In 2003, Hon Lik, a Chinese researcher patented an Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (also known as e-cigarettes), a battery-operated device that delivers a heated mixture of nicotine, glycerol (or propylene glycol), and flavor with each puff. 17 years later, these devices are available in over... click to read more

Since the 1940s, it has become easier to treat bacterial infections due to the discovery of antibiotics. These drugs work by corrupting active processes in bacteria, such as the ability to make DNA or proteins. By taking antibiotics when we are infected, we kill most... click to read more

Bacteria are an integral part of human life. These organisms are on your skin, in your mouth, your ears, and your gut. After birth, a diverse population is acquired by the age of three and remarkably the population is quite similar and just as diverse... click to read more

Genes are an essential component of every living being. They are encoded in the DNA, and contain the information needed to produce a fully-functional organism. Deciphering the origin of new genes in organisms is important to understand how living beings adapted to their environment. Genes... click to read more

Our multicellular bodies containing trillions of cells seem to have little in common with protists, the tiny single-celled creatures inhabiting every drop of water, which spend their days eating bacteria or each other, parasitizing larger organisms or living from light. And yet, this is how... click to read more