The notion of utilising the microscopic organisms as a means of generating renewable energy sounds too good to be true. Scientist Live spoke with one of the researchers exploring the possibilities.

The deletion of a single gene that codes for an odour receptor in male fruit flies can lead to a complete inability to mate.

Recent research is revealing the mechanisms responsible for social difficulties in autism. The findings may prove relevant to mechanisms in every brain.

Scientists have identified a compound in human saliva that speeds how quickly a wound heals, offering hope to people who suffer from chronic wounds.

Bacteria often grow in crowds on surfaces where they form a community together. These biofilms develop on any surface that bacteria can attach themselves to.

A protein called Wnt4 has been shown to stimulate the production of T-cells, a finding the may help combat age-related declines in immune response.

Recent evidence suggests that commercially produced bumble bees used in greenhouses are infecting their wild cousins, and that this is likely contributing to reductions in the natural pollinating bee population.

Researchers may have discovered the reason why cigarette smoke tends to increase the severity of the flu and other viral infections.

Building on the strides made in the computer world, science has increasingly turned to "lab-on-a-chip" technology to increase the effectiveness of their research.

The proper stimulation can induce adult stem cells in the brain to produce new cell that can potentially replace those lost to disease or injury.

Watching a crystal of bismuth metal in a powerful magnetic field, researchers discovered new states of electrons that behave like light.

Scientists have set their sites on typhoid fever and are now using next-generation DNA sequencing technology improve diagnosis, track disease spread and possibly design vaccines.

Francisella tularensis is a potential biological weapon and the cause of tularemia, a fatal disease. Recently, studying the pathogen has seen a surge.

Bacteria living on opposite sides of a canyon have evolved to cope with different temperatures by altering the make-up of their 'skin', or cell membranes.

Recent mice studies have shed light on pre-eclampsia, a serious and potentially deadly disorder that affects some pregnancies.

Angiotensin receptor blockers, a class of anti-hypertensive medicines, has been linked with a striking decrease in the occurrence and progression of dementia.

Highly directional semiconductor lasers were recently demonstrated in the laboratory, opening the door to a wide range of applications in photonics and communications.

Surgeons have performed a gallbladder removal without having to make a single external incision, reducing pain, speeding recovery, and minimising visible scarring.

Researchers characterised genetic variation and detected more than one MHC class II locus in a tailed amphibian.

Gene-expression data from liver tissue or whole blood can be used to classify histopathologic differences in the effects of hepatotoxins.