Microbiology
Latest about Microbiology
![a microscope image of bacteria that has been mirrored](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cNr7sUkc4cvhGUkuChjBp-320-80.jpg)
'Mirror life forms' may sound like science fiction, but scientists warn they could be deadly to humans and destroy the environment
By Mark Lorch published
Bacteria that are mirror images of existing ones could evade our immune systems, causing serious illness.
![Leaf of a cannabis plant. The bulbous glands are trichomes. The bubbles inside are cann.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WJJv53uKWUY5ZakYKS9yZb-320-80.jpg)
Mouse brains, cannabis plants and spider eyes: 20 jaw-dropping images of the microscopic world around us
By Hannah Osborne published
See the top 20 winning photographs from the 50th Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.
![A grainy black and white photo of an alleged loch ness monster sighting](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6igQoUToPxTwTBVYsUFkhS-320-80.jpg)
'Loch ness monster' microbe stretches its neck to 30 times its body length in seconds
By Lars Fischer published
A microbe can grow a neck that is 30 times as long as its body in just a few seconds. Origami folding explains how
![A digital rendering of yellow C. auris fungi](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UaFLToXQ4rcFeeCuz6w46T-320-80.jpg)
'The most critically harmful fungi to humans': How the rise of C. auris was inevitable
By Arturo Casadevall published
In this excerpt from his new book "What if Fungi Win?" microbiologist and immunologist Arturo Casadevall examines the rise of the deadly yeast Candida auris.
![Cracked desert soil in the Yungay Valley region of the Atacama Desert.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9WVtwPDMnnkEVipPooKmb7-320-80.jpg)
Hidden 'biosphere' of extreme microbes discovered 13 feet below Atacama Desert is deepest found there to date
By Sascha Pare published
Researchers have found microbes thriving 13 feet beneath the scorched surface of Chile's Atacama Desert, marking the deepest discovery of microbial life in the region to date.
![A microscopic image of a oblong, greenish cell with a black arrow pointing to a large circle within it](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yaKAcBEtaHGBBqjeriNj9X-320-80.jpg)
Scientists discover once-in-a-billion-year event — 2 lifeforms merging to create a new cell part
By Sascha Pare published
Researchers think a microbe that was engulfed by an algal cell 100 million years ago has since evolved into an integral part of the cell's machinery.
![An aerial picture of the lagoon and surrounding salt plain with microbial mounds visible beneath the water surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qP5ohMx4q98LsRQvKPCRR6-320-80.jpg)
Lost world of lagoons filled with mounds of microbes discovered in Atacama desert
By Sascha Pare published
Researchers have discovered a jaw-dropping ecosystem of crystal-clear lagoons and salt plains in Argentina's Puna de Atacama desert that could offer a window onto early life on Earth and Mars.
![A lone stone grave surrounded by wild summer flowers meadow with a stone wall in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yAsVBfWXzQnQbyTd33RsjW-320-80.jpg)
After you die, your microbiome cooperates with soil microbes to 'recycle' your body
By Jennifer DeBruyn published
After you die, bacteria harvest your body for the nutrients that help push daisies.
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