Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Germs living on your skin are not all bad, and researchers now believe they play an important role in protecting us from UV rays.

GREENSBORO, N.C.--When you hear the word "bacteria" you might think it's a bad thing. So you get rid of it all - the cleaner the better! Doctors say this is actually a problem because there are good ...

Scientists have uncovered a surprising way to influence the bacteria living in our mouths — not by killing them, but by interrupting how they “talk” to each other. Researchers found that dental plaque ...

We often hear that germs are something to avoid. Wash your hands. Clean your surfaces. Stay out of the mud! But scientists are discovering that our relationship with microbes is more complicated than ...

Bacteria that lurk in food can make that food delicious or deadly. Why is it that some bacteria in food are safe and even beneficial, while others are harmful and can cause illness? "Over millions of ...

An electron microscope image showing clumps of Streptococcus mutans, strains of which are the dominant cavity-causing bacteria in humans. The bacteria form clumps after producing and secreting a ...