My picks from ScienceDaily

From Hot Springs To Rice Farms, Scientists Reveal New Insights Into The Secret Lives Of Archaea:

In the world of microbes, as in politics, some groups just can't seem to shake the label ''extremist.''

Another Boost For Stem Cell Research:

In the wake of the Australian Senate's decision to pass the human embryo cloning legislation, another Australian research breakthrough is likely to strengthen the case for embryonic stem cell research.

Microfluidic Device Used For Multigene Analysis Of Individual Environmental Bacteria:

When it comes to digestive ability, termites have few rivals due to the gut activities that allow them to literally digest a two-by-four. But they do not digest wood by themselves--they are dependent on the 200 or so diverse microbial species that call termite guts home and are found nowhere else in nature. Despite several successful attempts, the majority of these beneficial organisms have never been cultivated in the laboratory. This has made it difficult to determine precisely which species perform the numerous, varied functions relevant to converting woody plant biomass into a material that can be directly used as food and energy by their insect hosts.