MicrobeWorld

In a study released today in Nature Genetics, researchers have found that Chlamydia has evolved more actively than was previously thought. Using whole genome sequencing the researchers show that the exchange of DNA between different strains of Chlamydia to form new strains is much more common th... Read More

Actin (purple), microtubules (yellow), and nuclei (green) are labeled in these cells by immunofluorescence. This image won first place in the Nikon 2003 Small World photo competition.

Torsten Wittmann, Scripps Research Institute Read More

Cell showing overproduction of the ARTS protein (red). ARTS triggers apoptosis, as shown by the activation of caspase-3 (green) a key tool in the cell's destruction. The nucleus is shown in blue.

Sarit Larisch and Hermann Steller, Rockefeller University Read More

This image of laboratory-grown cells was taken with the help of a scanning electron microscope, which yields detailed images of cell surfaces.

Tina Carvalho, University of Hawaii at Manoa. - NIGMS Image Gallery Read More

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of rust on a rose leaf. Rose rust is a disease specific to roses and is caused by the parasitic fungus Phragmidium tuberculatum and some other closely related species. This disease occurs during spring and persists until the leaves fall. This images shows r... Read More

This pair of confocal micrographs demonstrates how a disease-causing strain of E. coli bacteria brings about diarrhoea by breaking down the waterproof barriers between the cells. The bacteria are seen as small red dots attached to the surface of intestinal cells making tiny pedestals out of one ... Read More

Moderated by the Chair of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), Paul Keim, Ph.D., this session at the ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting included discussions of the NSABB’s recommendations for the publication of the controversial H5N1 research.

Presen... Read More

A protein called tubulin (green) accumulates in the center of a nucleus (outlined in pink) from an aging cell. Normally, this protein is kept out of the nucleus with the help of gatekeepers known as nuclear pore complexes. But NIGMS-funded researchers found that wear and tear to long-lived compo... Read More

A new, nanometer-sized biosensor can detect a single deadly bacterium in tainted ground beef. How? Researchers attached nanoparticles, each packed with thousands of dye molecules, to an antibody that recognizes the microbe E. coli O157:H7. When the nanoball-antibody combo comes into contact with... Read More

Shiga toxin is an extremely potent toxin that is produced when the bacterium contains a bacteriophage carrying the toxin gene. It is closely linked with Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome and acute renal failure in children. After ingestion via contaminated food or water the E. coli bacteria colonize t... Read More

Richard Lenski, Hannah Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. Read More

Two worm sperm shimmy across a microscope slide. Unlike most cells that rely on motor proteins to propel themselves forward, worm sperm use tiny fibers at their front ends. Putting the fibers together and taking them apart sets the cells in motion. In a new advance, researchers disassembled the ... Read More

This tropical scene, reminiscent of a postcard from Key West, is actually a petri dish containing an artistic arrangement of genetically engineered bacteria. The image showcases eight of the fluorescent proteins created in the laboratory of Roger Y. Tsien, a cell biologist at the University of C... Read More

Circular, entire, smooth, yellow colonies of Micrococcus lutea. Taken from the Wistreich Collection, appearing exclusively on MicrobeWorld. Read More

Snottites have captivated cave-goers and scientists alike since the earliest publication on cave microbes by Hoeg in 1946. These biofilms cover the walls with a thick snot-like film, from which they derive their particularly appropriate name. A variety of cave systems, the Frasassi caves in Ital... Read More

Confocal micrograph showing Shigella bacteria (pink) invading the intestinal lining. The bacteria infects the cells by high-jacking the cell's internal actin skeleton (green) to facilitate its entry into the cell and spread into adjoining cells, using polymerizing actin comet tails as several ca... Read More

Irregular, umbonate, opaque Bacillus subtilis colonies on the surface of a nutrient agar plate. Taken from the Wistreich Collection, appearing exclusively on MicrobeWorld. Read More

This scanning electron micrograph shows mycoplasma (colorized pink), a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall. Without a cell wall they are unaffected by many common antibiotics, such as penicillin, or other beta-lactam antibiotics that work by targeting cell wall synthesis. These mycoplasma ar... Read More

This color-enhanced photomicrograph shows different species of bacteria that cause dental plaque - a colorless film that forms on teeth caused by the growth of bacterial colonies. Plaque develops naturally, and in most cases can be easily removed with regular brushing. However, if left it can ha... Read More

By attaching fluorescent proteins to the genetic circuit responsible for B. subtilis's stress response, researchers can observe the cells' pulses as green flashes.

In response to a stressful environment like one lacking food, B. subtilis activates a large set of genes that help it respond to ... Read More