bacteria – Quanta Magazine https://www.quantamagazine.org Illuminating science Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:10:47 -0400 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2 Most Life on Earth Is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’ https://www.quantamagazine.org/most-life-on-earth-is-dormant-after-pulling-an-emergency-brake-20240605/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/most-life-on-earth-is-dormant-after-pulling-an-emergency-brake-20240605/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:07:15 +0000 https://www.quantamagazine.org/?p=138328 The post Most Life on Earth Is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’ first appeared on Quanta Magazine

]]> Researchers recently reported the discovery of a natural protein, named Balon, that can bring a cell’s production of new proteins to a screeching halt. Balon was found in bacteria that hibernate in Arctic permafrost, but it also seems to be made by many other organisms and may be an overlooked mechanism for dormancy throughout the tree of life. For most life forms, the ability to shut oneself off...

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]]> https://www.quantamagazine.org/most-life-on-earth-is-dormant-after-pulling-an-emergency-brake-20240605/feed/ 0 The Mystery of the Missing Multicellular Prokaryotes https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-mystery-of-the-missing-multicellular-prokaryotes-20240502/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-mystery-of-the-missing-multicellular-prokaryotes-20240502/#respond Thu, 02 May 2024 14:23:48 +0000 https://www.quantamagazine.org/?p=137676 The post The Mystery of the Missing Multicellular Prokaryotes first appeared on Quanta Magazine

]]> Every organism visible to the naked eye is a mass of genetically identical cells. Each of these multicellular creatures started as a single cell that divided countless times to produce its body. And while each cell contains the same genome, they express their DNA in a variety of ways, giving rise to specialized cells and tissues that perform different roles, such as skin, liver or immune cells.

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]]> https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-mystery-of-the-missing-multicellular-prokaryotes-20240502/feed/ 0 What Does Milk Do for Babies? https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-does-milk-do-for-babies-20240425/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-does-milk-do-for-babies-20240425/#respond Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:00:01 +0000 https://www.quantamagazine.org/?p=137525 The post What Does Milk Do for Babies? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

]]> Milk is more than just a food for babies. Breast milk has evolved to deliver thousands of diverse molecules including growth factors, hormones and antibodies, as well as microbes. Elizabeth Johnson, a molecular nutritionist at Cornell University, studies the effects of infants’ diet on the gut microbiome. These studies could hold clues to hard questions in public health for children and adults...

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]]> https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-does-milk-do-for-babies-20240425/feed/ 0 Cellular Self-Destruction May Be Ancient. But Why? https://www.quantamagazine.org/cellular-self-destruction-may-be-ancient-but-why-20240306/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/cellular-self-destruction-may-be-ancient-but-why-20240306/#respond Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:54:31 +0000 https://www.quantamagazine.org/?p=136017 The post Cellular Self-Destruction May Be Ancient. But Why? first appeared on Quanta Magazine

]]> It can be hard to tell, at first, when a cell is on the verge of self-destruction. It appears to be going about its usual business, transcribing genes and making proteins. The powerhouse organelles called mitochondria are dutifully churning out energy. But then a mitochondrion receives a signal, and its typically placid proteins join forces to form a death machine. They slice through the cell with...

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]]> https://www.quantamagazine.org/cellular-self-destruction-may-be-ancient-but-why-20240306/feed/ 0 The Year in Biology https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-biggest-discoveries-in-biology-in-2023-20231219/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-biggest-discoveries-in-biology-in-2023-20231219/#respond Tue, 19 Dec 2023 19:13:40 +0000 https://www.quantamagazine.org/?p=133073 The post The Year in Biology first appeared on Quanta Magazine

]]> Revolutions in the biological sciences can take many forms. Sometimes they erupt from the use of a novel tool or the invention of a radical theory that suddenly opens so many new avenues for research, it can feel dizzying. Sometimes they take shape slowly, through the slow accumulation of studies, each one representing years of painstaking work, that collectively chip away at the prevailing wisdom...

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