Jun 13th, 2008 · About 20 years ago, researchers discovered Prochlorococcus, a photosynthetic marine microorganism. Penny Chisholm, a biologist at MIT whose work led to the discovery of the microbe, talks about its role in producing 20 percent of the oxygen in the Earth's air.
Jun 12th, 2008 · The oxygen in one out of every five breaths you take comes from a bacterium called Prochlorococcus. But this tiny microbe — one of the most abundant organisms on Earth — was discovered only 20 years ago.
Mar 3rd, 2008 · Ice forms in the atmosphere around soot, dust -- and microbes. New research suggests a surprisingly large portion of the particles that create ice crystals are actually bits of bacteria.
Sep 20th, 2007 · Any fresh produce that's grown in dirt, then plucked and processed by human hands, runs the risk of becoming contaminated along the way with microbes that can cause food poisoning. Do you need veggie wash solutions, or can you just rub an apple clean on your sleeve?
Jun 19th, 2007 · New Zealand's contribution to global warming comes from an unlikely source: burping farm animals. Scientists say one way to cut down on greenhouse gases is to remove a methane-producing microbe in cows and sheep.
Jun 2nd, 2007 · This week's bizarre news of a transatlantic traveler with tuberculosis raised questions about the microbe that causes the disease. In our regular segment "Science Out of the Box," Dr. Richard Chaisson of Johns Hopkins University explains that the TB bacterium is very slow to replicate, and this slows diagnosis, treatment and research.
Mar 12th, 2007 · In Africa, some people who hunt wild animals for their meat. Some of this so-called bushmeat is smuggled into the U.S. Health experts say it sometimes contains microbes that cause serious diseases.
Jul 1st, 2006 · The human body contains 20 times more microbes than it does cells. In fact, a visitor from outer space might think the human race is just one big chain of microbe hotels.