Issue | June 2021 | The Bacterial Nanotubes Debate

Features

Clip art of a crane, car, and plane flying over a city outside the window of two people in bed not sleeping, with a starry night background

How Environmental Noise Harms the Cardiovascular System

Thomas Münzel and Omar Hahad | Jun 1, 2021 | 10+ min read

Sound from cars, aircraft, trains, and other man-made machines is more than just annoying. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A scanning electron micrograph of a coculture of E. coli and Acinetobacter baylyi. Nanotubes can be seen extending from the E. coli.

What’s the Deal with Bacterial Nanotubes?

Sruthi S. Balakrishnan | Jun 1, 2021 | 10+ min read

Several labs have reported the formation of bacterial nanotubes under different, often contrasting conditions. What are these structures and why are they so hard to reproduce?

Contributors

Meet some of the people featured in the June 2021 issue of The Scientist.

Editorial

The Psychology of Panic

The recent news of consumers hoarding gasoline in the face of a brief closure of one of the world’s biggest petroleum pipelines is just the latest episode of panic buying since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Speaking of Science

Ten Minute Sabbatical

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

Critic at Large

Opinion: Comparing Coronaviruses

In addition to continued scruitiny of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, research on similar pathogens could aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and future disease outbreaks.

Notebook

Firefly Tourism Sparks Calls for Sustainable Practices

More and more people are traveling around the world to watch the luminous displays of fireflies, but tourism-related light pollution and habitat degradation threaten to snuff out the insects at some locations.

A boat, the Tara, sailing past an island in Patagonia, Chile

Sailing the Seas in Search of Microbes

Projects aimed at collecting big data about the ocean’s tiniest life forms continue to expand our view of the seas.

The Literature

colonies of mold growing on a Petri dish

Fungi Squeezed Through Microchannels Offer Clues to Cell Growth

A study finds that fast-growing species are stymied by narrow gaps, while slower-growing species can pass through and continue extending.

Broken Heart Syndrome Linked to the Brain

A chronically stressed amygdala can prime the heart to overreact to acute stress events, a new study shows.

Mucosal Vaccines Protect Mice from Viruses, Cancer

Scientists use a protein found in mucus membranes to ferry vaccines to the lymph nodes.

Scientist to Watch

Adriana L. Romero-Olivares kneels in the lab next to dry mushrooms in oven.

Adriana L. Romero-Olivares Tracks Fungi’s Response to Climate Change

The New Mexico State University soil microbiologist uses molecular tools to understand how fungi are adapting to a warming world and what that might mean for global nutrient cycles.

Bio Business

A person wearing a purple glove holds out a blue pill

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Is Poised for a Makeover

With multiple microbiota therapeutics in the pipeline for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, clinicians foresee a shift in treatment options for the condition.

Reading Frames

illustration of a neuron connected to other neurons

Opinion: The Overlooked Power of Inhibitory Neurons

Understanding how the brain coordinates electrical activity could be key to developing more-effective treatments for a variety of brain disorders.

Foundations

a large campus building, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall at Howard University

Leader of the Pack, 1903–1994

Ruth Ella Moore had a trailblazing career, overcoming barriers of racism and sexism as she pursued her interest in microbiology.

Infographics

An illustration of a flask of bacteria, a weighted microscope slide, and two bacteria exchanging materials via nanotubes.

Infographic: Sources of Variation in Bacterial Nanotube Studies

Differences in how researchers prepare and image samples can lead to discrepancies in their results.

An illustration of a woman in bed unable to sleep. The bedside clock reads 2:30. Her brain and heart are glowing.

Infographic: Pathways from Noise to Cardiovascular Damage

Research in mice and humans points to oxidative stress and inflammation as likely drivers of noise-induced health effects such as hypertension and heart disease.