Mapping Individual Microbes among the Multitudes

by Sophia Swartzfigures by Jasmin Joseph-Chazan If you put all of the living things on Earth in a box–from humans to anteaters to teeny-tiny tardigrades–and then plucked one of these organisms out at random, it is very, very likely that you just found yourself a microbe. Microbes, although too small to be seen with the naked eye, are some of the most common forms of … Continue reading Mapping Individual Microbes among the Multitudes

Wild Fermentation

by Mary Mayfigures by Aparna Nathan People have been eating and drinking fermented foods since long before we understood how to cultivate the yeast and bacteria that make them. As anyone who’s cultivated a sourdough starter can attest, the microorganisms that make bread rise, ferment juice into alcohol, take the bitterness out of raw olives, and turn cabbage into kimchi are everywhere and all around … Continue reading Wild Fermentation