Human Bacteria May Be the Secret to Athletic Endurance

A study published in Nature Medicine reveals that the secret to athletic endurance and heightened performance, isn’t creatine, chia seeds or beet juice, but rather a group of bacteria found in the gut of elite-level runners. By isolating the group, known as Veillonella, researchers were able to test its impact on mice post-ingestion—and those that ingested the bacteria ran 13% longer than mice that were given …

Iridescent Paint Made from Bacteria

In nature, color occurs in two ways, as Artsy explains: “through pigmentation, where color appears the same from every angle, or structural color, where color changes according to interactions with light.” However, a new study exploring which genes are responsible for coloration has led to the discovery that flavobacterium (a bacteria found in soil and water) can be tinkered with to alter its color. Chemist …

Your “Personal Bubble” is Actually a Cloud of Bacteria

A new study published in the journal Peer J has revealed that a “personal bubble” isn’t just a reference to a preferred spacial barrier—but a living, breathing organism that’s unique to each human. “If I scratch my head, thousands of skin cells, cell fragments, bacteria, and fungi get airborne,” explains former University of Oregon researcher James Meadow, and they follow you no matter where you …