Solving a riddle that has confounded biologists since bacterial spores — inert, sleeping bacteria — were first described more than 150 years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered […]
Bacteria
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Study Shines New Light On Ancient Microbial Dark Matter
Bacteria are literally everywhere – in oceans, in soils, in extreme environments like hot springs, and even alongside and inside other organisms including humans. They’re nearly invisible, yet they play […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Bacteriophage P74-26 Virus: An Evolutionary Oddity
A recent study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has revealed the secret behind an evolutionary marvel: a bacteriophage with an extremely long tail.
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Immense Diversity And Interdependence In High Temperature Deep-Sea Microorganism Communities
A new study by researchers at Portland State University and the University of Wisconsin finds that a rich diversity of microorganisms live in interdependent communities in high-temperature geothermal environments in […]
Posted inCryobiology, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Growth At A Wide Range Of Pressures On Other Worlds
NASA-supported researchers have studied a bacteria on Earth to gain insight into the mechanisms that organisms could use to survive on cold solar system bodies like Mars and Europa.
Posted inEuropa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Modeling Virus and Bacteria Populations in Europa’s Subsurface Ocean
The search for life in the universe is often informed by the study of “extreme” environments on Earth, which provide analogs for habitable locations in the Solar System, and whose […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Culexarchaeia, A Novel Archaeal Class Of Anaerobic Generalists Inhabiting Geothermal Environments
Geothermal environments, including terrestrial hot springs and deep-sea hydrothermal sediments, often contain many poorly understood lineages of archaea.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microgravity, Status Report
Toward Detecting Biosignatures of DNA, Lipids, and Metabolic Intermediates from Bacteria in Ice Grains Emitted by Enceladus and Europa
The reliable identification of biosignatures is key to the search for life elsewhere.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Dormant Magnetosome Genes Discovered In Non-magnetic Bacteria
Magnetic bacteria can align their movement with the Earth’s magnetic field thanks to chains of magnetic nanoparticles inside their cells. The blueprints for making and linking these magnetosomes are stored […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release
Ancient Bacteria Might Lurk Beneath Mars’ Surface
When Mars’ first samples return to Earth, scientists should be on the lookout for ancient sleeping bacteria, a new study has found.