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Why the hunt for alien life is under way far beneath Earth's surface

13 November 2019

Microbes that breathe sulphur could redefine what it means to be alive and provide clues about what organisms may lurk in the cosmos

Hans Christian Gram: The biologist who helped investigate bacteria

13 September 2019

Biologist Hans Christian Gram devised one of the most important staining techniques used in microbiology to identify bacteria under a microscope

Zombieland: The vast world of hidden microbes miles beneath your feet

8 May 2019

No matter how deep we dig, life has always found a way to survive. The remarkable story of these impossible microbes can teach us about how life evolved

We contain microbes so deeply weird they alter the very tree of life

10 April 2019

Newly discovered life forms inside our bodies profoundly affect our health – and provide a glimpse of the vast and mysterious biological "dark matter" within us

Bacteria can be used to turn type A blood into universal type O

21 August 2018

A new family of enzymes found in the human gut has been used to quickly turn type A blood into type O - which can be used for transfusions in anyone

First evidence that gut bacteria help wire young brains

22 June 2018

Experiments in mice have shown for the first time that bacteria found in the gut of babies and children seem to play a role in brain development

Bacteria may survive temperatures hot enough to melt lead

15 June 2018

Few living things can cope with temperatures above 100°C, but a controversial study suggests some bacterial spores can withstand 420°C heat for over 30 minutes

Your personal cloud of microbes can be used to identify you

8 June 2018

When a person enters a house, they leave behind a unique set of microorganisms that could serve as a fingerprint – and it seems to be accurate enough to spot individual people