Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial ...

A 'silent' mutation in the genetic code of bacteria has been discovered by UK researchers, offering hope for future microbial treatments. The authors of new research, published in the Proceedings of ...

The Mfd protein repairs bacterial DNA, but can also, to scientists' surprise, promote mutation. Bacterial mutations can lead to antibiotic resistance. Understanding this second "role" of the Mfd ...

Antibiotics can destroy many types of bacteria, but increasingly, bacterial pathogens are gaining resistance to many commonly used types. As the threat of antibiotic resistance looms large, ...

Scientists have developed a mathematical model that predicts how the number and effects of bacterial mutations leading to drug resistance will influence the success of antibiotic treatments. Their ...

In 1943, two scientists named Max Delbrück and Salvador Luria conducted an experiment to show that bacteria can mutate randomly, independent of external stimulus, such as an antibiotic that threatens ...

Natural pathogenic bacteria populations can harbour mutator alleles (with high mutation rates) that may offer a selection advantage. In the March 30 Science, Giraud et al. describe a model to ...