How much carbon can the ocean absorb, and what happens to it as the planet warms? Sonya Dyhrman, a microbial oceanographer and professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, is trying to answer these ...

At first glance, Harvard Forest seems like an ordinary woodland. Oak trees shade the terrain among small shrubs and other trees, mostly maple, birch and beech. Fallen leaves coat the ground below.

Scientists have discovered a hidden partnership between ancient microbes that may explain how complex life first evolved on ...

An international group of researchers has recently warned the broader scientific community and the public of the risks of mirror life—specifically, the creation of mirror microbes by scientists in the ...

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, ...

Scientists are storing backup copies of the bacteria, viruses, archaea, protists, and fungi that keep our planet healthy ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. These bacteria don’t eat food or breathe air like we do.