Bacteria News and Research

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Ancient Ice Cave Bacteria Show Modern Antibiotic Resistance

Bacteria have evolved to adapt to all of Earth's most extreme conditions, from scorching heat to temperatures well below zero.

18 Feb 2026

Microbial Engineering Breakthrough Improves Supply of Promising Pharmaceuticals

Bioengineered E. coli bacteria can now produce a group of compounds with anticancer, anti-HIV, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities.

18 Feb 2026

Chemical Tweaks Boost Peptide Stability and Antimicrobial Power

Antibiotic treatments are losing effectiveness against a range of common bacterial pathogens, including E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Salmonella and Acinetobacter, according to a warning issued by the World Health Organization last October.

16 Feb 2026

Two-Step Fermentation Eliminates Unpleasant Plant Protein Odors

Off-putting smells can make even the healthiest of foods unpalatable.

16 Feb 2026

Eleven Genetic Regions Shape the Human Gut Microbiome

In two new studies on 28,000 individuals, researchers are able to show that genetic variants in 11 regions of the human genome have a clear influence on which bacteria are in the gut and what they do there.

16 Feb 2026

Molecular Hitchhikers Boost Bacterial Resistance Without Genes

A Dartmouth study finds that molecular hitchhikers living within bacteria can make their hosts extra resistant to medical treatment by corralling them into tightly packed groups.

11 Feb 2026

The Genetic Mechanics of Bacterial Circadian Clocks

Circadian clocks play an important role in our health and well-being by synchronizing the 24-hour biological cycles with light and dark exposure. Disruptions in the rhythms of these clocks, such as jet lag and daylight saving time, might put their everyday operations out of sync.

11 Feb 2026

Study Reveals Planet-Wide Network of Interconnected Microbiomes

In a new study published in Cell, scientists in the Bork Group at EMBL Heidelberg reveal that microbes living in similar habitats are more alike than those simply inhabiting the same geographical region.

10 Feb 2026

Tool Enables Accurate Detection of Microbes in Cancer Genomes

When scientists sequence tumor DNA, they typically find small amounts of genetic code from bacteria, viruses and fungi – microorganisms that, if actually present in tumor tissues, could influence how they grow, evade immunity or respond to treatment.

10 Feb 2026

New CRISPR Tool Actively Reverses Antibiotic Resistance Spread

Antibiotic resistance (AR) has steadily accelerated in recent years to become a global health crisis. As deadly bacteria evolve new ways to elude drug treatments for a variety of illnesses, a growing number of "superbugs" have emerged, ramping up estimates of more than 10 million worldwide deaths per year by 2050.

9 Feb 2026

MIT Study Pushes Back Origins of Aerobic Respiration

Oxygen is a vital and constant presence on Earth today. But that hasn't always been the case. It wasn't until around 2.3 billion years ago that oxygen became a permanent fixture in the atmosphere, during a pivotal period known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), which set the evolutionary course for oxygen-breathing life as we know it today.

9 Feb 2026

Formic Acid Drives Novel Electron Transfer in the Gut Bacteria

Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt have discovered a surprising role for formic acid in the human gut: The small molecule acts as a kind of “taxi” for electrons – both within bacteria and, likely, also between different microorganisms.

9 Feb 2026

Disordered Mitochondrial Protein Guides Electron Traffic for Metabolism

For decades, scientists assumed that order drives efficiency. Yet in the bustling machinery of mitochondria - the organelles that crank out adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal "energy currency" of cells - one of the most enigmatic components is a protein that appears anything but orderly.

6 Feb 2026

Study Reveals Dual Action Protein Protecting Bacteria From Phages

University of Toronto researchers have expanded our understanding of bacterial immunity with the discovery of a new protein that can both sense and counteract viral infections.

5 Feb 2026

Chemistry Breakthrough Improves Gene Delivery, Reduces Side Effects

Gene therapy holds the promise of preventing and curing disease by manipulating gene expression within a patient's cells.

5 Feb 2026

Novel Hydrogel Stops Infection and Speeds Wound Recovery

A novel gel might help combat resistant bacteria in wounds and around implant sites while also promoting recovery. The hydrogel, which is inspired by natural immune defenses, has generated extremely encouraging outcomes in animal models.

4 Feb 2026

Why The Gut Helps Hypervirulent Bacteria Acquire Antibiotic Resistance

Study shows hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae can acquire drug resistance in the gut, challenging traditional views on antibiotic resistance transmission.

4 Feb 2026

Sugar Molecules Point to a New Weapon Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Australian researchers have developed a powerful new way to target deadly, drug-resistant bacteria by designing antibodies that recognize a sugar found only on bacterial cells – an advance that could underpin a new generation of immunotherapies for multidrug resistant hospital-acquired infections.

4 Feb 2026