MicrobeWorld

Should we keep the outdoors out of hospitals? Ecologist and TED Fellow Jessica Green has found that mechanical ventilation does get rid of many types of microbes, but the wrong kinds: the ones left in the hospital are much more likely to be pathogens. Read More

This animation starts with the explanation of bacterial cell wall synthesis, the process targeted by ß-Lactams.
Structurally, most bacteria consist of a cell membrane surrounded by a cell wall and, for some bacteria, an additional outer layer. Internal to the cell membrane is the cytoplasm whi... Read More

Microbiology, which deals with diseases caused by infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Read More

Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to take off Friday, July 8, as NASA’s 135th and final space shuttle mission, bringing a 30-year shuttle program to a close.

Although the program is being retired, scientific experiments will continue in space aboard the International Space Station, which serves a... Read More

Laurie Garrett, MicrobeWorld Twitter follower and author of "Betrayal of Trust" and "The Coming Plague", recently @ replied us to let us know that she was involved in the making of a new Warner Bros. movie entitled "Contagion" that's set for release on September 9, 2011. According to IMDB the mo... Read More

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus likes to hide in other moist places besides the anterior nares, especially the throat, perineum, armpits, and under pendulous breasts. To determine if a patient with recurrent MRSA abscesses or other skin infections is truly a carrier and thus a candid... Read More

Terry Hazen, a microbial ecologist with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, discusses the role of microbes in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Read More

In episode 51 of MicrobeWorld Video, filmed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting in Washington, D.C., on February 18, 2011, Dr. Stan Maloy talks with Read More

Oil is an expensive resource that is rapidly becoming harder to find. Eventually, we are going to have to find a new renewable fuel source to replace it. These scientists think they already have—algae. Read More

TWiV's very own Dickson Despommier explains his vision of a future where farming is truly sustainable.

If there weren't any pesky practical limitations, what world-changing device would you invent? In the second installment of Babelgum and GOOD's new Big Ideas competition, Columbia professor... Read More

Judith Klatt is a doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. She's also a mother, keen to fulfilf both her roles with equal vigor. She's being helped by a foundation set up by Nobel laureate Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard.It provides financial support so Judith ... Read More

Marine shallow water sandy bottoms on the surface appear desert-like and empty, but in the interstitial space between the sand grains, a diverse fauna flourishes. In addition to bacteria and protozoa, numerous animal phyla have been found here - some found only here. One of the strangest members... Read More

Researchers are working on developing microbial fuel cells (MFC) that can generate electricity while accomplishing wastewater treatment. Read More

In episode 49 of MicrobeWorld Video, Vincent and guests Rachel Katzenellenbogen, Read More

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Roger Hendrix, Read More

Modernization in developing countries may be accompanied by a transition from epidemic infectious diseases to chronic and degenerative illnesses as predominant causes of morbidity and mortality. The hygiene hypothesis posits that reduced exposure to infectious agents in childhood as a result of ... Read More

The ability of bacteria to be genetically manipulated in a directed way has permitted the application of bacterial metabolism and gene expression to the creation of products useful in a wide variety of domains, including alternative energy generation, novel and manipulatable pathways for antibio... Read More

Large concentrations bacteria identified in the nuclei of hailstones suggest that airborne microorganisms may be responsibility for the formation of these weather events. Participants will discuss these findings as well as the implications they may have for understanding of the role microbes pl... Read More

While the pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae has been linked to asthma in the past, new research finds over two-thirds of people with severe asthma test positive for Chlamydia-specific antibodies, suggesting this antigen could be a good biomarker for detecting those at risk for asthma. Additional re... Read More

In the early 1960s developments in agricultural production, sponsored by international funding agencies, led to what came to be called the Green Revolution. Unfortunately, this great leap forward in food production relies highly on the use of pesticides and artificial chemical fertilizers. The ... Read More