Asimov Press

Serratia marcescens’ vivid blood-red color has prompted its use in a wide range of experiments that have increased our understanding of how germs disperse within human bodies, buildings, and populations. Sightings of the striking microbe outside the lab have awakened both fear and awe in the general population. 

The awareness that certain strains of Serratia marcescens can cause severe harm to humans — counter-intuitively, the paler varieties are most dangerous — only became evident decades after Gordon’s investigations. Before then, hospitals deliberately sprayed Serratia marcescens inside their facilities to investigate microbial dispersion, and laboratory handbooks demonstrated transmission by handshake by having students coat their fingers in the microbe. While greater awareness of its dangers eventually led to its discontinuation in tracing experiments, Serratia marcescens remains an important subject of biomedical research. 

Its scientific journey began over 200 years ago with a bloody polenta.

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Serratia marcescens, a pathogen with an uncanny resemblance to blood, has had an outsized influence on modern science. In the latest article from Asimov Press, author Corrado Nai explains how research into this organism has revealed how handshakes transmit disease, how bacteria enter the bloodstream, and how an illness can spread through large cities. Our audio correspondent, Carlos Bricio, interviewed Corrado Nai to learn more.

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A look inside FutureHouse, a nonprofit research institute in San Francisco.

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A nanopore sequencer is a tiny device that can read DNA with high accuracy. Its invention, made possible by merging hardware with machine learning, holds lessons for other measurement tools. By Stephen Malina.

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How genetics and IVF empowered one researcher's family to leave cancer behind.

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Reports suggest that between 40 and 60 percent of the population died during the bubonic plague that swept through Europe in the mid-1300s. What accounts for this wide range of estimates?

In 2024, the pharmaceutical company Gilead announced that a single injection of lenacapavir protected 96 to 100 percent of recipients from HIV for up to six months. This article explains how they made it, how much it costs, and how we can help ensure it reaches those who need it most.

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A new AI model for biology, released today by Arc Institute and NVIDIA, can predict which mutations within a gene are likely to be harmful and even design small, eukaryotic genomes.

Connectomics — a technique that maps physical connections between neural cells — is expensive and inefficient. E11 Bio, a non-profit research group, is designing a tool to expedite progress.

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A 2020 study suggests that monkeys can develop Parkinson’s, just like humans. Why haven't the findings been duplicated, and what will it take to find more “natural” animal models?

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