As many as 1.4 million Americans suffer from uncomfortable abdominal cramping and diarrhea that come with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These conditions, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are associated with an imbalance among the thousands of species of “good” bacteria that inhabit the gut. A University of Utah study published on Jan. 22, 2015, in Cell Host and Microbe demonstrates that mice deficient for a component of the immune system, a protein called MyD88, have an imbalanced gut bacterial community – with some species dominating over others - and are more susceptible to contracting a severe IBD-like illness. Further, fecal transplants from healthy donors alleviate IBD symptoms in these mice.

The next frontier in physics may require teeny-tiny answers to big questions, and vice versa.

Nanostructured surface textures—with shapes inspired by the structure of moths' eyes—prevent the reflection of light off silicon, improving conversion of sunlight to electricity.

Five genetic variants that influence the size of structures within the human brain have been discovered by an international team that included a Georgia State University researcher.

Texas Tech researchers are beginning to understand how antibiotic-resistant bacteria travel aerially.

University of Chicago scientists have experimentally observed for the first time a phenomenon in ultracold, three-atom molecules predicted by Russian theoretical physicist Vitaly Efimov in 1970.

A Rutgers historian’s study of the Black Death also sheds light on threats such as climate change.

UMass Amherst astronomer, part of international team, takes a close-up look at comet.

Scientists design bacteria reliant upon synthetic amino acids to contain genetically modified organisms.

Hidden magnetic messages contained within ancient meteorites are providing a unique window into the processes that shaped our solar system, and may give a sneak preview of the fate of the Earth’s core as it continues to freeze.

The University of California at Berkeley's planned Richmond campus aims at ushering in a transformation of the American research university.

Scientists have identified a gene that helps regulate how well nerves of the central nervous system are insulated, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.