Carolyn Beans

Carolyn Beans is a freelance science reporter based in Lancaster, Pa.

All Stories by Carolyn Beans

  1. Agriculture

    How does a crop’s environment shape a food’s smell and taste?

    Scientific explorations of terroir — the soil, climate and orientation in which crops grow — hint at influences on flavors and aromas.

  2. Microbes

    Scientists stumbled across the first known manganese-fueled bacteria

    A jar left soaking in an office sink helped scientists answer a century-old question of whether bacteria can use manganese for energy.

  3. Life

    Scientists want to build a Noah’s Ark for the human microbiome

    Just as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault protects global crop diversity, the Microbiota Vault may one day protect the microbes on and in our bodies.