New research shows that a large, ubiquitous mobile genetic element changes the antagonistic weaponry of Bacteroides fragilis, a common bacterium of the human gut. Bacteria evolve rapidly in the human ...

Bacteria are constantly moving with the help of motility organs called flagella or pili to colonize new niches. Also, bacteria can exchange information, like "speaking to each other," and thus acquire ...

Most people see their kitchen as a clean space for preparing meals. Yet, some common kitchen items and areas can harbor more bacteria than a toilet seat. Studies have shown that the average kitchen ...

Gut bacteria evolve rapidly in response to different diets, UCLA evolutionary biologists report in a new study. The researchers found that gene variants that help microbes digest starches found in ...

Bacteria can begin to transfer to food dropped on the floor in less than one second, according to research from New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers University, effectively disproving the so-called “five ...

Sometimes, transporting electrons from one cell to another is a team effort. In electroactive bacteria, that team is a group ...

A carefully controlled lettuce irrigation study reveals that while secondary-treated wastewater can still carry antimicrobial resistance risks, tertiary treatment dramatically limits what reaches the ...

Bacteria evolve rapidly in the human gut by sharing genetic elements with each other. Bacteriodales is a prolific order of gut bacteria that trade hundreds of genetic elements. Little is known, ...