by Mechas — Our lives are stitched from numerous activities, many of which go largely unnoticed. One of these is breathing, which is essential but only occasionally acknowledged. Read more →
Enlightened by Microbial Rhodopsins
by Mechas — The cold and dark northern winter days evoke nostalgia for the comfort and warmth of sunshine. We may take the sun for granted or even shun its scorching rays in hot weather, but we seldom think about the complex process of building life from solar energy, the foundation of our existence. Read more →
Earth History – Microbial Numbers and Impact
by Roberto — I find solace in putting my life in perspective. And one of my favorite ways to approach this is to consider life at scales that are orders of magnitude away from my direct experience. Since all the life we know of is on Earth, here are a few of Earth's basic numbers... Read more →
The Microbes of the Lost World of Cuatro Ciénagas
by Roberto — What makes Cuatro Ciénagas unique is that its phosphorus content has been extremely low for a very very long time. The authors suggest that this chemical feature of extreme nutrient unbalance has created a real life lost world... Read more →
Pore Hopping
by Christoph — In his recent post, Roberto was pleased to learn of a study addressing bacterial chemical ecology within a very small ecosystem, namely the hair follicles of human skin, where Cutibacterium acnes contend with Staphylococci. Here now, it's again about C. acnes, but this time about several strains competing for growth in human hair follicles, pores. An ecological family affair, so to speak. Read more →
Chemical Ecology of the Skin Microbiota
by Roberto — The secretion of small molecules is likely one of the most common ways in which bacteria interact with other bacteria, regardless of their environmental setting. Like many others, I like to refer to that universe of chemical interactions as "bacterial chemical ecology." Read more →
Fine Reading: Lessons from the COVID Pandemic
by Roberto — For many, the horrors lived through the pandemic are now receding memories. From a more objective perspective, we can now begin to ponder some key questions. What did each one of us learn from the experience? What should we have known from the start of the pandemic? Read more →
Surrounded by Antibiotic Resistance
by Mechas — Most of us have at some point used antibiotics. These "miracle drugs" stop infectious bacteria from growing out of control, essentially curing us from what could be fatal infections. But antibiotics are also marvelous for other reasons. Read more →
Microcins – Spanish foresight in studying gut microbial ecology
by Roberto — There is no need to go into great length to describe the current interest in the human microbiome, particularly the intestinal microbiome. It's a topic in microbial ecology that has recently attracted scientists and laypeople from across the world. But from reading about it... Read more →
Insect Symbiont–Host Balance
by Mechas — The diversity of life on earth is not only astounding but inundated with myriad expressions of host-symbiont relationships. Among these, microbial symbionts are so pervasive that they could be considered the rule, rather than the exception, among multicellular eukaryotes. Read more →