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Microbiome

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

The microbiome—a collection of organisms including bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses that live in the human gut—has been shown to play a significant role in brain function.

How the Gut Microbiome Could Provide a New Tool to Treat Autism

A growing body of evidence suggests the behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder could be linked to bacteria in the gut

Ruby Taboh's stilton cheese.

Cool Finds

Cheese Made From Celebrity Belly Button and Armpit Bacteria Goes on Display

Five types of “human cheese” from cheddar to Cheshire are on view at the Victoria & Albert Museum

The microbes in human guts, including bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses, play a significant role in how our bodies respond to diseases and treatments.

How the Microbiome Could Be the Key to New Cancer Treatments

The effectiveness of drugs that help the immune system fight cancer cells appears to depend on bacteria in the gut

Scientists studying bacteria in the gut continue to find evidence of the role these organisms play in human health.

Scientists Find a Possible Link Between Gut Bacteria and Depression

A new study identifies bacteria in the microbiome that could produce neurotransmitters and potentially influence activity in the brain

New Research

Your Appendix May Be Starting Point for Parkinson’s Disease

Those who have the organ removed have a 20 percent less chance of developing the disease, which is related to protein found in the appendix and the brain

Donated blood must be matched carefully with donors to prevent a negative immune reaction--but new research may make it possible to create more universal blood.

In the Quest for Universal Blood, Go With Your Gut

Scientists enlisted enzymes produced by gut bacteria to turn blood into type O

Swabbing a chimp's nest.

New Research

Your Bed Is Dirtier Than a Chimp’s

Human beds have far more bacteria associated with skin, saliva and feces than the nests of our primate cousins

The gut flora of dogs and humans is incredibly similar, a new study finds.

A Surprising Way Dogs Are Similar to Humans

We share more than snuggles and and a love of walks; canines and humans have similar gut microbiota

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