Bacteria

Gallery: The most beautiful bacteria you’ll ever see

Synthetic biologist Tal Danino manipulates microorganisms in his lab to create eye-catching, colorful patterns. Here’s a look at the process he uses to turn “Oh, yuck” into “Oh,...

The ongoing quest to build life from scratch

A synthetic biologist has created artificial cells that can “talk” to natural cells — but are they really alive? How does one go about building a living cell from non-living com...

For healthier buildings, just add bacteria?

Just like a human being, a house or office has its own microbiome, with good and bad microorganisms. One researcher has a targeted idea: to customize our spaces with the right m...