Articles for category: Microbiology

Tapeworms Can Live for Decades Inside You — And You May Never Know

Tapeworms Can Live for Decades Inside You — And You May Never Know

Annette Uy

Imagine sharing your body with a silent invader for years—possibly decades—without the faintest clue. It sounds like the premise of a horror film, but for millions of people around the world, it’s a chilling reality. Tapeworms, those ribbon-like parasites that have haunted human history, can make a home within us, feeding quietly off our insides ...

Ecology Says Forests That Were Clear-Cut a Century Ago Are Now Communicating Underground Through Fungal Networks That Predate the Trees Themselves

Ecology Says Forests That Were Clear-Cut a Century Ago Are Now Communicating Underground Through Fungal Networks That Predate the Trees Themselves

Sameen David

Walk through a seemingly ordinary second-growth forest and you might feel like you are simply surrounded by a bunch of individual trees trying to outcompete each other for light. But beneath your feet, a very different story is unfolding – one that sounds more like science fiction than ecology. An ancient underground fungal network, older ...

A microscopic view of bacteria.

The Microbiome Revolution: How Our Gut Bacteria Impact Our Health

Trizzy Orozco

The human digestive system hosts an intricate ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms, primarily bacteria, that collectively make up what is known as the gut microbiome. Once overlooked, this microscopic community is now recognized as a crucial contributor to our health and well-being, impacting everything from digestion to immunity. The study of these microorganisms, often referred ...

Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing (ESBLs) Enterobacteriaceae bacteria: Escherichia coli.

The Hidden World of Microbes: How Bacteria Shape Our Health and Environment

Trizzy Orozco

Microbes form an invisible network of life that influences our health, environment, and even the global climate. This hidden world encompasses bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms that inhabit nearly every part of our planet. Despite their microscopic size, these organisms play pivotal roles in ecosystem functions and human well-being. Let’s explore how bacteria, in ...

a close up of a shower head in a bathroom

The Microscopic World Living Inside Your Showerhead

Have you ever stepped into a steamy shower, letting the warm water wash away your worries, only to realize that you might not be alone? It’s a shocking thought, but every time you twist that faucet, you’re unleashing an invisible world of life right into your bathroom. Hidden behind the serene spray of water, your ...

This Fungus Traps Worms in Nooses and Devours Them Alive

This Fungus Traps Worms in Nooses and Devours Them Alive

Annette Uy

Imagine a world beneath our feet where a silent hunter lurks, weaving invisible snares and patiently awaiting its prey. This isn’t a scene from a fantasy novel—it’s playing out right now in the soil beneath the grass, in garden beds, and even in rotting wood. The star of this hidden drama is a remarkable fungus, ...

The Challenges of Terraforming Mars

There’s a Microbe That Eats Radiation — And It Might Help Us Explore Mars

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a creature so resilient that it thrives in places where nothing else survives — not because it avoids danger, but because it consumes what should kill it. This isn’t science fiction. There is a real-life microbe that doesn’t just withstand deadly radiation; it actually feeds on it. The discovery of such an extraordinary organism ...

How Microorganisms Are Changing Our Understanding of Intelligence

How Microorganisms Are Changing Our Understanding of Intelligence

Annette Uy

Imagine a world where the tiniest forms of life—so small that millions can fit on the tip of a needle—hold the keys to the mysteries of intelligence. It sounds almost unbelievable, yet it’s happening all around us, every day. Microorganisms, once thought of as simple, mindless entities, are shattering our most basic assumptions about what ...