microbiology
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Doctors Used Bacteria-Killing Viruses to Take Down an Incurable Superbug
The enemy of our bacterial enemy can indeed be our friend. In a new case report, doctors say they were able to treat their patient’s long-festering, drug-resistant infection with the help of specially grown bacteriophages — viruses that infect bacteria. Large-scale clinical trials will likely be needed for these treatments to become widely used, though.
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Scientists Shot Tardigrades From a Gun to Test a Theory About Aliens
Microscopic tardigrades are among the toughest animals on Earth, capable of withstanding freezing temperatures, the vacuum of space, and intense radiation. As new research shows, they’re even able to survive high-speed impacts — but only to a point.
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Microbes Can Mine Valuable Elements From Rocks in Space
Recent experiments aboard the International Space Station have shown that some microbes can harvest valuable rare-earth elements from rocks, even when exposed to microgravity conditions. The unexpected finding shows how microbes could boost our ability to live and work in space.
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Ancient Microbes Spring to Life After 100 Million Years Under the Seafloor
Scientists have revived microbes found deep beneath the seafloor in 100-million-year-old sediment, dramatically expanding our view of where life exists on Earth and for how long.