Rod-shaped bacteria preserve their aspect ratios and surface-to-volume scaling by maintaining a homeostatic balance between the rates of cell elongation and division protein synthesis.
A mutation in a transcription factor makes people susceptible to Trophyrema whippelii, the bacterium that causes a rare condition called Whipple's disease.
Wild baboons are an excellent model to study complex evolutionary processes such as speciation and hybridization, as well as the links between sociality, longevity and reproductive success.
Dubbed the 'green yeast', the model alga C. reinhardtii has profoundly advanced many areas of biology, but much remains to be learnt about its life in the wild.