Scientists are trying to understand how complex life emerged on Earth about 2 billion years ago. Our microbial ancestors could be the key.

Hardy bacteria in a lab survived pressures comparable to an asteroid strike on the red planet, suggesting a hypothetical scenario in which our planet was seeded with life.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Cryptobiotic soil crust in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, requires microorganisms living in these crusts to help hold the soil ...

The far-reaching consequences of climate change inevitably include the production of foods and beverages, including wine. In New Zealand, winemaking is an important business, with exports worth more ...

Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, with soil microorganisms playing the main role. As a result, the global soil carbon cycle—by which carbon enters, moves through, ...

Animals and microbes sustain ecosystems, food systems and climate stability. Their decline threatens global resilience and demands urgent human alignment with nature.

MMB are the only example of bacteria that are known to live like this. Many other bacteria clump together as simple aggregates of single cells. For instance, cyanobacteria clump together in colonies ...

Beneath our feet, beyond the reach of sunlight, and buried in the most unforgiving corners of the planet, an unseen world thrives. Though these environments may seem desolate, and devoid of warmth, ...

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...