Ancient fossil microorganisms indicate that life in the universe is common
Scientists analyze specimens from 3.465 billion years ago This is a 3.465 billion year-old fossil microorganism from Western Australia. Credit: J. William Schopf/UCLA Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life A new analysis of the oldest known fossil microorganisms provides strong evidence to support an increasingly widespread understanding that life in […]
Bacteria acquire resistance from competitors
The T6SS (green, magenta) mediated killing and lysis of competing bacteria can lead to DNA release (cyan) and subsequent gene transfer. Bacteria not only develop resistance to antibiotics, they also can pick it up from their rivals. In a recent publication in Cell Reports, Researchers from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have demonstrated […]
Anaerobic Bacterial Fermentation Products Increase Tuberculosis Risk in Antiretroviral-Drug-Treated HIV Patients
Antiretroviral drugs can help improve the immune response in people with HIV, but many patients are still highly vulnerable to tuberculosis (TB). A team including researchers from the University of Cape Town studied blood samples and microbes in the lungs of HIV patients being treated with antiretroviral drugs. They found that increased anaerobic bacteria in […]
Lighting the path to a better understanding of matter
Physicists have used collisions between lead ions to observe light being scattered by light, paving the way for a better understanding of the properties of matter, according to a study published in Nature Physics. The phenomenon, called light-by-light scattering, is impossible in classical physics because particles of light, or photons, carry no charge. Quantum physics predicts […]
