The H1N1 flu, or swine flu, continues to cause illness, hospitalizations and deaths worldwide. The virus was first detected in humans in the United States in April. Since then, the virus continues to ...

The marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis feeds on oil, multiplying rapidly in the wake of oil spills, and thereby accelerating the elimination of pollution, in many cases. It does this by ...

Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria, viruses, allergens, or other unsafe substances are transferred from one ...

That innocent bowl of leftover rice on your counter isn't as harmless as it looks. Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can cause two different types of food poisoning ...

Seawater is full of bacteria, hundreds of thousands live in every liter. But the sheer number of bacteria living in the water does not necessarily mean a lot. More important is how active they are and ...

When you cook meat on a grill, it's easy to assume the intense heat will prevent bacteria from spreading. However, a simple ...

Most people scrub their kitchen counters and wash their dishes believing the room is spotless. But microbiologists say the ...

In 19th-century France, the young chemist challenged the theory of spontaneous generation and discovered an invisible world of airborne microbes. Credit...Antoine Maillard Supported by By Carl Zimmer ...