ASU researchers are using new genetic tools to trace the evolution of tuberculosis, a bacterium that claims millions of lives each year. Their study of the past can help us develop better treatments for the disease in the future. (photo: Janice Carr, CDC) --by Rebecca Howe

Microbial symbionts live in the guts of animals, the interiors of corals, and the roots of plants. They help plants take up nutrients and help cows break down cellulose, but they can also be harmful to their hosts. Stan Faeth wants to understand the relationship between symbionts, their hosts, and their role in everything from conservation to cancer cures. --by Margaret Coulombe

Room for experiments on the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station is hard to come by. Sometimes scientists have to mimic the effects of space right here on Earth. --by Margaret Coulombe

Scientists have learned plenty about how life in outer space affects the human body. But what about germs and other nasty microorganisms? Cheryl Nickerson wants to know how disease-causing pathogens themselves are affected by space travel. --by Margaret Coulombe

Scientists have developed a method that extends the power of fluorescence-mediated bioimaging to see discrete pigments inside live cells of bacteria. The method is providing fresh insights into what happens on a molecular level during photosynthesis. It also promises to provide important information about the inner workings of cells as they engage in the process of collecting sunlight and turning it into chemical energy. --by Skip Derra

Researchers have cracked the genetic code of a bacterium that harvests far-red light by making a rare form of chlorophyll (chlorophyll d). The bacterium, Acaryochloris marina, uses light from a part of the spectrum that few other organisms can use. Understanding how it works could help drive advances in agriculture and bioenergy. --by Skip Derra

ASU researchers are using bacteria and sunlight to generate hydrogen, a clean fuel that produces no greenhouse gases. The biohydrogen project aims to harness the energy in sunlight using microbial photosynthesis to produce hydrogen. --by Skip Derra

A series of microscopic time-lapse images show microtubules in the fungus Neurospora crassa. The image is part of a collection created by ASU cell biologist Robert Roberson. The collection has appeared in multiple galleries throughout the Phoenix area.

Cell nuclei appear like spindles along the filaments of the cytoskeleton during cell division. This image is part of a collection created by ASU cell biologist Robert Roberson. The collection has appeared in multiple galleries throughout the Phoenix area.

An ASU research team, led by John Chaput, is trying to mimic the process of Darwinian evolution in the laboratory by evolving new proteins from scratch. Using new tricks of molecular biology, the scientists have evolved several new proteins in a fraction of the 3 billion years it took nature.--by Joe Caspermeyer

This scanning electron microscope image shows the common mold Neurospora crassa. The image is part of a collection created by ASU cell biologist Robert Roberson. The collection has appeared in multiple galleries throughout the Phoenix area.

This image of the fungus Allomyces macrogynus glows with the colors of fluorescent dyes used to stain tissue samples for easier viewing. The image is part of a collection created by ASU cell biologist Robert Roberson. The collection has appeared in multiple galleries throughout the Phoenix area.

Advances in microscopy and bioimaging have paved the way for advances in everything from medicine to computers. But the images seen through a microscope’s lens are more than just useful. Often, they are quite beautiful. These days, they are also advancing art.--by Diane Boudreau

Space flight has been shown to have a profound impact on human physiology as the body adapts to zero gravity environments. New research shows that microbes are affected as well. Space flight may turn normal germs into highly infectious superbugs, according to Cheryl Nickerson. --by Joe Caspermeyer

People have touted the healing properties of clays for thousands of years. But do they really have an effect? It turns out that certain clays can kill dangerous bacteria. ASU researchers are studying this clay and trying to figure out what makes it so special. --by Margaret Coulombe