Microbes

More Stories in Microbes

  1. Two scuba divers investigating a coral reef
    Life

    Coral reefs host millions of bacteria, revealing Earth’s hidden biodiversity

    A new estimate of microbial life living in Pacific reefs is similar to global counts, suggesting many more microbes call Earth home than thought.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  2. A Cooper's black orchid growing in a forest
    Plants

    A hunt for fungi might bring this orchid back from the brink

    Identifying the fungi that feeds the Cooper’s black orchid in the lab may allow researchers to bank seeds and possibly regrow the species in the wild.

    By Rina Diane Caballar
  3. A photo of a wooded area with green plants in the foreground and a fallen tree in the middle ground.
    Plants

    Soil microbes that survived tough climates can help young trees do the same

    Trees grown in soil with microbes that have survived drought and high or low temperatures have a better shot at survival when facing the same conditions.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús
  4. A photo of an RSV vaccine bottle with a syringe, stethoscope and other vaccine bottle on a white background.
    Health & Medicine

    The FDA has approved the first-ever vaccine for RSV

    GSK’s shot, for those 60 and over, can protect against severe respiratory syncytial virus. Other vaccines, including to protect newborns, are in the works.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  5. A close up photo of a toddler laying in a bed with a tube attached to his nose.
    Health & Medicine

    Here’s what we know about upcoming vaccines and antibodies against RSV

    New vaccines and monoclonal antibodies may be available this year to fend off severe disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  6. An underwater photo of two sea urchins sitting on the rocky ground.
    Animals

    Urchins are dying off across the Caribbean. Scientists now know why

    A type of single-celled microorganism associated with coral diseases is behind a sea urchin die-off in the Caribbean.

    By Anna Gibbs
  7. An illustration of Candida auris. Appears as purple bubbles on a dark blue background.
    Health & Medicine

    U.S. cases of a deadly fungus nearly doubled in recent years

    Though numbers are still small, clinical cases of Candida auris in the jumped 95 percent from 2020 to 2021, a CDC survey finds.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. fungi growing on wood
    Life

    Chemical signals from fungi tell bark beetles which trees to infest

    As fungi break down defensive chemicals in trees, some byproducts act as signals to bark beetle pests, telling them which trees are most vulnerable.

    By Freda Kreier
  9. A still image from the television show The Last of Us showing a human body that has been completely covered by an orange fungus attached to a gray wall.
    Life

    Fungi don’t turn humans into zombies. But The Last of Us gets some science right

    Fungi like those in the post-apocalyptic TV show are real. But humans’ body temperature and brain chemistry may protect us from zombifying fungi.

    By Tina Hesman Saey