Better Living Through Microbes

Microbes are all around us and inside of us, but how can they help improve our lives? By studying how microbes live and adapt to their environments, we can gain insight into how to benefit human health, develop new and cheaper products, and other advancements. One example from Dr. Contreras’ research group is their study of microbes that live in and naturally handle the stress of toxic environments. This information is then applied to the design and building of new molecules that can provide early warning systems of disease prevention.