A team of researchers led by the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Seas) has found that Escherichia coli (E. coli) may use mechanical cues to keep their shape. “This research may reveal some basic principles of bacteria growth,” said Felix Wong, a graduate student at Seas and co-first author of the paper.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 is awarded to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for the development of cryo-electron microscopy, which both simplifies and improves the imaging of biomolecules.

Much better treatment options now exist for many illnesses compared to what was available ten years ago. Their effectiveness depends, however, on early detection. Laboratory diagnostics create a highly dynamic bond between scientific progress and medical applications.

Factors such as increasing worldwide population growth and increased levels of global warming mean that the world's freshwater resources are increasingly strained and drained. Researchers at Kaust, Saudi Arabia, are trying to harness the potential of wastewater in order to address global water scarcity.