Synthetic biology offers many tantalizing possibilities, but scientists consider some projects too risky to pursue. DBenitostock/Moment via Getty Images Most major biological molecules, including all ...

In orbit above Earth, scientists are watching some of the strangest life forms in the universe rewrite the rules of evolution in real time. Viruses that prey on bacteria, along with the bacteria ...

Let’s say it’s 2036, and scientists are working on a new class of drugs. Today, for instance, pharmaceutical companies use ...

Learn more about the hunt for bacteria on Mars and how astronauts will need to make sure they aren't bringing any dormant ...

While mirror bacteria may sound like a fun time, a group of 40 renowned scientists conclude it is probably not worth the risk.

Our hands are mirror images of each other. Unless you flip one hand around, they’ll never look the same. Scientists call this chirality, and the mirror-like property is fundamental to all life on ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Prochlorococcus bacteria are so small that you’d have to line up around a thousand of them to match the thickness of a human thumbnail.