microbes

As people's health waxes or wanes because of stress or disease, their intestinal ecosystems change, too. It may be possible someday to diagnose disease by analyzing the gas the microbes make.

Biotech companies are inserting new genes into microorganisms, turning them into tiny factories to produce valuable nutrients and flavors. But many of the companies don't want to talk about it.

A census of bacteria and viruses on the floors, toilets and soap dispensers of several bathrooms on a college campus turned up around 77,000 different types of organisms. Oh, joy.