The ubiquitous bacteria E. coli rank among nature's most successful species for lots of reasons, to which biologists at the University of Southern California have added another: in a pinch, E. coli can feast on the DNA of their dead competitors.

An improved technique for culturing cells, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), may enable new, fundamental insights into the behavior of neuronal cells.

Although most of us cringe at the sound of the words "parasitic worms," it's a fact that some of these creatures are actually good for us.

A recent scientific discovery could herald the introduction of fast, effective treatments for cancer and viruses.

A California kelp forest creates a cathedral effect as the sun shines
through the blades of the kelp.Kelp forest ecosystems that span the West Coast –– from Alaska to Mexico's Baja Peninsula –– are at greater risk from overfishing than from the effects of run-off from fertilizers or sewage on the shore, say scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The findings have important implications for the design of California's Marine Protected Areas.