine the "bio-archives" of seven of the Renaissance master's sketches

A 14th-century latrine in Riga, Latvia

New Research

Archaeologists Mine Medieval Toilets for Traces of Gut Microbiomes

New techniques could help researchers understand human diets in different times and places

Our bodies carry many bacteria and fungi, not all of them harmful.

What Quarantine Is Doing to Your Body's Wondrous World of Bacteria

The germs, fungi and mites that grow on our hands, face, armpits and elsewhere have become stranded during the age of social distancing

Currently, the toilet can test for up to ten different biomarkers from analyses of stool and urine samples, according to a Stanford press release.

Why Scientists Created a 'Smart Toilet' That Recognizes Your Butt

The bidet-like suite of devices detects abnormalities in feces that could flag signs of certain cancers

A rock samples collected during a 2010 drilling expedition in the South Pacific that found microbes in the sea floor.

Microbes Living in Deep Sea Rocks Spawn More Hope for Life on Mars

Starved of resources, these hardy bacteria still eke out a living, suggesting life forms could survive in the harsh habitats on other planets

Washing your hands doesn't just lift germs off your skin. It can destroy some of them, too—including the virus behind COVID-19.

Why Is Washing Your Hands So Important, Anyway?

A dive into the science behind why hand-washing and alcohol-based hand sanitizer work so well

On the right, corn plants inoculated with sugarcane microbes saw their biomass increase compared to those that were not inoculated (on the left).

How Sugar’s Bacteria Could Point the Way to More Efficient Agriculture

New research proves the power of beneficial bacteria and fungi that help sugarcane grow larger and rebound from stress faster

A 5,700-year-old piece of birch tar, chewed as gum, contains the genome, mouth microbes, and even dietary information about its former chewer.

Human Genome Recovered From 5,700-Year-Old Chewing Gum

The piece of Birch tar, found in Denmark, also contained the mouth microbes of its ancient chewer, as well as remnants of food to reveal what she ate

The Human Microbiome Project defined nine sites in the mouth. Each provides a habitat for a distinct set of bacterial communities.

By Studying Mouth Bacteria, Scientists Hope to Learn the Secrets of Microbiomes

Communities of bacteria and other microbes in the human mouth can help researchers learn how these groups of organisms affect human health

Scientists are starting to get a better idea of how many factors can influence a newborn's gut microbiome.

Babies Born by C-Section Have Different Gut Microbes Than Vaginally Delivered Infants

Method of delivery can influence the bacteria in infants' guts, according to a new study, but differences were found to disappear within nine months

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