Desert soil often looks lifeless, but it’s full of microscopic organisms like bacteria and fungi that help cycle nutrients and support plant life. Many deserts have a hard, crusty surface called ...

These self-propelling microscopic particles use tailor-made viruses to recognize specific bacteria strains. The viruses bind to matching bacteria to form unique sandwich structures that are then ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American Bacteria like to have sex just like anyone ...