Bacteria

Author and journalist Carl Zimmer talks about E. coli, the bacteria that are the subject of his new book Microcosm: E. Coli and the New Science of Life. Web sites mentioned in this episode include www.carlzimmer.com

A new company has found a way to produce polymers from genetically engineered microbes that feed on sugars, replacing fossil-fuel based processes

Tiny critters known as water bears thrive in Earth's harshest environments--and can also withstand the severity of conditions in space

Researchers have come up with a way to make antibiotics more effective should the plague come back or if it is used for bioterrorism. Cynthia Graber reports

A new study has turned up hundreds of bacterial strains that are not only antibiotic-resistant—they literally eat the life-saving drugs for breakfast.

Studies on alligator blood show that the big reptiles have incredibly robust immune systems, which researchers hope to exploit to create new antibiotics. Karen Hopkin reports.

In this episode, journalist Jessica Snyder Sachs, author of the new book Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World, talks about the complex relationships between you and the numerous single-celled critters that live on and in you. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this podcast include: jessicasachs.com

A new tool allows scientists to map the changes in human intestinal bacteria over time in the precious first year of life

When antibiotics have lost their oomph, kick the immune system up a notch.

In the face of mounting resistance to antibiotics, doctors seek to fool bacteria and deprive them of a critical growth factor.

Russian researchers find that bacteria aboard orbiting vehicles have different gene expression patterns and could pose problems during missions.

Early tests set the stage for health workers to administer the vaccine as an aerosol instead of an injection